Process Control, 3P4

Assignment 3
Kevin Dunn, kevin.dunn@mcmaster.ca Due date: 03 February 2014

Assignment objectives: understand how to work with nonlinear systems; how to model time delays; further
experience with transfer functions and block diagrams. Getting some practice for the midterm.

Question 1 [10]

Consider the system from the previous assignment. It is a CSTR where the reaction A −→ B is occurring. You do not
have to derive the component material balance, i.e., the differential equation in the figure.

Using the above nonlinear model, create a linearized model and find the Laplace transform representation of it. You
′ ′
will need to create deviation variables 𝐶𝐴 for outlet concentration, and 𝐶𝐴0 for inlet concentration. The transfer
′ ′
function will relate the outlet concentration 𝐶𝐴 to the incoming (input) concentration, 𝐶𝐴0 .
Solution
The single nonlinear term requires linearization. After subbing in the linearization, the ODE will be:
𝑑𝐶𝐴 𝑘1 𝐶𝐴,𝑠 𝑉 𝑘1
𝑉 = 𝐹 𝐶𝐴,0 − 𝐹 𝐶𝐴 − − (𝐶𝐴 − 𝐶𝐴,𝑠 )
𝑑𝑡 1 + 𝑘2 𝐶𝐴,𝑠 (1 + 𝑘2 𝐶𝐴,𝑠 )2
Writing the above equation at steady state, and subtracting, we see the 3rd term on the right side drop away, and we
have deviation variables:
′
𝑑𝐶𝐴 ′ ′ 𝑉 𝑘1
𝑉 = 𝐹 𝐶𝐴,0 − 𝐹 𝐶𝐴 − 𝐶′
𝑑𝑡 (1 + 𝑘2 𝐶𝐴,𝑠 )2 𝐴
′
𝑑𝐶𝐴 𝐹 ′ 𝐹 ′ ′
= 𝐶𝐴,0 − 𝐶𝐴 − 𝛼𝐶𝐴
𝑑𝑡 𝑉 𝑉
𝑘1
𝛼=
(1 + 𝑘2 𝐶𝐴,𝑠 )2
allowing us to write:
′
𝐶𝐴 (𝑠) 𝐹/𝑉
′ =
𝐶𝐴,0 (𝑠) 𝑠 + (𝐹/𝑉 + 𝛼)

Question: do you get the expected result when the reaction rate is zero, i.e. 𝛼 = 0?

Question 2 [8]

From a previous midterm

A thermometer having first-order dynamics, with a time constant of 0.2 minutes, is placed in a temperature bath, and
after the thermometer comes to equilibrium, with the bath, the temperature of the bath is increased linearly with time,
at a rate of 0.5 degrees per minute.
1. Write down what the Laplace transfer expression would be for the thermometer temperature reading, 𝑇 . Use
deviation variables.
2. Find the analytical response of the thermometer temperature, 𝑇 ′ (𝑡).
Solution
1. As described in tutorial, the dynamics refer to the ability of the thermometer to rapidly display the value of the
water bath, i.e.:
𝑇 ′ (𝑠) 𝐾
′
=
𝑇𝑤 (𝑠) 𝜏𝑠 + 1
must reflect the gain and time constant of the thermometer output, 𝑇 ′ (𝑡) for a given input in the water bath
temperature, 𝑇𝑤′ (𝑡).
We know eventually (at final value state), the thermometer reading will match the bath reading, so the gain of
the system is 1.0. The time constant, 𝜏 = 0.2 minutes was given.
So the transfer function is:
𝑇 ′ (𝑠) 1
=
𝑇𝑤′ (𝑠) 0.2𝑠 + 1
for the input variable, bath temperature, 𝑇𝑤′ (𝑠).
0.5
2. If the bath temperature is ramped up at 0.5 degrees per minute, we can write that as 𝑇𝑤′ (𝑠) = 2 .
𝑠
[︂ ]︂
0.5 × 1
So the output thermometer temperature, 𝑇 ′ (𝑡) = ℒ−1 2 .
𝑠 (0.2𝑠 + 1)
0.5 0.1 0.5 0.02
Using partial fraction expansion, =− + 2 +
𝑠2 (0.2𝑠 + 1) 𝑠 𝑠 0.2𝑠 + 1
0.02 [︀
Inverting this to the time domain gives 𝑇 ′ (𝑡) = −0.1 + 0.5𝑡 + 1 − 𝑒−𝑡/0.2 = 0.5𝑡 + 0.1𝑒−5𝑡
]︀
0.2

Question 3 [12]

From a previous midterm

A second order reaction occurs in a well mixed tank (liquid phase reaction). The system is currently operating at
steady state, however the inlet feed flow and concentration are both known to vary (i.e. there are two inputs to the
system)
The reaction is given by −𝑟A = 𝑘𝐶A2 , and you may assume the tank volume is constant, and the reactor is isothermal.
The reaction rate constant has units of m3 .s−1 .mol−1 .

2
 1. Derive a dynamic model that relates the outlet concentration of species A, denoted by 𝐶A , to the inlet flow rate,
𝐹 , and inlet concentration, 𝐶A,in .
2. Use this model to derive the Laplace transform representation, linearizing where required.
Solution
This question was solved in detail in class on 03 February.
The ODE derived is:
𝑑𝐶𝐴 2
𝑉 = 𝐹 𝐶𝐴,0 − 𝐹 𝐶𝐴 − 𝑘𝑉 𝐶𝐴
𝑑𝑡
It requires linearized 3 nonlinear terms, as the question tells us that the inlet flow and inlet concentration vary with
time (the two inputs). The outlet concentration, 𝐶𝐴 , is also time varying.
The solution is:

′ 𝐹𝑠 𝐶𝐴,0,𝑠 − 𝐶𝐴,𝑠
𝐶𝐴 (𝑠) = 𝐶 ′ (𝑠) + 𝐹 ′ (𝑠)
𝑉 𝑠 + 𝐹𝑠 + 2𝑘𝑉 𝐶𝐴,𝑠 𝐴0 𝑉 𝑠 + 𝐹𝑠 + 2𝑘𝑉 𝐶𝐴,𝑠

Note: even if you derive the solution as two separate transfer functions (one keeping 𝐹 constant while varying 𝐶𝐴,0 ,
and the next one keeping 𝐶𝐴,0 constant while varying 𝐹 ), you still have to linearize the 𝐹 𝐶𝐴 term, which requires a
Taylor series expansion with two terms.

Question 4 [10]

From a previous midterm

Apply a step input of magnitude 3 units to the following system:

𝑒−2𝑠
𝐺(𝑠) =
(𝑠2 + 2𝑠 + 5) (𝑠 + 2)

then, without explicitly inverting to the time domain, determine:

1. whether the response is stable
2. the steady (state) value of the response
3. whether the response will have oscillatory characteristics (justify your answer).
4. Give a rough sketch of the system’s output, starting from when the step response is applied.
Solution
There is no need to invert to the time-domain for these types of questions. However, recognize the input function is
𝑢(𝑠) = 3𝑠 , and it is the output response, 𝑦(𝑠) = 𝐺(𝑠)𝑢(𝑠) that we are interested in:

3𝑒−2𝑠
𝑦(𝑠) =
𝑠 (𝑠2 + 2𝑠 + 5) (𝑠 + 2)

1. The response’s stability is judged from the final value theorem, given that we are putting a stable input into the
system.
3
𝑦(𝑡) = lim [𝑠𝑦(𝑠)] = = 0.3
𝑠→0 10
Since the final value is finite, the response is judged to be stable.
We’ve not yet studied in class about the roots of the denominator (these tell us about stability), however if you
have read ahead (p 109), you could answer that since the system has one root of zero, and that the other roots
have negative real part (𝑠 = −2; and 𝑠 = −1 ± 2𝑖), that the system is stable.

3
2. The prior question showed the steady state value was 0.3
3. Again, you can observe that to find 𝑦(𝑡) would require a partial fraction expansion:
𝛼1 𝛼2 𝛼3
𝑦(𝑠) = + 2 +
𝑠 (𝑠 + 2𝑠 + 5) (𝑠 + 2)

that the second term would contribute oscillatory characteristics to the response; since from line 17, we would
have:
𝛼2 2
= 𝛼2′ 2
(𝑠2 + 2𝑠 + 5) 2
(𝑠 + 1) + 4

Note that the inversion would be of the form 𝑒−𝑡 sin(2𝑡), indicating the exponential gets damped down over
time (the 𝑒−𝑡 portion will force the sinusoid to have smaller and smaller amplitude).
We can also use this part of the question to judge stability, noting that all the terms in the inversion would steady
out to constant values as 𝑡 −→ ∞.
4. Putting all this information together, and noting that the response has a pure delay of 2 time units, the response
would be expected to have the following characteristics:

Any plot showing (i) a 2 unit delay, (ii), steading out at 0.3 and (iii) oscillations of some sort, will be deemed
correct.

END