Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Introduction to
Chemical Process Dynamics,
Instrumentation & Control

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Chapter Objectives
End of this chapter, you should be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

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Understand the role of process dynamics and

control in industry
Understand general concepts
Classify variables
Understand the purpose of process control
Understand control aspects of complete
chemical plant
Understand hardware for process control system

Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Role of process dynamics and control

in industry
Illustration with examples
Example 1 a simple process where
dynamic response is important
Example 2 use of a single feedback
controller
Example 3 simple but typical chemical
engineering plant

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Example 1 A gravity-flow tank

Under steady state conditions,
the flow rate out of the tank
must equal the flow rate into
the tank.
What would happen dynamically
if we changed Fo?
How will h(t) and F(t) vary
will time?

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Example 2 Heat Exchanger

We want to control the temperature of oil leaving the

heat exchanger.

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

How to control?
A thermocouple is inserted in a thermowell in
the exit oil pipe.
Thermocouple wires are connected to a
temperature transmitter that converts the
millivolt output into a 4- to 20 mA signal.

This signal sent to a temperature controller.

The temperature controller opens the steam
valve if more steam is needed or closes it a
little if the temperature is too high.
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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Components of control loop

A sensor
A transmitter
A controller
A final control element

Process control deal with:

What type of controller to be used?
How it should be tuned?

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Example 3 - A typical chemical plant

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Concepts of Process Control

Another simple
example:

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Block diagram

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Need for control

Performance requirements for process plants have become
increasingly difficult to satisfy.

Key factors for tightening product quality specifications:

Stronger competition
Rapidly changing economic conditions
Tough environmental and safety regulations
Modern plants are complex and highly integrated
It is difficult to prevent disturbances from propagating from one
unit to other interconnected units.
Process control has become increasingly important due to
increased importance on safe and efficient plant operation.
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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

The term process dynamics refer to unsteady

state (or transient) behavior.

Dynamic studies provide us the behavior of

the process under unsteady-state conditions

Gain knowledge about the process

behavior.

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Objectives of Process Control

Maintain a process at the desired operating
conditions, safely and efficiently
Satisfy product quality and environmental
requirements

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Process control applications

Large-scale integrated processing plants such
as oil refineries or ethylene plants require
thousands of process variables such as
temperature, pressure, flow, level and
compositions are measured and controlled.
Large number of process variables, mainly flow
rates, can be manipulated.
Feedback control systems compare
measurements with their desired values and
then adjust the manipulated variables
accordingly.
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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Representative process control problems

Foundation of process control is process
understanding.
What is a process?
The conversion of feed materials to useful products
using chemical and physical operations
PROCESS.

Common processes can be continuous, batch or

semi-batch.
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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Continuous Processes

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Tubular Heat Exchanger

Control problem: The exit temperature of the

process fluid is controlled by manipulating the
cooling water flow rate.
Disturbances: Variations in the inlet temperatures
and process fluid flow rate.

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Continuous stirred tank reactor

(CSTR)

Control problem: If the reaction is highly exothermic, it is

necessary to control the reactor temperature by
manipulating the flow rate of the coolant in a jacket or
cooling coil.
Disturbances: The feed conditions (composition, flow
rate, and temperature).
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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Thermal cracking furnace

Control Problem: The furnace
temperature and amount of excess
air in the flue gas to be controlled by
manipulating the fuel flow rate and
the fuel/air ratio.
Disturbances: The crude oil
composition and the heating quality
of the fuel.

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Multi-component distillation column

Control Problem: Distillate

composition can be controlled
by adjusting the reflux flow rate
or the distillate flow rate.
Disturbances: The feed
conditions

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Process variables
Three important types: (Control Terminology)
1. Controlled variables - these are the variables which
quantify the performance or quality of the final
product, which are also called output variables.
2. Manipulated variables - these input variables are
adjusted dynamically to keep the controlled
variables at their set-points.
3. Disturbance variables - these are also called "load"
variables and represent input variables that can
cause the controlled variables to deviate from their
respective set points.

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Process variables
Specification of controlled variables,
manipulated variables and disturbance
variables is a critical step in developing a
control system

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Batch and semi-batch processes

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Control problems
Batch or semi-batch reactor: The reactor temperature
is controlled by manipulating a coolant flow rate.
Batch digester: The end point of the chemical reaction
is indicated by Kappa number, a measure of lignin
content. It is controlled to a desired value by adjusting
the digester temperature, pressure, and/or cycle time.
Plasma etcher: The unwanted material on a layer of a
microelectronics circuit is selectively removed by
chemical reactions. The temperature, pressure and
flow rates of etching gases to the reactor are
controlled by adjusting electrical heaters and control
valves.

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Control problems
Kidney dialysis unit: The blood flow rate is
maintained by a pump, and ambient
conditions, such as temperature of the unit,
are controlled by adjusting a flow rate.

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Control Terminology(2)
set-point change - implementing a change in the
operating conditions. The set-point signal is changed
and the manipulated variable is adjusted appropriately
to achieve the new operating conditions.
Also called servomechanism (or "servo") control.
disturbance change - the process transient behavior
when a disturbance enters, also called regulatory
control or load change.
A control system should be able to return each
controlled variable back to its set-point.

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Illustrative Example:
Blending system

Notation:

Assumptions:

w1, w2 and w are mass

flow rates

w1 is constant
x2 = const. = 1 (stream 2 is pure A

x1, x2 and x are mass

Perfect mixing in the tank
fractions of component A
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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Blending system
Control Objective:
Keep x at a desired value (or set point) xsp, despite
variations in x1(t). Flow rate w2 can be adjusted for this
purpose.
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 ?
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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Overall balance:

0 w1 w2 w

(1-1)

Component A balance:

w1x1 w2 x2 wx 0

(1-2)

(The overbars denote nominal steady-state design values)

At the design conditions, x xsp .
Substitute in Eq.1-2, x xsp and x2 1, then solve Eq. 1-2
for w2 :

xSP x1
w2 w1
1 xSP

(1-3)

Equation 1-3 is the design equation for the blending

system.
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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

If our assumptions are correct, then this value of w2 will

keep x at xsp.
But what if conditions change?

Control Question. Suppose that the inlet concentration

x1 changes with time. How can we ensure that x remains at
or near the set point xsp ?
As a specific example, if x1 x1 and w2 w2 , then x > xSP.

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Some Possible Control Strategies

Method 1. Measure x and adjust w2.
Intuitively, if x is too high, we should reduce w2;
Manual control vs. automatic control
Proportional feedback control law

w2 t w2 Kc xSP x t

(1-4)

Kc is called the controller gain

w2(t) and x(t) denote variables that change with time t
The change in the flow rate, w2 t w2 , is proportional to
the deviation from the set point, xSP x(t).
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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Control Method 1

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Method 2
Measure x1 and adjust w2
Thus, if x1 is greater than x1 , we would decrease w2
so that w2 w2 .
One approach: Consider Eq. (1-3) and replace x1 and

w2 with x1(t) and w2(t) to get a control law:

w2 t w1

xSP x1 t
1 xSP

(1-5)

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.
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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Control Method 2

Method 3. Measure x1 and x, adjust w2.

This approach is a combination of Methods 1
and 2.
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Control Method 4
Use a larger tank.
If a larger tank is used, fluctuations in x1 will
tend to be damped out due to the larger
capacitance of the tank contents.
However, a larger tank means an increased
capital cost.

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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

Classification of Control Strategies

Table. 1.1 Control Strategies for the Blending
System

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Method

Measured
Variable

Manipulated
Variable

Category

w2

FB

x1

w2

FF

x1 and x

w2

FF/FB

Design
change
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Chemical Process Dynamics, Instrumentation & Control

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 of the disturbances.
Reduces sensitivity of the controlled variable
to disturbances and changes in the process.
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Feedback Control
Disadvantages:
No corrective action occurs until after the
disturbance has upset the process, that is,
until after x differs from xsp.

Very oscillatory responses, or even

instability

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Feedforward Control
Distinguishing feature:
Measure a disturbance variable

Advantage:
Correct for disturbance before it upsets the
process.

Disadvantage:
Must be able to measure the disturbance

No corrective action for unmeasured

disturbances
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Justification of Process Control

Specific Objectives of Control
Increased product throughput
Increased yield of higher valued products
Decreased energy consumption
Decreased pollution
Decreased off-spec product
Increased Safety
Extended life of equipment
Improved Operability
Decreased production labor
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Economic Incentives - Advanced

Control

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Hierarchy of process control activities

(da ys-months)

(ho urs-day s)

(min utes-ho urs)

(se con ds-minu te s

)

5. P l ann in g a nd
S ch edu li ng

4. Rea l-T ime

Opti mizati on

3b . Mu lti vari ab le
and Cons trai nt
Co ntro l

3a . Re gul atory
Co ntro l

(< 1 se con d)

2. S afety, E nvi ro nmen t

a nd E qui pmen t
P rotecti on

(< 1 se con d)

1. Mea suremen t
a nd A ctuatio n

P ro ces s

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Major steps in control system development

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Conclusions
You have been introduced to:
1. the role of process dynamics and control in
industry
2. general concepts of process control
3. classification of variables
4. the purpose of process control
5. control aspects of complete chemical plant
6. hardware for process control system

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