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Year and Section: Date:

LEARNING ACTIVITY NO 3.1

Course Automation 2

Topic Topic 1: Design a Simple Process Control System

Learning Outcome(s) 3.1 Define Disturbances, Error, and Offset

Instructor C/Engr. Mario G. Ozaraga

LESSON MAP

Design a Simple Process

Control System

Introduction to Types of Describing

Process Control Process Control Disturbances, Error
System System and Offset

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I. INTRODUCTION

• A process control system is based on a control loop, which has four main components:
1. A measurement of the state or condition of a process
2. A controller calculating an action based on this measured value against a pre-
set or desired value (set point).
3. An output signal resulting from the controller calculation which is used to
manipulate the process action through some form calculator.
4. The process itself reaching to this signal and changing its state or condition.

• Precise control of these variables is critical in industrial settings as it improves the quality of
products while enabling automation and requiring fewer personnel to monitor and control
complex processes from a central location. It is used in industry to maintain quality and
improve performance.

II. TYPES OF PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM

• Open loop control system \

• Closed loop control system

1. Open Loop Control System

 A control action is applied on the output of the system

 It does not receive nay feedback signal to control or alter the output status

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 In an open loop control system, the input (control action) doesn’t depend on the output of
the system. Regardless of how the system behaves, the input signal is independent of the
system’s response.
 The input is the control action applied to the system. The output is the system’s reaction for
a given input. The output can be affected also by some disturbances which interact with the
system.

 An example of an open loop control system is a toaster. In this case, the system contains the
electrical resistances of the toaster, the input is the level (time) of toasting and the output is
the toasted bread. For the same input (time/level) the output can be more or less “toasted”
depending on several disturbances: consistency of the bread, geometry of the slice, outside
temperature, etc. The system is open loop because the input is not adjusted function of the
output.

Open loop control system

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2. Closed loop control system

 Also known as a feedback control system is a control system which uses the concept of an
open loop system as its forward path but has one or more feedback loops (hence its name) or
paths between its output and its input. The reference to “feedback”, simply means that some
portion of the output is returned “back” to the input to form part of the systems excitation.

 It’s called a feedback control system because the output is fed back to the input,
which uses it in such a way that the desired system’s behavior is maintained.
 the input is adjusted function of the output of the system. This means that any
disturbances affecting the system will be compensated by t

 The air conditioner is an example of the closed-loop system. The air conditioner regulates
the temperature by comparing it with the surrounding temperature. The comparison of
temperature is done with the help of the thermostat. When the AC provides the error signal
which is the difference between the surrounding temperature and room temperature the
thermostats turn on or off the compressor.

Terms of Process Control Loop

Process
 The material equipment along with the physical or chemical operation which take
place.
Examples:

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 Tanks, Heat Exchangers, Reactors

Measuring System
• Transducer: Many measurements cannot be used for control until they are
converted to voltage or current etc. Transducers are used for this purpose.
Example:
RTD
Thermocouple

Controller
 This is hardware element that has intelligence. it receive the information from the
measuring device and decides what action should be taken and error detector is a
part of the controller.
Example:
Thermostat
Proximity Sensor

Final Control Element

 Converts the control signal that is manipulated variable into physical action on the
process.
Example
Control Valves

Transmission Lines
 Converts the control signal that is manipulated variable into physical action on the
process.
Example
Electrical
Pneumatic

III Disturbances, Error and Offsets

DISTURBANCE
• It is a variable that affects the process outputs but that cannot be adjusted by
the control system. Inputs may change continuously or at discrete intervals of time.
• It represents unwanted inputs which affect the control-system’s output, and result in
an increase of the system error.
• It is commonly found in control systems. For example, wind gusts hitting the antenna
dish of a tracking radar create large unwanted torques which affect the position of
the antenna.

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Three classes of Disturbance:
 Setpoint Change
 Load Variation
 Noise

Set Point
• It is the target value that an automatic control system, for example PID controller,
will aim to reach. For example, a boiler control system might have a temperature
setpoint, that is a temperature the control system aims to attain.
Noise
• On the other hand, makes the process variable appear to deviate from the set point
whether any real disturbance is at work or not. Noise is generally a result of the
technology used to sense or measure the process variable. With electrical signals,
measurement noise is often due to interference from other electrical sources. Noise
can also be caused by wear and tear on the sensor or some physical obstruction that
causes the sensor to send an inaccurate reading to the controller.

Errors
• Errors between the setpoint and the process variable also occur when the setpoint changes.
However, setpoint changes are relatively easy for a controller to implement if it’s
programmed with enough data about the dynamic behavior of the process. It is the random
nature of disturbances and the fictitious effects of noise that make feedback controllers work
so hard.
• In an automatic control device, a signal whose magnitude and sign are used to correct the
alignment between the controlling and the controlled elements. It is sometimes the sum or
difference between the feedback and the input or setpoint. the information will be processed
by the control system to give the desired output.
• Errors in control systems can be attributed to many factors. Changes in the reference input
will cause unavoidable error during transient period and may cause steady state error also.
Imperfections in the system components such as static friction, backlash (a sudden strong

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 response or reaction), amplifier drift, as well as aging or deterioration will cause errors at
steady state.
• The difference between an actual and a desired position.

Steady state error

• The steady state error is the value of error signal when T is to infinity.
• The steady state error is the measures of system accuracy.
• These errors arise from the nature of inputs, type of system & from non-linearity of system
components.

OFFSET
• Offset is the difference between the measured variable and the set point after a new
controlled variable level has been reached. It is that portion of the error signal which is
amplified to produce the new correction signal and produces an "Offset" in the measured
VARIABLE.
• It typically results when the Set Point is changed without re-baselining or when the process
encounters a sustained disturbance. Proportional-only control is not well equipped for
handling prolonged changes to a control loop’s design level of operation.
• For every controller its aim is to get the process variable to the setpoint value. For a
Proportional control system, it is impossible to return the measurement exactly to its
setpoint. since proportional output only adjusts in response to a change in the error, not to
the error’s duration.

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 • This steady gap/error between SP and PV is called offset in process control.
• The offset is determined by the controller’s proportional band value and the change in valve
position that happens when a disturbance occurs:

There are basically three parameters in process control that is related to offset:

- Process variable
- Manipulated variable
- Set Point

• The process variable is a parameter which describes the current position of the process
• The Manipulated variable is a parameter used to control the process
• Set point is the target value at which a controller attempts to maintain the process variable.

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STUDENTS REFLECTION

Direction:
Student Activity No. _
1. Watch the video #1: Process Control Disturbances https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=-pvFTYhY08A&t=27s
2. Watch video # 2 : Process Control Error
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJSeKxmsQ-U
3. Watch the video # 3: Proportional Controller and its offset.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uO1WElRu9o
4. Make a summary of process control disturbances, error and offset as discussed on the
videos. Write your summary below. Please write legibly not less than 100 words
(each)(40 pts)
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FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT:

I. Short Answer: On the space provided, write the Process Control (20 pts.)

1 It is the difference between a set reference point and the _______

amplitude of the measured variable…

2 The parameter that is monitored is called…

_______________

3 Set point changes, load variations and noise are called…

_____________

4 It is the difference between the measured variable and the set

point after a new controlled variable level has been reached. ____________

5 The parameter that reacts to the control variable change is…

_____________

II. Essay (40pts)

Compose a reflection paper describing Disturbances, Error, and Offset in the context
of automatic and control engineering

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REFERENCES :
1. https://automationforum.co/elements-of-process-control/
2. https://circuitglobe.com/difference-between-open-loop-and-closed-loop-
system.html
3. https://x-engineer.org/open-loop-vs-closed-loop-control-systems/
4. https://blog.belilove.com/2016/06/on-off-temperature-control-using-plc.html
5. https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/systems/closed-loop-system.html
6. https://homepages.rpi.edu/~bequeb/books/Process_Control/Chapter1.pdf

7.

RUBRIC ASSESSMENT:

This Rubric is encoded in NEO lms.

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