Introduction to Process Control

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Introduction
Process control has become increasingly
important in the process industries as a
consequence of
Global computation
Rapid changeling in economic condition
Stringent environment and safety
regulation
Process dynamics refers to unsteady
state (transient) process behavior
Process control maintain the process at
desired operation condition safely and 2
efficiently
 Control Terminology
Controlled variables(CVs) - These are the variables
which quantify the performance or quality of the final
product, which are also called output variables.
Manipulated variables(MVs) - These input variables
are adjusted dynamically to keep the controlled
variables at their set-points.
Disturbance variables(DVs) - These are also called
"load" variables and represent input variables that can
cause the controlled variables to deviate from their
respective set points. May be internal or external.
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 Control Terminology(2)
Control means measuring the value of the controlled variable of
the system and applying the manipulated variable to the system
to correct or limit deviation of the measured value from a desired
value.
A plant performs a particular operation. It is the physical object
to be controlled.
A process is any operation to be controlled. Processes can be
chemical, physical, biological, etc.
A system is a combination of components that act together and
perform a certain objective.
Feedback control refers to an operation that, in the presence of
disturbances, tends to reduce the difference between the output
of a system and some reference input and does so on the basis of 4
the difference.
 Representative process control problems
What is a Process?
- is broadly defined as an operation that uses resources to
transform inputs into outputs.
What is Process Control?
Monitor the process status
Drive the process to desired condition
By manipulating adjustable handles
How to Monitor Process Status?
Measure important process variables by sensors
Estimate the important variable through indirect measurements
What are Adjustable Handles?
Process variables manipulated by actuators
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Ex) flow rate by control valve, motor speed by inverter
Representative process control problems

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In process control the system to be controlled is an industrial
process.
Types of industrial processes

1)Continuous processes
2)Batch and semi batch processes

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 Why do we need automatic
process control?

Industrial processes are not static but rather very dynamic; they
are continuously changing as a result of many types of
disturbances.
It is principally because of this dynamic nature that control
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systems are needed to continuously and automatically watch over
the variables that must be controlled.
Illustrative Example: Blending system

Notation:
w1, w2 and w are mass flow rates 9

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:
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 10

 Design Question. What value of w2 is required to have
x xSP ?
Overall balance:
0 w1 w2 w (1-1)
Component A balance:
w1 x1 w2 x2 wx 0 (1-2)

(The over bars denote nominal steady-state design values.)

At the design conditions, x xSP . Substitute x xSP and x2 1
then solve for :w
2
x x
w2 w1 SP 1 (1-3)
1 xSP
Equation 1-3 is the design equation for the blending system.
If our assumptions are correct, then this value of w2 will keep x 11

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 > x
SP.

Some Possible Control Strategies:

Method 1. Measure x and adjust w2 .

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Intuitively, if x is too high, we should reduce w2
and vice versa.
Manual control
Automatic control with proportional feedback
control law.
w2 t w2 Kc xSP x t (1-4)
1. where Kc is called the controller gain.

2. w2(t) and x(t) denote variables that change with time t.

3. The change in the flow rate,

w2 t w2 , is proportional 13

to the deviation from the set point, xSP x(t).

Method 2. Measure x1 and adjust w2.

Thus, if x1 is greater than x1, we would decrease w2 so that

w2 w2 ;

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One approach: Consider Eq. (1-3) and replace x1 and w2with x1(t)
and w2(t) to get a control law:
xSP x1 t
w2 t w1 (1-5)
1 xSP

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.

Method 3. Measure x1 and x, adjust w2.

This approach is a combination of Methods 1 and 2.

Method 4. Use a larger tank.
If a larger tank is used, fluctuations in x1 will tend to be damped
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out due to the larger capacitance of the tank contents.
However, a larger tank means an increased capital cost.
 Classification of Control Strategies

Table. 1.1 Control Strategies for the Blending System

Method Measured Manipulated Category

Variable Variable

1 x w2 FB

2 x1 w2 FF

3 x1 and x w2 FF/FB

4 - - Design change

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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 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 17
process, that is, until after x differs from xsp.
Very oscillatory responses, or even instability.
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
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Decreased production labor
3.2 Economic Incentives - Advanced
Control

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 (daysmonths ) 5.Planningand
Scheduling

(hoursdays ) 4.RealTime
Optimization

3b.Multivariable
(minuteshours ) andConstraint
Control
Figure 1.8 Hierarchy of
process control activities.
(secondsminutes ) 3a.Regulatory
Control

2.Safety,Environment
(<1second) andEquipment
Protection

(<1second) 1.Measurement
andActuation

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Process
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Figure 1.10 Major steps in control system development

Modeling processes
Applications of process model
Improve understanding of
process
Train plant operating personnel
Develop control strategy for a
new plant
Optimize process operating
condition 24
Cont.
Based on how they are obtained Model can be
classified based as:
A. Theoretical model : develop by using
principles and knowledge of mathematics,
chemistry, physics and Biology: (advantage
provide physical insight in to process behavior and applicable in wide
range of conditions. Disadvantage: expensive and time taking, in
complex process it is difficult to develop model if some model
parameters are not readily available such as reaction rate coefficient,
heat transfer rate , physical properties)

B. Empirical model: obtained by fitting

experimental data ( advantage :easier to develop
Disadvantage: do not interpolate well)

C. Semi empirical : combination of models in

A and B ( incorporate theoretical knowledge, can be extrapolated 25
over a wider range of operating condition than empirical and less
development effort then theoretical models )
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Conservation Laws

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Cont...

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Degree of freedom
It can be calculated as
analysis

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 Closed-loop Artificial
Pancreas
glucose
setpoint
u

r y

controller pump patient sensor

measured glucose

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Example: Stirred Tank heating
process

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Modeling of the process
Assumptions
There is perfect mixing.
Exit and inlet are equal, V is constant
Density and heat capacity C are constant
Heat losses are negligible

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Modeling cont.
Energy balance equation

Neglecting change in PE and KE and net rate of work

(*)

Where Uint is internal energy, H is enthalpy per unit

mass, w is mass flow rate, Q is the rate of heat
transfer to system. 37
Modeling cont
For a pure liquid at low and moderate pressures,
Uint=H
A differential change in temperature has
(1)
Total internal energy of the liquid in the tank is
then
(2)
Rate of internal energy accumulation is
(3)
Integrating (1) gives:
(4)
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Assuming Href is zero. Thus eq (4) can be written as:
(5)
Modeling cont

The change in enthalpy from inlet to outlet

streams can be computed as
(6)

Using (6) and (3) into the main

conservation equation (*); we obtain the
desired dynamic model:

(7) 39
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Chapter 1

Block diagram for temperature feedback control system 41

 Chapter 1

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 Typical processes and their model
Process assumptions Model equations
Blending process
Stirred tank
heating process
Electrically heated 1
stirred tank
Steam heated 2
stirred tank
Liquid storage 3
system
Continuous stirred 4
tank reactor
Staged systems( 3 5
stage absorber)
Distributed 6 43
parameter system
Fed batch 7
bioreactor
Assignments
1. Model a liquid storage system
2. Exercises 2.1 and 2.2 of the text book

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