DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL

ENGINEERING

PROCESS CONTROL A2
PRCCHA2
By Euricia Mkhonto
17 February 2021
 CONTACT INFORMATION

Lecturer: Miss Euricia Mkhonto

Office No: 4133
Phone No: 011 559 6815
E-mail: meutricia@ymail.com

Consultation:
Monday, 13:00-13:50
 LEARNING OUTCOMES

 • Identify process variable, draw and describe various symbols of

piping and instrumentations on the process flow diagrams
• Identify control objectives of a process. Apply the level, pressure
and control in various processes
• Design a control system by selection of Measurements; Selection
of manipulated variables; Selection of control configuration; Design of
the controller, control mechanisms, design aspects and hardware
elements and mathematical models
• Describe, explain the function and the application of how alarms
interlocks and safety trips.
• Identify and explain the control modes of a process namely;
On/Off, Proportional Proportional- integral, proportional-derivative
apply the best control modes for a given circumstance
• conduct basic Hazard operability analysis (HAZOP) studies for a
given process operation
 LEARNING OUTCOMES

  
The following graduate attributes will be developed by the above outcomes:
Graduate Attribute 2: Application of scientific and engineering knowledge-
Apply knowledge of mathematics, natural science and engineering sciences to
defined and applied engineering procedures, processes, systems and
methodologies to solve broadly-defined engineering problems.

Graduate Attribute 5: Engineering methods, skills, tools, including Information

Technology - Use appropriate techniques, resources, and modern engineering
tools, including information technology, prediction and modelling, for the
solution of broadly-defined engineering problems, with an understanding of
the limitations, restrictions, premises, assumptions and constraints.
 EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

The programme leading to a BEng Tech in Chemical Engineering

qualification shall be a 14 credits at NQF Level 7.
Learning assumed to be in place.
Learners entering this module will have been judged to be competent
regarding the learning outcomes of Chemical Engineering
Fundamentals 1
Estimated credits for this course:
Lectures: 40 hours 4.0
Tutorials: 24 hours 2.4
Self-study and other: 78 hours 7.8
TOTAL: 14.0
  
ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Assessment policy
Formative Assessments: Students are assessed continuously throughout the
semester. This assessment typically comprises tutorials and Tests which comprise
a percentage of the semester mark. There will be two tests which are of a
cumulative nature (and comprise a percentage of the final mark) and tutorials
will be conducted during lectures.
Summative Assessment: An assignment that is representative of all the work/
material covered is written at the end of the semester.

Please note that due to COVID 19 PRCCHA2 is a continuous assessment

meaning there will be NO exam; Tests, tutorials and assignment will make up
your final mark.
  
ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Assessment methods

ASSESSMENT WEIGHT DATE VENUE

(Semester
Mark)

TEST 1 30% 01 April 2021 Blackboard

TEST 2 30% 13 May 2021 Blackboard
ATTENDANCE 0%
TUTORIALS AND CLASS 20% During class time
EXERCISES
ASSIGNMENT 20% To be confirmed Blackboard
(summative assessment)
TOTAL 100%
 SYLLABUS
 
 
• Unit 1: Introduction to process control and Identifying
process variables
• Unit 2: Control Theory
• Unit 3: Process Instrumentation and Control
• Unit 4: Control Strategies
• Unit 5: Piping and Instrumentation Diagram
• Unit 6: Alarms interlocks and safety trips
• Unit 7: Hazard operability analysis (HAZOP)
 RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOKS

• Stephanopoulos G., “Chemical Process Control-An Introduction

to Theory and Practice,”Prentice -Hall, New Jersey, 1984.
• Seborg D. E., T. F. Edgar, and D. A. Mellichamp, “Process
Dynamics and Control,”John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1989
• Luyben W. L., “Process Modeling, Simulation and Control for
Chemical Engineers,” McGraw-Hill, New York, 2nd Ed., 1990
• Su whan Sung and In-Beum Lee, “PID Controllers and
Automatic Tuning” Ajin Press, 1998
 TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGY

 
PRCCHA2 classes will be online through blackboard:

Simulated Lectures will be posted on blackboard and can be accessed

at your convenience.
It is compulsory for everyone to attend online lectures. The class
exercise will contribute towards your semester mark
 UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO PROCESS CONTROL
 
Process

In Chemical Engineering, a process can be defined as the conversion of

a feed material into a product using available sources of energy via
chemical and/or physical operations.

FEED PROCESS PRODUCT

In chemical Engineering there are different units eg Reactor, Distillation

column, pumps and compressor.
 BENEFIT OF PROPER CONTROL SYSTEM

The primary objectives of a process engineer when specifying

instrumentation and control schemes are:
1. Safe plant operation:
• To keep the process variables within known safe operating
limits.
• To detect dangerous situations as they develop and to
provide alarms and automatic shut-down systems.
• To provide interlocks and alarms to prevent dangerous
operating procedures.
 CONTD
2. Production rate:
• To achieve the design product output.
3. Product quality:
• To maintain the product composition within the specified
quality standards.
4. Cost:
• To operate at the lowest production cost, commensurate with
the other objectives
INTRODUCTION TO PROCESS CONTROL

To maintain these process requirements there is some external

intervention to the control system

o The influence of external disturbances Supress

o The stability of a chemical process Induce
o The performance of a chemical process Optimize
 ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE
EX 1. Continuous stirred-tank heater
Question : Assume that inlet temperature and the height of the liquid
changes with time. How can we ensure that T remains at or near the
desired Td?

Figure 1.1. Continuous stirred-tank heater.

Objective
T= Td
H= hd
e= Td >T Q
E= Td<T Q
• If the process reaches steady
state there's no need to
change the external
disturbance.
• If there is a change of external
disturbances then the process
becomes unstable.
 STABILITY OF A CHEMICAL PROCESS

Fig 4. Unstable process

Fig 3. Stable process
Requires external control
 CLASSIFICATION OF THE VARIABLES

variables
Input Variable Output Variable

Disturbances/LV Measured input

Manipulated Variable(MV) Unmeasured

Controlled Variable
 CLASSIFICATION OF THE VARIABLES

Input variables
denote the effect of the surroundings on the chemical process.
1. Manipulated variable (MV or Control variable)
Its value can be adjusted freely by the human operator or a control
mechanism.
Eg: In heated tank, the amount of heat added(Q) or mass flow rate(w).
2. Disturbance variable(DV)
Its value is not the result of the adjustment by an operator or a control
system.
Eg: In heated tank, inlet temperature, because we can’t usually control the
temperature of inlet water.
 Classification of the variables
Output variables
denote the effect of the process on the surroundings or down stream
processes.
1. Measured output variable or Controlled variable(CV)
Its value is known by directly measuring it.
Eg In heated tank, outlet temperature.

2. Unmeasured output variable

It is not or cannot be measured directly.
 BASIC PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEMS

Inputs:
Disturbances
Controller Manipulated variables

Setpoint Outputs
Process
Control action Actuator

Controller signal

Process variable
Measurement

21
 PROCESS CONTROL TERMS
o Process Variables
A process variable is a condition of the process fluid (a liquid or gas)
that can change the manufacturing process in some way. Common
process variables: Flow, Level, Temperature, Density, Ph (acidity or
alkalinity), Liquid interface (the relative amounts of different liquids
that are combined in a vessel), Mass, Conductivity

o Set-point
The set-point is a value for a process variable that is desired to be
maintained, i.e. maintaining temperature of water at 100 0C to have
boiling water
 PROCESS CONTROL TERMS

o Measured Variables, Process Variables and manipulated Variables

The measured variable is the condition of the process fluid that must
be kept at the designated setpoint.

Sometimes the measured variable is not the same as the process

variable. For example, a manufacturer may measure flow into and out
of a storage tank to determine tank level. In this scenario, flow is the
measured variable, and the process fluid level is the process variable.
The factor that is changed to keep the measured variable at setpoint is
called the manipulated variable.
 PROCESS CONTROL TERMS

o Error
Error is the difference between the measured variable and the
setpoint and can either be positive or negative.

• Magnitude
The magnitude of the error is simply the deviation between the values
of the setpoint and the process variable. The magnitude of error at any
point in time compared to the previous error provides the basis for
determining the change in error. The change in error is also an
important value.
 PROCESS CONTROL TERMS
o Duration
Duration refers to the length of time that an error condition has
existed.

o Rate Of Change
The rate of change is
shown by the slope of the error plot.
 PROCESS CONTROL TERMS

o OFFSET
Offset is a sustained deviation of the process variable from the
setpoint. Eg: if the control system held the process fluid at 100.5 °C
consistently, even though the setpoint is 100 °C, then an offset of 0.5 °C
exists.

o LOAD DISTURBANCE
A load disturbance is an undesired change in one of the factors that
can affect the process variable. In the stirred tank example, adding cold
process fluid to the vessel would be a load disturbance because it
would lower the temperature of the process fluid.
 PROCESS CONTROL TERMS

o Control algorithm
A control algorithm is a mathematical expression of a control function.
Control algorithms can be used to calculate the requirements of much
more complex control loops

o Manual control systems

Control operations that involve human action to make an adjustment
 PROCESS CONTROL TERMS

o Automatic control systems

Control operations in which no human intervention is required, such as
an automatic valve actuator that responds to a level controller

o Closed control loops

A closed control loop exists where a process variable is measured,
compared to a setpoint, and action is taken to correct any deviation
from setpoint.
.
 PROCESS CONTROL TERMS

o Open control loops

An open control loop exists where the process variable is not
compared, and action is taken not in response to feedback on
the condition of the process variable, but is instead taken
without regard to process variable conditions.
i.e. a water valve may be opened to add cooling water to a process to prevent the
process fluid from getting too hot, based on a pre-set time interval, regardless of the
actual temperature of the process fluid.
 CONTROL LOOP
o Three tasks
• In the control loops of the process control industry requires three tasks to
occur:
• Measurement
• Comparison
• Adjustment

A level transmitter (LT) measures the level in the tank and transmits a signal associated with the level reading to a
controller (LIC). The controller compares the reading to a predetermined value, in this case, the maximum tank level
established by the plant operator, and finds that the values are equal. The controller then sends a signal to the device that
can bring the tank level back to a lower level—a valve at the bottom of the tank. The valve opens to let some liquid out of
the tank.
End of class

Thank you!