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Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Introduction to Process
Control
What is a Process?
Process:
- A Heat Exchanger (heating/cooling)
- A Chemical/Biological Reactor (make
Chapter 1
Hydrocarbon fuels
Chemical products
Chapter 1
Pharmaceutical industry
Ethanol from grain industry
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
CONTROL
P
Chapter 1
Empty vessel
Adjusting valves: Do you believe in automation?
• Safe location
• History of past
operation
Outputs
Inputs
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(effects)
(cause)
Process
Output:
“off-specification”
Consequence:
Less profit!
Benefits of Improved Control
New Controller
Old Controller
Concentration
Limit
Concentration
Limit yt
Chapter 1
pu
ri
m
I
Time Time
Improved Performance
Concentration
Limit
y
t
pu
ri
m
I
Time
Objectives of Process Control
– Maintain a stable process operation
Process Control
Objective: to maintain or operate a process at the desired
operating conditions safely and efficiently, while satisfying
environmental and product quality requirements.
a) Large scale, continuous processes:
i. Oil refinery, ethylene plant, pulp mill
ii. Typically, 1000 – 5000 process variables are measured.
Process Control (cont’d.)
Notation:
• w1, w2 and w are mass flow rates
• x1, x2 and x are mass fractions of component A
Assumptions:
1. w1 is constant
2. x2 = constant = 1 (stream 2 is pure A)
3. Perfect mixing in the tank
Control Objective:
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Terminology:
• Controlled variable (or “output variable”): x
• Manipulated variable (or “input variable”): w2
• Disturbance variable (or “load variable”): x1
Design Question. What value of w2 is required to have
x xSP ?
Overall balance:
0 w1 w2 w (1-1)
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w1x1 w2 x2 wx 0 (1-2)
xSP x1 t
w2 t w1 (1-5)
1 xSP
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• Because Eq. (1-3) applies only at steady state, it is not clear
how effective the control law in (1-5) will be for transient
conditions.
1 x w2 FBa
2 x1 w2 FF
3 x1 and x w2 FF/FB
4 - - Design change
Feedback Control:
• Distinguishing feature: measure the controlled variable
• It is important to make a distinction between negative feedback
and positive feedback.
Engineering Usage vs. Social Sciences
• Advantages:
Corrective action is taken regardless of the source
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of the disturbance.
Reduces sensitivity of the controlled variable to
disturbances and changes in the process (shown later).
• Disadvantages:
No corrective action occurs until after the disturbance
has upset the process, that is, until after x differs from
xsp.
Very oscillatory response, or even instability
Feedforward Control:
Distinguishing feature: measure a disturbance
variable
• Advantage:
Correct for disturbance before it upsets the process.
Chapter 1
• Disadvantage:
Must be able to measure the disturbance.
No corrective action for unmeasured disturbances.
The key elements and principles of a feedback loop
– Cause and Effect
feedback loop
What is being measured?
valve L
sensor Is this a valid feedback
pump control loop?
pump valve
The key elements and principles of a feedback
loop – Cause and Effect
Exercise: You want to control the level, but you can
only measure the flow in. What is your
strategy? Are you using feedback?
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sensor F
valve
pump
pump valve
The key elements and principles of a feedback
loop – Cause and Effect
Exercise: The key elements and principles of a
feedback loop
What is being measured?
Chapter 1
Empty vessel
2. The key elements and principles of a
feedback loop – Cause and Effect
Exercise: The key elements and principles of a
feedback loop
What is being measured?
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v8
F2 F5
v3
T5 P1
T4
F1 T1 T3 F3 T6 F4
L1
v1 v5 v6 L2
T7
v2 v7
T2 T8
T9 F6
Hot Oil Hot Oil
v4
The key elements and principles of a feedback
loop – Cause and Effect
Exercise: The key elements and principles of a
feedback loop
What is being measured?
Chapter 1
v8
F2 F5
v3
T5 P1
T4
F1 T1 T3 F3 T6 F4
L1
v1 v5 v6 L2
T7
v2 v7
T2 T8
T9 F6
Hot Oil Hot Oil
v4
The key elements and principles of a feedback
loop – Cause and Effect
Exercise: The key elements and principles of a
feedback loop
Chapter 1
We want to
control the hot
outlet
temperature.
TC