Introduction to

Process Dynamics and Control

Chemical Process Dynamics

and Control

Dr. M. RAMASAMY
Chemical Engineering Program
Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS

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 Chapter Objectives
Process Dynamics and Control

End of this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Understand the role of process dynamics
and control in industry
2. Understand general concepts
3. Classify variables
4. Understand the purpose of process control
5. Understand control aspects of complete
chemical plant
6. Understand hardware for process control
system

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 Role of process dynamics and control
in industry
Process Dynamics and Control

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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 Example 1 – A gravity-flow tank
Process Dynamics and Control

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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 Example 2 – Heat Exchanger
Process Dynamics and Control

We want to control the temperature of oil leaving

the heat exchanger.

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 How to control?
Process Dynamics and 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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 Components of control loop
Process Dynamics and Control

• 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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 Example 3 - A typical chemical plant
Process Dynamics and Control

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 Concepts of Process Control
Process Dynamics and Control

Another simple
example:

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 Block diagram
Process Dynamics and Control

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 Need for control
Process Dynamics and 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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Process Dynamics and 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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 OBJECTIVES OF PROCESS CONTROL
Process Dynamics and Control

• Maintain a process at the desired

operating conditions, safely and
efficiently
• Satisfy product quality and
environmental requirements

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 Process control applications
Process Dynamics and Control

• 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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 Representative process control problems
Process Dynamics and Control

• 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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 Continuous Processes
Process Dynamics and Control

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 Tubular Heat Exchanger
Process Dynamics and Control

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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 Continuous stirred tank reactor
(CSTR)
Process Dynamics and Control

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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 Thermal cracking furnace
Process Dynamics and Control

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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 Multi-component distillation column
Process Dynamics and Control

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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 Process variables
Process Dynamics and Control

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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Process Dynamics and Control

• 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
Process Dynamics and Control

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 Control problem
Process Dynamics and Control

• 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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Process Dynamics and Control

• 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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 Control Terminology(2)
Process Dynamics and Control

• 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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 Illustrative Example:
Blending system
Process Dynamics and Control

Notation: Assumptions:
• w1, w2 and w are mass • w1 is constant
flow rates
• 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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 Blending system
Process Dynamics and Control

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  x sp ?
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 Overall balance:
Process Dynamics and Control

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 (1-3)
1  xSP
Equation 1-3 is the design equation for the blending
system.
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 • If our assumptions are correct, then this value of w2 will
Process Dynamics and Control

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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 Some Possible Control Strategies
Process Dynamics and Control

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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 Control Method 1
Process Dynamics and Control

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 Method 2
Process Dynamics and Control

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:
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.

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 Control Method 2
Process Dynamics and Control

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
Process Dynamics and Control

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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 Classification of Control Strategies
Process Dynamics and Control

Table. 1.1 Control Strategies for the Blending

System
Measured Manipulated
Method Variable Variable Category

1 x w2 FB
2 x1 w2 FF

3 x1 and x w2 FF/FB
4 - - Design
change

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 Feedback Control
Process Dynamics and 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
Process Dynamics and 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
Process Dynamics and 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
Process Dynamics and 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
Process Dynamics and Control

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 Hierarchy of process control activities
Process Dynamics and Control

(days-months) 5. Planning and

Scheduling

(hours-days) 4. Real-Time
Optimization

3b. Multiv ariable

(minutes-hours) and Constraint
Control

(seconds-minutes) 3a. Regulatory

Control

2. Saf ety , Env ironment

(< 1 second) and Equipment
Protection

(< 1 second) 1. Measurement

and Actuation

Process

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 Major steps in control system development
Process Dynamics and Control

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 Conclusion!
Process Dynamics and Control

GOOD LUCK !!!

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