Control System Instrumentation

Chapter 8

A typical process transducer.

Transducers and Transmitters

• This figure illustrates the general configuration of a
measurement transducer; it typically consists of a sensing
element combined with a driving element (transmitter).
 • Since about 1960, electronic instrumentation has come into
widespread use.

Sensors
The book briefly discusses commonly used sensors for the most
important process variables. (See text.)
Chapter 8

Transmitters
• A transmitter usually converts the sensor output to a signal level
appropriate for input to a controller, such as 4 to 20 mA.
• Transmitters are generally designed to be direct acting.
• In addition, most commercial transmitters have an adjustable
input range (or span).
• For example, a temperature transmitter might be adjusted so that
the input range of a platinum resistance element (the sensor) is
50 to 150 °C.
Chapter 8

Table 8.1
 Instrument Selection Criteria
• solid/gas/liquid, corrosive fluid
• nature of signal, speed of response
• accuracy, measurement range
Chapter 8

• costs
• previous plant practice
• available space
• maintenance, reliability
• materials of construction
• invasive/non-invasive
• environmental/safety (enclosures, fugitive emissions)
Chapter 8

Figure 8.5
 Transmitter/Controller
Chapter 8

May need additional transducers for Gm if its output is in

mA or psi. In the above case, Gc is dimensionless (volts/volts).
Chapter 8
Chapter 8

Nonideal instrument behavior: (a) hysteresis, (b) deadband.

Chapter 8

Figure 8.6
Chapter 8

Figure 8.15
Chapter 8

Figure 8.16
 Measurement / Transmission Lags
• Temperature sensor

TM (s) 1 m s Cs
 =
T(s) s + 1 UsAs
Chapter 8

make  as small as possible (location, materials for

thermowell)
• Pneumatic transmission lines
usually pure time delay, measure experimentally (no
time delays for electronic lines); less common today
compared to electronic transmissions.
Today’s Lecture

Control valves
 Types of Control Valves
• Linear valves (rising stem)
Linear valves are mostly globe valves that open and close the valve by moving a
plug vertically away from the orifice and seat.

• Rotary valves (quarter turn valves)

Rotary valves are closed by 90° turn of the closing element.
Rotary valves are: compact, less expensive, and easier to maintain.
Types: Plug valves, butterfly valves, ball valve, rotary globe valves

Material of construction (MOC): Commercial control valves

are made of brass, carbon steel, and stainless steel.
Globe Valves
Butterfly Valve
 Types of Control Valves
• Air-to-open (A-O) or fail-close (F-C): Flow increases as
actuating signals increases.
• Air-to-close (A-C) or fail-open (F-O):Flow decreases as
actuating signals increases.
 Choice is based on safety considerations.
Failure philosophy: Keep process pressure low,
protect environment (equipment and engineers)
Examples:
(a) Steam pressure in a reactor heating coil. (A-O)
(b) Flow rate of reactants into polymerization reactor. (A-O)
(c) Flow of effluent from a wastewater treatment holding
tank into a river. (A-O)
(d) Flow of cooling water to distillation column. (A-C)
Chapter 8
 Flow Characteristics
• It describes how the flow rate changes with the movement or
lift of the stem. The shape of the plug primarily decides the
flow characteristics.
Chapter 8

• The flow characteristic of a valve is normally defined in

terms of (a) inherent characteristics and (b) effective
characteristics.
• An inherent characteristic is the ideal flow characteristics
of a control valve and is decided by the shape and size of the
plug.
• On the other hand, when the valve is connected to a pipeline,
its overall performance is decided by its effective
characteristic.
 Specifying and Sizing Control Valves
A design equation used for sizing control valves relates valve
lift l to the actual flow rate q by means of the valve
coefficient Cv, the proportionality factor that depends
Chapter 8

predominantly on valve size or capacity:

  ∆ 𝑃𝑣

Where q is the flow rate,

√
𝑞=𝐶 𝑣 𝑓 (𝑙)
𝑔𝑠
8-4

F(l)=valve charcaterristic
Pv=Pressure drop across the valve
Gs=specific gravity of the fluid

Specification of the valve size is dependent on the so-called

valve characteristic f.
   Characteristic:
•Valve

Lift:
Rangeability:Rangeability of a control
valve is defined as the ratio of the
Chapter 8

maximum controllable flow and the

minimum controllable flow.

Rangeability of a control valve is normally

in between 20 and 70.
 • Three control valve characteristics are
mainly used.
• For a fixed pressure drop across the valve,
the flow characteristic is
Chapter 8

related to the lift , that is, the

extent of valve opening, by one of the
following relations:

Linear: f 
Quick opening: f   (9-3)
Equal percentage: f  R 1
Chapter 8

Figure 8.10: Inherent Control Valve Characteristics

 The shape of the plug decides, how the flow rate changes with
the stem movement, or lift; and the characteristics of q vs. z is
known as the inherent characteristics of the valve
Chapter 8
 where R is a valve design parameter that is usually in the
range of 20 to 50.

Rangeability
The rangeability of a control valve is defined as the ratio of
maximum to minimum input signal level. For control valves,
rangeability translates to the need to operate the valve within
the range 0.05 ≤ f ≤ 0.95 or a rangeability of 0.95/0.05 = 19.

To Select an Equal Percentage Valve:

a) Plot the pump characteristic curve andPs , the system
pressure drop curve without the valve, as shown in Fig.
Pv is
9.10. The difference between these two curves . The
pump should be sized to obtain the desired  Pv / of
value Ps
, for example, 25 to 33%, at the design flow rate qd.

28
  Pv 
Figure 9.10 Calculation of the valve pressure drop
from the pump characteristic curve and the system
pressure drop without the
Ps valve
. 29
b) Calculate the valve’s rated Cv, the value that yields at
least 100% of qd with the available pressure drop at that
higher flow rate.
c) Compute q as a function of using Eq. 9-2, the rated Cv,
Pv 
and from (a). A plot of the valve characteristic (q vs.
) should be reasonably linear in the operating region of
interest (at least around the design flow rate). If it is not
suitably linear, adjust the rated Cv and repeat.

30
 Installed valve characteristics vs. inherent valve
characteristics
Chapter 8

When a valve is placed in a line that offers resistance to flow, the

inherent characteristic of the valve will be altered. The relation
between flow and steam position for a valve installed in a process
line us called effective valve characteristic or installed valve
characteristics.

Figure 8.11
 Suppose valve has linear trim and flow must be
increased. If p through exchanger did not change,
valve would behave linearly (true for low flow rates),
since it takes most of p . For higher flow rates, p
through exchanger will be important, changing effective
Chapter 8

valve characteristics (valve must open more than

expected  nonlinear behavior).

Equal % in this case behaves more like linear valve.

Size pvalve = 25% total p , at s=50%

valves need to operate between 5% and 95%,

flow ~ ΔPvalve
 Control Valve Dynamics

•  
Chapter 8

Figure 8.14
Chapter 8
 Problem#1
A control valve is to be installed in a flow system. The valve is
supplied by water at 5°C through 200ft of pipe having an inside
diameter of 1 inch. The total pressure provided by the pump is
100 psi. When the valve is wide open, the flow is to be 30 gpm.
Determine the Cv for the valve. Plot the installed (effective
characteristic) curves for the valve as flow versus lift. Do this
calculation for linear and equal percentage valve
(R=33.3).
 • Determine the flow versus lift relation for the
linear control valve installed in the flow system
shown below. The fluid is water at 5°C. The
following data apply.
Chapter 8

Net chapter
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