Process Dynamics & Control

Ch.E- 410

Muhammad Rashed Javed

2
Course Grading Structure

 Three Credit hour for Course:-

Assignments (10%)
Quizzes (10%)
Project (10%) 100% Marks
Mid-term Exam (25%)
Final Exam (45%)

Process Dynamics & Control

 Course Book and Reference Books
3
 Chemical Process Control, G. Stephanupolos, Prentice Hall 2002
 Seborg et al. (2004), Process Dynamics and Control, Wiley.
 Smith, C. A, Corripio, A. B, Principles and Practice of Automatic
Process Control, John Wiley, 1985.
 Marlin, T.E., Process Control, 2nd Ed., McGraw Hill Book Co., 2000.
 Ogunnaike, B. A., et al., Process Dynamics, Modeling, and
Control, Oxford University Press, 1997.
 Coughanown, D. R. and Koppel, C. B., Process system Analysis &
Control, McGraw-Hill 1991.
 Process Control Instrumentation Technology, Curtis D. Johnson,
Pearson Education 2003.
 Essentials of Process Control, W.L. Luyben McGraw-Hill 1997

Process Dynamics & Control

 Introduction
4  Chemical Process: Any single processing unit or combination of
processing units, used for the conversion of raw materials
(through chemical, physical, mechanical or thermal changes)
into finished products.
 When operating a chemical process we have three objectives:
 Operate the processing unit(s) safely
 Maintain specified production rates
 Maintain specified product quality.

 What can lead to unsafe operation, low production rate &

quality (of a continuous process)?
 Chemical processes are dynamic, i.e. their behavior changes
with time
 To achieve the three above objectives, we should be able to
monitor and induce change in those key process variables that
are related to safety, production rate, and product quality.

Process Dynamics & Control

 Process Control
5  The possibility of improving the performance and the profitability is
illustrated by the figures below.

 In this example, acceptable product quality requires that the

impurity of the product is below the limit indicated in the figures.
However, we do not want to make the product purer than
necessary, because it would increase the production costs.
 The figure to the left illustrates a situation where the impurity
fluctuates a lot, but the quality requirements are fulfilled.
 The figure in the center illustrates that the fluctuations can be
reduced by better control. Then it is possible to increase the
average impurity in the product, as illustrated by the figure to the
right, without violation of the quality requirements. Obviously, this
also reduces the production costs.

Process Dynamics & Control

 Process Dynamics
6  A process is a dynamical system, whose behavior changes
over time. Control systems are needed to handle such
changes in the process. Thus, it is important to understand the
process dynamics when a control system is designed.
Mathematically, the process dynamics can be described by
differential equations. Unsteady‐state (or transient) process
behavior then corresponds to a situation, where (at least some)
time derivatives of the differential equations are nonzero.
 Transient operation occurs during important situations such as
start‐ups and shutdowns, unusual process disturbances, and
planned transitions from one product grade to another. Even
at normal operation, a process does not operate at a steady
state (with all time derivatives of the differential equations
exactly zero) because there are always variations in external
variables, such as feed composition or cooling medium
temperature. Thus, knowledge of steady‐state (or static)
process properties, taught in many engineering courses, is not
sufficient for control design.

Process Dynamics & Control

7 Process Dynamics and Control
 The dual task of:
 Monitoring certain process variables, and
 Inducing changes in the appropriate process variables is the job of
the control system.
 To achieve good design for a control system one should study
Process Dynamics & Control
 Process Dynamics and Control is concerned with the analysis,
design, and implementation of control systems that facilitate
the achievement of specified objectives of process safety,
production rates, and product quality.

Process Dynamics & Control

8 What is Process?
 The foundation of process control is process understanding.
 Process: The conversion of feed materials to products using
chemical and physical operations. In practice, the term
process tends to be used for both the processing operation
and the processing equipment.
 Note that this definition applies to three types of common
processes:
 Continuous
 Batch
 Semi-batch
 Next, we consider representative processes and key control
issues.

Process Dynamics & Control

 Continuous Processes
9 (a) Tubular heat exchanger:
A process fluid on the tube side is cooled by cooling water on the shell
side. Typically, the exit temperature of the process fluid is controlled by
manipulating the cooling water flow rate. Variations in the inlet
temperatures and the process fluid flow rate affect the heat
exchanger operation. Consequently, these variables are considered to
be disturbance variables.

(b) Continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR):

If the reaction is highly exothermic, it is necessary to control the reactor
temperature by manipulating the flow rate of coolant in a jacket or
cooling coil. The feed conditions (composition, flow rate, and
temperature) can be manipulated variables or disturbance variables.

Process Dynamics & Control

 Continuous Processes
10 (c) Thermal cracking furnace.
Crude oil is broken down ("cracked") into a number of lighter petroleum
fractions by the heat transferred from a burning fuel/air mixture. The furnace
temperature and amount of excess air in the flue gas can be controlled by
manipulating the fuel flow rate and the fuel/air ratio. The crude oil composition
and the heating quality of the fuel are common disturbance variables.

(d) Multicomponent distillation column:

Many different control objectives can be formulated for distillation columns. For
exarnple, the distillate composition can be controlled by adjusting the reflux
flow rate or the distillate flow rate, If the composition cannot be measured on-
line, a tray temperature near the top of the column can be controlled instead. If
the feed stream is supplied by an upstream process, the feed conditions will be
disturbance variables.

Process Dynamics & Control

 Continuous Processes
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 For each of these four examples, the process control problem
has been characterized by identifying three important types of
process variables.
 Controlled variables (CVs): The process variables that are
controlled. The desired value of a controlled variable is referred to
as its set point.
 Manipulated variables (MVs): The process variables that can be
adjusted in order to keep the controlled variables at or near their
set points. Typically, the manipulated variables are flow rates.
 Disturbance variables (DVs): Process variables that affect the
controlled variables but cannot be manipulated. Disturbances
generally are related to changes in the operating environment of
the process, for example, its feed conditions or ambient
temperature. Some disturbance variables can be measured on-line,
but many cannot such as the crude oil composition for Process (c),
a thermal cracking furnace.
 The specification of CVs, MVs, and DVs is a critical step in
developing a control system. The selections should be based on
process knowledge, experience, and control objectives.

Process Dynamics & Control

 Batch and Semi-Batch Processes
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 Batch and semi-batch processes are used in many process
industries, including microelectronics, pharmaceuticals,
specialty chemicals, and fermentation. Batch and semi-batch
processes provide needed flexibility for multiproduct plants,
especially when products change frequently and production
quantities are small. Figure shows four representative batch and
semi-batch processes:

Process Dynamics & Control

 Batch and Semi-Batch Processes
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(e) Batch or semi-batch reactor:
An initial charge of reactants is brought up to reaction conditions, and
the reactions are allowed to proceed for a specified period of time or
until a specified conversion is obtained. Batch and semi-batch
reactors are used routinely in specialty chemical plants, polymerization
plants (where a reaction byproduct typically is removed during the
reaction), and in pharmaceutical and other bioprocessing facilities
(where a feed stream, e.g., glucose, is fed into the reactor during a
portion of the cycle to feed a living organism, such as a yeast or
protein). Typically, the reactor temperature is controlled by
manipulating a coolant flow rate. The end point (final) concentration
of the batch can be controlled by adjusting the desired temperature,
the flow of reactants (for semi-batch operation), or the cycle time.

Process Dynamics & Control

 Batch and Semi-Batch Processes
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(f) Batch digester in a pulp mill:
Both continuous and semi-batch digesters are used in paper
manufacturing to break down wood chips in order to extract the
cellulosic fibers. The end point of the chemical reaction is
indicated by the kappa number, a measure of lignin content. It is
controlled to a desired value by adjusting the digester
temperature, pressure, and/or cycle time.

Process Dynamics & Control

 Batch and Semi-Batch Processes
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(g) Plasma etcher in a semiconductor processing:
A single wafer containing hundreds of printed circuits is subjected
to a mixture of etching gases under conditions suitable to establish
and maintain a plasma (a high voltage applied at high
temperature and extremely low pressure). The unwanted material
on a layer of a microelectronics circuit is selectively removed by
chemical reactions. The temperature, pressure, and flow rates of
etching gases to the reactor are controlled by adjusting electrical
heaters and control valves.

Process Dynamics & Control

 Batch and Semi-Batch Processes
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(h) Kidney dialysis unit:
This medical equipment is used to remove waste products from the
blood of human patients whose own kidneys are failing or have
failed. The blood flow rate is maintained by a pump, and "ambient
conditions," such as temperature in the are controlled by adjusting
a flow rate. The dialysis is continued long enough to reduce waste
concentrations to acceptable levels.

Process Dynamics & Control

 Chemical Plant
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 A chemical plant is an arrangement of processing units
(reactors, heat exchangers, pumps, distillation columns,
absorbers, evaporators, tanks, etc.), integrated with one
another in a systematic and rational manner.
 The plant's overall objective is to convert certain raw materials
(input feedstock) into desired products using available sources
of energy, in the most economical way. During its operation, a
chemical plant must satisfy several requirements imposed by its
designers and the general technical, economic, and social
conditions in the presence of ever-changing external influences
(disturbances). Among such requirements are the following:
I. Safety
II. Production Specifications
III. Environmental Regulations
IV. Operational Constraints
V. Economics

Process Dynamics & Control

 Plant Operational Requirements
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I. Safety: The safe operation of a chemical process is a primary
requirement for the well-being of the people in the plant and
for its continued contribution to the economic development.
Thus, the operating pressures, temperatures, concentration of
chemicals, and so on, should always be within allowable limits.
For example, if a reactor has been designed to operate at a
pressure up to 100 psig, we should have a control system that
will maintain the pressure below this value. As another
example, we should try to avoid the development of explosive
mixtures during the operation of a plant.
II. Production Specifications: A plant should produce desired
amounts and quality of the final products. For Example, we
may require the production of 2 million pounds of ethylene per
day, of 99.5% purity. Therefore, a control system is needed to
ensure that the production level (2 million pounds day) and the
purity (99.5% ethylene) are satisfied.

Process Dynamics & Control

 Plant Operational Requirements
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III. Environmental regulations: Various federal and State laws may
specify that the temperatures, concentrations of chemicals, and
flow rates of the effluents from a plant within certain limits. Such
regulations exist, for example, on the amounts Of SO: that a
plant can eject to the atmosphere, and on the quality of water
returned to a river or a lake.
IV. Operational constraints: The various types of equipment used in a
chemical plant have constraints inherent to their such constraints
should be satisfied throughout the operation of a plant.
For example, pumps must maintain a certain net positive suction head:
tanks should not overflow or go dry, distillation columns should not be
flooded; the temperature in a catalytic reactor should not exceed an
upper limit since the Catalyst will destroyed.
Control systems are needed to satisfy all these operational constraints.
V. Economics: The operation of a plant must conform with the market
conditions, that is, the availability of raw materials and the
demand of the final products. Furthermore, it should be as
economical as possible in its utilization of raw materials, energy,
capital, and human labor. Thus, it is required that the operating
conditions are controlled at given optimum levels of minimum
operating cost, maximum profit, and so on.
Process Dynamics & Control
 Chemical Process Control
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 All the requirements listed above dictate the need for
continuous monitoring of the operation of a chemical plant
and external intervention (control) to guarantee the satisfaction
of the operational objectives.
 This is accomplished through a rational arrangement of
equipment(measuring devices, valves, controllers, computers)
and human intervention (plant designers, plant operators),
which together constitute the control system.
There are three general classes of needs that a control system is
called on to satisfy:
1. Suppressing the influence of external disturbances
2. Ensuring the stability of a chemical process
3. Optimizing the performance of a chemical process

Let us examine these needs using various examples.

Process Dynamics & Control

 1. Suppressing the influence of
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external disturbances
 Suppressing the influence of external disturbances on a process
is the most common objective of a controller in a chemical
plant. Such disturbances, which denote the effect that the
surroundings (external world) have on a reactor, separator,
heat exchanger, compressor, and so on, are usually out of the
reach of the human operator. Consequently, we need
to introduce a control mechanism that will make the proper
changes on the process to cancel the negative impact that
such disturbances may have on the desired operation of a
chemical plant.

Process Dynamics & Control

 Example 1.1: Controlling the Operation
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of a Stirred Tank Heater
 Consider the tank heater system shown
in Figure 1.1.
 A liquid enters the tank with a flow rate
Fi (ft3/min) and a temperature Ti (0F),
where it is heated with steam (having a
flow rate Fst lb/min).
 Let F and T be the flow rate and
temperature of the stream leaving the
tank.
 The tank is considered to be well stirred,
which implies that the temperature of
the effluent is equal to the temperature
of the liquid in the tank.
 The operational objectives of this
heater are:
1. To keep the effluent temperature T at a The operation of the
desired value Ts heater is disturbed by
2. To keep the volume of the liquid in the external factors such as
tank at a desired value Vs changes in the feed
flow rate and
temperature (Fi and Ti).
Process Dynamics & Control
 Example 1.1: Contd…
23
 If nothing changed, then after attaining
T = Ts and V = Vs, we could leave the
system alone without any supervision
and control. It is clear, though, that this
cannot be true since Fi and Ti are subject
to frequent changes.
 Consequently, some form of control
action is needed to alleviate the impact
of the changing disturbances and keep
T and V at the desired values.

Process Dynamics & Control

 Feedback control system
24  In Figure 1.2 we see a control action to keep T = Ts when Ti or
Fi changes. A thermocouple measures the temperature T of the
liquid in the tank. Then T is compared with the desired value Ts,
yielding deviation Ts - T. The value of the deviation ε is sent to a
control mechanism which decides what must be done in order for
the temperature T to return back to the desired value Ts.
 If ε > 0, which implies that T < Ts, the controller opens the steam
valve so that more heat can be supplied. On the contrary, the
controller closes the steam valve when ε < 0 or T > Ts. It is clear that
when T = Ts (i.e., ε = 0), the controller does nothing. This control
system, which measures the variable of direct importance (T in this
case) after a disturbance had its effect on it, is called the
feedback control system. The desired value Ts is called the set
point and is supplied externally by the person in charge of
production

Process Dynamics & Control

 Example 1.1: Contd…
25
 A similar configuration can be used if we want to keep the
volume V or equivalently the liquid level h, at its set point hs
when Fi changes.

Process Dynamics & Control

 Example 1.1: Contd…
26
 In this case we measure the level of the liquid in the tank and we
open or close the valve that affects the effluent flow rate F, or
inlet flow rate F (see Figure 1.3). It is clear that the control systems
shown in Figure 1.3 are also feedback control systems. All
feedback systems shown in Figures 1.2 and 1.3 act post facto
(after the fact), that is, after the effect of the disturbances has
been felt by the process.

Process Dynamics & Control

 Feedforward control system
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 Returning to the tank heater example, we realize that we can
use a different control arrangement to maintain T = Ts, when Ti
changes. Measure the temperature of the inlet stream Ti, and
open or close the steam valve to provide more or less steam.
Such control configuration is called feedforward control and is
shown in Figure 1.4. We notice that the feedforward control does
not wait until the effect of the disturbances has been felt by the
system. but acts appropriately before the external disturbance
affects the system, anticipating what its effect will be.

Process Dynamics & Control