Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

of SINGAPORE

Chemical Engineering Process Lab

Experiment C7

Temperature Control Experiment

Name :

Matric No. :

Group :

Date of Expt. :

GRADE :
Objectives :

To demonstrate the Reaction Curve Method for the design of tuning parameters of a
Proportional + Integral (PI) controller.

To demonstrate the characteristics of a PI controller and the response to a change in

set point or a disturbance in the process.

To design optimal PI controller based on the monitoring of the controller performance

to the set point changes.

Apparatus:

MPB/EV Process Control demonstration model.

Theory:

After the type of controller has been selected for a given process, we still have the
problem of deciding what values to use for its tuning parameters. This is known as the
controller tuning problem. There are several approaches we can use for tuning a
controller. In this experiment, we will consider one of the popular empirical tuning
methods, known as reaction curve method, developed by Cohen and Coon.

Cohen and Coon observed that the response of most processing units to a step change
of magnitude M in the input variable had a sigmoidal shape (see Figure 1). Draw a
straight line through the point of maximum slope(R) so that the line intersects the time
axis and measure the dead time L (time at which step change is applied to time straight
line intersects time axis).

The initial setting for the PI controller can be calculated from M, L and R.

Experimental Procedures:

1. Turn on the thermostatic water bath and set the temperature at 50 - 60 oC.
2. Open valves V1, V7, V10 fully and valve V9 partially.
3. Close valve V2, V3, V8, V11 and V12.
4. Turn on the compressed air line and set the pressure at 1.2-1.5 bar.
5. Wait for the temperature of the thermostatic bath to reach a constant value.
6. Connect the terminals “TC1 output” to the terminals “TV1/LV1” on the control
panel using provided wires.
7. Start the “Pilot” control software, click “Plants” and select “1MPB”.
8. Under “Instrument” select “Controller DIGITRIC 500 N.1”.
9. Select the Loop 1 on the controller for temperature control experiment.
10. Set the loop to manual mode and partially open the control valve TV1 (e.g. Y=80%)
to give a steady state temperature.
11. Apply a step change by setting a new valve opening (e.g. Y=50%). The step
change will result in a new steady state temperature.
12. Aanalyze the open loop response and determine the setting of the PI controller via
Reaction Curve Method.
13. Set the controller to automatic mode. Evaluate the controller performance by
applying set point changes with different P and I settings. Determine the optimal
control parameters from your observation.
14. Evaluate the response of the controller to the disturbance by adjusting the valve 7
or 10. If your controller yields a poor response, repeat Step 13 for different settings
until a reasonable good response is achieved.

Discussions:

1. If the PI controller designed via Reaction Curve Method perform poorly for the set
point changes, explain why?

2. Based on the experimental results, discuss the effects of tuning parameters on the
controller’s performance.

3. Does your optimal PI controller give a reasonable response to reject the process
disturbance? Please justify your observation.

4. Briefly discuss the applications of sensors and control valves used in the experiment
you are doing.

Reference:

Seborg, D. E., Mellichamp, D. A., Edgar, T. F., & Doyle III, F. J. (2010). Process
dynamics and control. John Wiley & Sons.

Dunn, W. (2005). Fundamentals of industrial instrumentation and process control. The

McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Figure 1. Reaction Curve
1 Bourdon pressure gauge, range 0-6 bar
2 Flow meter, range 0-1000 l/h
3 Differential pressure transmitter FT1/LT1, range 0-500 mm H 2 O.
4 Pneumatic control valve, TV1/LV1
5 Pressure safety valve, PSV1
6 Graduated water tank D2
7 Pneumatic control valve, FV1/PV1
8 Plate heat exchanger E1
9 Microprocessor PID controller

Figure 2. System Schematic Diagram