UNIVERSITY OF MINES AND TECHNOLOGY, TARKWA

SECOND SEMESTER EXAMINATIONS, MAY 2015

COURSE NO : MR 374
COURSE NAME: PROCESS CONTROL
CLASS : MR III TIME: 3 HOURS

Name: __________________________________________ Index Number: _______________

SECTION B (ANSWER ALL)

(1). List at least four of automatic process controls which are used in maintaining process
variables.

(2). State the three basic components of all control systems.

(3). State the reasons why control of a process system is important.

(4). Briefly explain feedback and feed forward control loops with labeled diagrams.

(5). Explain briefly the disadvantages of feedback control system.

(6). What is the main objective of feed forward control in a process system?

(7). State the differences between automatic and manual control.

(8). There are four essential components of a control system. What are they?

(9). List all the concepts that are regarded to be useful in control systems.

(10). Briefly explain the term “Dead Time” in a process control system.

SECTION C (ANSWER ANY TWO)

QUESTION ONE

(a). Derive the Laplace transform of the following differential equations

d 2 y(t ) dy(t )
i. 9 2
6  y(t )  2 x(t )
dt dt
d 2 y (t ) dy(t )
ii. 9 2
9  y(t )  8 x(t )  0
dt dt
dy(t )
iii. 6  2 y (t )  2 x(t )  4
dt

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The initial conditions are zero at steady state such that y(0) = 0 and ).

b. Determine the poles and zeros of the transfer functions in (a).

QUESTION TWO
(a). Consider a mixing tank with mass flows Fi i and F0 0 and free board height of the fluid
h(t). Fi and Fo are fluid flow in and out respectively. ρi and ρo are fluid densities
respectively. The surface area of the tank is A. The fluid is homogeneous.
(i). State the mass balance equation for such a system.
(ii). Show that the transient mass balance around the tank is
d
Fi  F0  Ah  .
dt
(iii). Assuming some turbulence occurs in the tank, and the flow out Fo changed as
F0   h .
(b). What will be the new mass balance equation?
(c). What is the name given to such an ordinary differential equation?
(d). Prove that, the differential equation in (b) is
dh h h
A   0  Fi
dt 2 h0 2

State any assumptions you made in arriving at your answer.

QUESTION THREE

Y ( s)  1 s  2  3 
(a). Given that,    
X ( s)  s  3 s  5  s  1 
Y (s)
Show that can be expressed in block diagram as
X (s)

X(s)
3( s 2  6s  11) Y(s)
( s  3)( s  5)( s  1)

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 Y (s) Y (s)
(b). Show that the transfer functions and relating Y (s) to X 1 ( s) and X 2 ( s) from
X (s) X (s)
the following block diagram below are;

Y ( s)
(i).  G3 (G1  G2 )
X 1 ( s)

Y ( s)
(ii).  G4  1
X 2 ( s)

X1(t) G1

+
G2 Y1(S) G3
-
+
Y(S)

+
X2(S) + Y2(S)
G4
-

J. GORDON/C. ABBEY

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