Lecture: 03

Basic Terms in
Instrumentation and Control
AN INTRODUCTORY EXAMPLE
 The System
 Steady-state Design
 Process Control
 The Unsteady State
 Feedback Control
 Transient Responses
 Integral Control
 Thermocouple
 Block Diagram
 Feedback Control
 The Controller is to do the same job that the human
operator was to do,
 except that the controller is told in advance EXACTLY
how to do it.
 This means that the controller will use the existing values of
T and TR to adjust the heat input according to a
predetermined formula.
 Let the difference between these temperatures, TR – T, be
called Error.
 The larger this error, the less we are satisfied with the
present state of affairs and vice versa.
 Complete satisfaction when Error=ZERO.
 Based on these considerations, it is natural to suggest that
the controller should change the heat input by an amount
proportional to the Error.
 Thus, a plausible formula for the controller to follow is:

q(t) = w C (TR – Tis) + Kc (TR – T)

………………..(4)
 This is called Proportional Control.
 Feedback Control
 In effect, the controller is introduced to maintain the heat input at the
steady-state design value qs as long as T is equal to TR, i.e., as long as
the error is Zero.
 If T deviates from TR, causing an error, the controller is to use the
magnitude of the error to change the heat input proportionally.
 The parameter Kc may vary as per our needs.
 This degree of freedom forms a part of our instructions to the
controller.
 The concept of using information about the deviation of the system
from its desired state to control the system is called “FEEDBACK
CONTROL”.
 Information about the state of the system is “fed back” to a
controller, which utilizes this information to change the system in
some way.
 In the present case, the information is the temp. T and the change
is made in q.
 When the term wc(TR – Tis) is abbreviated to q s, Eq(4) becomes.

q = qs + Kc(TR – T) ………………………………. (4a)

 Transient Response
 ρ V C dT/dt = w C (Ti – T) + q ……………………………...(3)
 q = qs + Kc(TR – T) ………………………………. (4a)
 Substituting the value of q from Eq(4a) in Eq(3) and rearranging,
we have,
 ρ V C dT/dt = w C(Ti – T) + qs + Kc(TR – T)
 ρ V C dT/dt = w CTi – w CT + qs + KcTR – Kc T)
 wC [ (ρ V/w)( dT/dt)] =wC [Ti–T + qs/wC + KcTR/wC –KcT/ wC]
τ1 dT/dt +(Kc/wC + 1) T = Ti + (Kc/wC) TR + qs/wC ……….(5)
 Where τ1 = ρ V/w ….. (called Time Constant of the tank)
 It is the time required to fill the tank at the flow rate, w.
 Ti is the inlet temp., which is a function of time.
 Its normal value is Tis, and qs is based on this value.
 Eq.(5) describes the way in which the tank temp. changes in
response to changes in Ti and q.
 Transient Response
 Suppose that the process is proceeding smoothly at steady-state
design conditions.
 At a time arbitrary called zero, the inlet temp., which was at Tis,
suddenly undergoes a permanent rise of a few degrees to a new
value Tis + ΔTi. (Fig. 2 – Fig. 3 for mathematical convenience )

Tis + ΔTi Tis + ΔTi

Ti Tis Ti Tis

0 Time 0 Time

Figure-2: Inlet Temp. vs Time. Figure-3:Idealized Inlet Temp. vs Time.

(For mathematical convenience)
 Transient Response
Tis + ΔTi

Ti Tis

0 Time

Figure-3: Idealized Inlet Temp. vs Time.

(For mathematical convenience)
 The equation for the function Ti(t) of Fig.3 is

Tis t <0
Ti(t) = ……………………. (6)
Tis + ΔTi t>0

Step function
 Transient Response
 Response of T to a step change in Ti:
 Substitute Eq.6 in Eq.5 and solve the resulting differential
equation for T(t).
 Initial Conditions:
 Since the process is at steady state at (and before) time
zero, the initial condition is: T(0) = TR ………………(7)
 Solution:
 Using any technique like Laplace transform, we can solve
differential equation:

Δ Ti (1 – e- (Kc/wC + 1)t/τ1)
T = TR + ………..(8)
(Kc/w C) + 1

This is the transient response of the system, or tank

temperature versus time, to a step change in Ti
 Transient Response
 The transient Response for the system at various values of the
adjustable control parameter Kc.

TR + ΔTi
Kc =0

Kc = wC
Kc = 3wC

T TR

0 Time

Figure-4: Tank Temp. versus time for various values of Kc

 Transient Response
 Another possible behavior of Ti with time is shown in Fig.5

Ti Tis

0 Time

Figure-5: A fluctuating behavior of Ti

No suitable response from Proportional Control for above fluctuation in T i

 Integral Control
 A considerable improvement may be obtained over the
proportional control system by adding integral control.
 The controller is now instructed to change the heat input by an
additional amount proportional to the time integral of the
error.
 Quantitatively, the heat input function is to follow the relation:
t
q (t )  q s  K c (TR  T )  K R  (TR  T )dt …….(9)
0

 This control system is to have two adjustable parameters, Kc

and KR.
 Integral Control

T TR

0 Time
Figure-6:The response, without control action, to a fluctuating Ti
KR3
KR2

T TR KR1

0 Time
Figure-7:Tank temp. Vs time:
step input for proportional and integral control