CHE 801 CHEMICAL

ENGINEERING DESIGN
PROCESS CONTROL
 Plantwide Process Control System

The goals for an effective plantwide process control system include

(1) safe and smooth process operation;
(2) tight control of product quality in the face of disturbances;
(3) avoidance of unsafe process conditions;
(4) a control system run in automatic, not manual, requiring minimal operator attention;
(5) rapid rate and product quality transitions; and
(6) zero unexpected environmental releases
• Step 1: Establish control objectives
This is probably the most important aspect of the problem because different control
objectives lead to different control structures.
 1. CONTROL OBJECTIVES
• Safety of personnel
• Environmental protection
• Equipment protection
• Smooth, easy operation
• Product quality
• Efficiency and optimization
• Monitoring
• Step 2: Determine control degrees of freedom
This is the number of degrees of freedom for control, the number of variables that
can be controlled to set point.
 2. DEGREES OF FREEDOM

• The maximum number of independent controlled variables in a process is equal to

the number of degrees of freedom minus the number of externally specified
variables
NCV=DF-NESI
NESI :number of externally specified variables
• When the number of independent controlled output is determined, then we should
answer the following question:
• How many independent manipulated inputs do we need to keep the controlled
outputs of their desired values?
We have :
• N controlled outputs (y1, y2, ….yN)
• M independent manipulations (m1, m2,…, mM) M≥N
• L disturbances externally specified (d1, d2, ….dL)
• Then
y1=f1(m1, m2,…, mM , d1, d2, ….dL)
y2=f2(m1, m2,…, mM , d1, d2, ….dL)
yN=fN(m1, m2,…, mM , d1, d2, ….dL)
(system equations)
As the values of the disturbance change, the values of controlled outputs must remain
constant. This is possible if N of M manipulated variables are free to change so as to
satisfy the system equations.
Thus;
• The number of independent manipulated variables (NIMV)
• The number of controlled variables (NCV) =DF - NESI
Example 1

Fi
Mass balance gives:
𝑑ℎ
𝐴 = 𝐹𝑖 − 𝐹0
𝑑𝑡
So we have
 3 independent variables: h, Fi, F0
 1 equation
 A is a process parameter: constant
Fi
DF = NV-NE=3-1=2
Number of externally specified variables: 1(Fi)
NIMV=2-1=1=NCV

controlled variable=1=h
manipulated variable=1= F0 (or Fi)
Example 2
Vapor, yi, Fv

• Flash Column Unit Without Control Loops

P,
T Assume that the molar density is constant
Feed, zi,
Steam, Fst, Ts Let’s set the equations (NE)
Ff, Tf
(or Ps)
Q • TMB (1)
𝑑ℎ
𝐴𝜌 = 𝐹𝑓 − (𝐹𝐿 +𝐹𝑣 )
𝑑𝑡
Liquid, xi, FL • Component Balance (N-1)
𝑑(ℎ𝑥𝑖 )
𝐴𝜌 = 𝐹𝑓 𝑧𝑖 − (𝐹𝐿 𝑥𝑖 + 𝐹𝑣 𝑦𝑖 )
𝑑𝑡
Example: Determination of the number of controlled and manipulated variables for a
Flash Column

Vapor, yi, Fv

P,
T
Feed, zi, We neglect the accumulation of vapor phase
Steam, Fst, Ts
Ff, Tf
(or Ps) • Energy Balance(1)
Q 𝑑(ℎ𝑇)
𝑐𝑝𝐿 𝐴𝜌 = 𝑐𝑝𝑓 𝐹𝑓 𝑇𝑓 − 𝑐𝑝𝐿 𝐹𝐿 𝑇 + 𝐹𝑣 (𝑐𝑝𝐿 𝑇 + ∆𝐻𝑣 ) + 𝐹𝑠𝑡 ∆𝐻𝑠𝑡
𝑑𝑡

Liquid, xi, FL
• Vapor Liquid equilibrium
yi=Ki(T,P) xi (N)
• Consistency constraints (2)
𝑁

෍ 𝑥𝑖 = 1
𝑖=1
𝑁

෍ 𝑦𝑖 = 1
𝑖=1
TNE= 2N+3
• Let’s obtain number of variables(TNV)
Feed stream: zi, Ff, Tf (N+2)
Vapor product: yi, Fv (N+1)
Liquid product, xi, FL(N+1)
Process h, T, P (3)
Steam Fst (1)

TNV= 3N+8
DF=(3N+8)-(2N+3)=N+5
Number of externally specified zi, Tf =N+1
Number of controlled variable = (N+5)-(N+1)=4
These are
T, P, h, Ff (controlled variables)
Fst, Fv, FL, Ff(manipulated variables)
3. Select Control Configurations
 Revisit Example 2
We can set 4Ị number of different loop configurations to control h, P, T and Ff
Ff control by P control by T control by h control by
1 Ff Fv Fst FL
2 Ff Fst FL Fv
3 Ff FL Fst Fv
. . . . .
. . . . .
. . . . .
24 Fst Fv FL Fv
 Fv
PT PC
P
FC
FT
TT
T
Ff h
LT
TC
Fst

LC

Liquid, xi, FL
 Synthesis of the Control Configurations for MIMO processes
• Consider a process composed of N units which interact with each other through
material and energy flows. To determine all feasible control configurations for the overall
process, we should use the following procedure:
• Step 1: Divide the process into separate blocks
Every block may contain a single processing unit or a small number of processing units.
• Step 2: Determine the degrees of freedom and the number of controlled and
manipulated variables for each block
• Step 3: Determine all feasible loop configurations for each block and find “the best”
loop configurations for each block
• Step 4: Recombine the blocks with their loop configurations
• Step 5: Eliminate conflicts among the control systems of various block.
 Example
Let’s consider a given simple chemical process. It includes a continuous stirred tank reactor, where a simple
exothermic reaction takes place, heating and cooling systems and a flash separation unit. The reactor feed is
preheated by, first by the hot reactor effluent and then by steam. Coolant, flowing through a jacket around
the reactor, removes the heat generated by the reaction to maintain the temperature of the reaction at
maximum allowable (for high conversion). The coolant is provided with two branches, one of which is
cooled while the other is heated. The rates of cooling and heating are constant. With this configuration we
can fine-tune the temperature of the coolant before it enters the jacket of CSTR. The reactor effluent is first
cooled by he feed in the feed effluent heat exchanger and subsequently it is flashed in a flash column. There,
it is separated into two streams, a vapor and a liquid., which are further processed in separate units. Cooling
water is provided to regulate the temperature in the drum.
We would like to develop alternative loop configurations for this process which satisfy the following
operating objectives
 Keep the conversion in the reactor at its highest permissible value.
 Maintain a constant production rate.
 Achieve constant composition in the liquid product of the flash column.
• STEP 1 Divide the process into separate blocks
Divide the process into four blocks; coolant system feed preheating, reactor and flash drum.
• Step 2: Determine the degrees of freedom and the number of controlled and manipulated
variables for each block.

Total number of variables Pcf, Tcf, Fc, Fc1, Tc1, Fc2, Tc2, 8
Tco
Total number of equations • Energy balance on 4
cooling branch
• Energy balance on
heating branch
• Energy balance on
junction point
• Material balance on
junction point
Externally specified variables Pcf, Tcf 2

Controlled variables; Fc, Tco Number of controlled 8-4-2 2

variables
Manipulated variables; Fc1, Fc2
• Step 2: Determine the degrees of freedom and the number of controlled and manipulated
variables for each block.

Total number of variables Ws, T0, Fi, Ti, Tr, Tint 6

Total number of equations • Energy balance on steam 2

heater
• Energy balance on feed-
effluent heat exchanger
Externally specified variables T0, Tr, Fi 3

Number of controlled 6-2-3 1

variables

Controlled variables; Ti
Manipulated variables; Ws
• Step 2: Determine the degrees of freedom and the number of controlled and manipulated variables for each
block.

Total number of variables V, Tr, CA, Fi, Ti, CAi, Fc, Tc, 9
Tc0
Total number of • Component A balance 3
equations around reactor
• Energy balance on
reacting mixture
• Energy balance on the
coolant in the jacket
Externally specified c ,CAi, Ti, Fc (Tc0) 4
variables
Number of controlled 9-3-4 2
variables
Controlled variables; Tr, CA
Manipulated variables; Fc, Fi
• Step 2: Determine the degrees of freedom and the number of controlled and manipulated variables for each
block.
Total number of variables
Total number of equations
Externally specified variables
Number of controlled
variables
Controlled variables; Fi, Pf, Tf, h
Manipulated variables; Fi, Fv, FL, FW
Fi, Tr, CA, FW, Tf, Pf, Fv, yA, 13
h, FL, xA, Twi, Tw0
• Total mass balance 6
• Component balance
• Energy balance
• Vapor-Liquid eq.
• Summation eqns
Twi, Tr, CA 3
13-6-3 4
• Step 3: Determine all feasible loop configurations for each block and find “the
best” loop configurations for each block.
• Step 4: Recombine the blocks with their loop configurations.
• The coolant flow rate is used as a manipulated variable by two different loops;
the temperature cascade loop of the reactor and the feedforward flow control
loop of the coolant system.
• The flow rate Fi is controlled by two different loops; the feedback concentration
control loop in the reactor and the feedforward flow control loop in the flash
drum.
• To eliminate conflict we can delete feedforward flow control loop of the coolant
system and feedforward flow control loop in the flash drum.
Decide Controller types.
• P, PI or PID
Prereport II: 31.05.2023
• Perform DOF aanalysis for each unit
• Decide CV and MV
• Decide controller types
• Draw control loops
Submit only your flowsheet with control loops in A3 format.
 Main report
• All Simulink studies
• Dynamic behavior for Single storage tank and two storage tanks (liquid level control)
(Derivation of transfer functions and parametric study using Simulink)
• Temperature control in feedback controlled heat exchanger
• (Derivation of transfer functions and parametric study using Simulink, controller types and values of adjustable
paramters)
• Plantwide Control
Perform DOF aanalysis for each unit
Decide CV and MV
Decide controller types
Draw control loops