Instrumentation and Control

Test N.2, V2, 2018

Student Monitor: Sebastián Macı́as Vera

Professor: MSc. Eng. Iván Portnoy De la Ossa

April 15, 2020

Barranquilla, Colombia

1 Problem Description
Microalgae are a taxonomically diverse group of microscopic organisms which can thrive
in a wide spectrum of ecosystems and environmental conditions. Nevertheless, when some
particular species are required to be cultured, environmental conditions need to be care-
fully maintained in specific ranges. Photobioreactors are among the best alternatives for
microalgae culturing. Figure 1 illustrates a simple photobioreactor with temperature and
pH control loops.

Figure 1: Process diagram

To maintain the photobioreactor temperature, the flow of a cooling water stream, with
a nominal temperature of 15◦ C, is manipulated. Also, there is a pH control loop which
comprises a pH sensor/transmitter (AT), with a range of 0-14, a Proportional-Integral pH
controller (AC), and a control valve manipulating the mass flow of an inlet CO2 stream,
fCO2 (in g/s), which affects directly the pH, which must be nominally 7. The pH trans-
mitter can be considered as a pure gain transfer function. The nominal value of the CO2

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stream flow is 37g/s, and the control valve is Fail-closed and linear.

The most important disturbance to this pH loop is the light irradiance, Ql (in W/m2 ),
with a nominal value of 94.6 W/m2 . The open-loop transfer functions ruling the behavior
of pH as a function of signal m(t) and Ql are shown in a block diagram in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Block diagram of the open loop transfer functions

Table 1 contains the values for all parameters (with the corresponding units) of all transfer
functions in Figure 3. Recall that pH=-log(cH + )/(c0 ) , where cH + is the concentration of
hydrogen ion H+ in moles per liter and c0 =1mol/L. Thus, the pH is unitless.

Table 1: Transfer function parameters

Parameter Value Units
kp -0,1784 S/g
kr -0,074 m2 /W
kv 0,37 g/(S%CO)
τ 1,5 min
τr 7 min
tr 4 min
ωn 1,5 rad/min
δ 0,85 rad

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1. Draw a block diagram of the pH closed control loop.

2. What is the correct controller action?

3. • Tune the PI controller for a QDR response. Use the Padé approximation for
the dead time term: to
1− 2s
e−to s ≈ to (1)
1+ 2s

• Once the controller has been tuned and the loop is closed, how much offset will
be obtained after a setpoint change of 5% TO?

4. If a P-only controller is used with kc = 0, 4kcu and the light irradiance changes
according to the following function:

Qi (t) = 94, 6W/m2 + (20W/m2 )u(t) (2)

where u(t) is a step function:

• Determine the offset that will take place.

• Will the response be oscillatory or monotonic?