Chapter 1
ChE 403
Process Control
3.00 credits, 3 hours/week
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
Dr. Nahid Sanzida
Chapter 1
Course Outline
Basic concepts of chemical process control:
incentives for process control; design aspects;
hardware elements.
Modelling for control purposes:
development of mathematical models; linearization of
nonlinear systems; input-output model; transfer functions.
Dynamic and static behavior of chemical processes:
first, second and higher order processes;
transportation lag; systems in series.
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Chapter 1
Course Outline (contd)
Analysis and design of feedback control systems:
concept of feedback control; feedback controllers and
final control elements; block diagrams; closed loop
responses; concept of stability; stability testing.
Frequency response analysis:
Bode diagrams; Nyquist plots;
Bode and Nyquist stability criteria;
control system design by frequency response analysis.
Chapter 1
Course Outline (contd)
Analysis and design of advanced control systems:
control of system with large dead time or inverse response;
multiple-loop control systems; feedforward and ratio control;
adaptive and inferential control.
Design of control systems for multivariable processes:
synthesis of alternative control configurations for multipleinput and multiple-output processes; interaction and
decoupling of control loops.
Design of control systems for complete plants.
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Course Information
Chapter 1
Textbook:
1. Seborg, D. E., Edgar, T.F., Mellichamp, D. A., (2004), Process
Dynamics and Control, 2nd edition, John Wiley
Reference Books:
1. Karim, M.N., Riggs, J. B. (2006), Chemical and Bio-Process
Control, 3rd edition, Prentice Hall
2. Marlin, T. (2000), Process Control: Designing Processes and
Control Systems for Dynamic Performance, McGraw Hill
3. George Stephanopoulos (1984), Chemical process control:
an introduction to theory and practice, Pearsons
Course Website:
http://teacher.buet.ac.bd/shoukat/
Then click courses Process Control
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
Chapter 1
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
Chapter 1
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
Chapter 1
Authors
Dale Seborg
UC, Santabara
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
Thomas Edgar
UT, Austin
Duncan Mellichamp
UC, Santabara
Chapter 1
A Career in Process Control
Requires that engineers use all of their chemical
engineering training (i.e., provides an excellent
technical profession that can last an entire career)
Allows engineers to work on projects that can
result in significant savings for their companies
(i.e., provides good visibility within a company)
Provides professional mobility
There is a shortage of experienced process control
engineers all over the world
It is a well paid technical profession for chemical
engineers
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
What is a Process?
Chapter 1
Process:
- A Heat Exchanger (heating/cooling)
- A Chemical/Biological Reactor
- A Separator (Distillation column or
absorber)
- A Feed or holding tank
- Human body
- A Car
- A Computer Drive
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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Chapter 1
Example Processes
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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Chapter 1
Example Processes
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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Chapter 1
CONTROL
Gas stream
Gas stream
Empty vessel
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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Adjusting valves: Do you believe in automation?
Chapter 1
Do we run around the
plant to adjust the
valves when required?
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
Process pictures courtesy of Petro-Canada Products
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Adjusting valves: Do you believe in automation?
Chapter 1
Central control room
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
Overview of
entire process
Make immediate
adjustment
anywhere
Safe location
History of past
operation
Process pictures courtesy of Petro-Canada Products
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Chapter 1
What is Process Control?
Outputs
(effects)
Inputs
(cause)
Process
Output:
off-specification
Consequence:
Less profit!
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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Chapter 1
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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Benefits of Improved Control
New Controller
Impurity
Concentration
Limit
Time
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
Limit
Time
Improved Performance
Impurity
Concentration
Impurity
Concentration
Chapter 1
Old Controller
Limit
$
Time
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Objectives of Process Control
Chapter 1
Maintain a stable process operation
Appropriate instruments/sensors are to be implemented to
operate under fail/safe conditions.
Make sure no disturbances affect the process output(s).
Make sure when we make desired changes (set point) to
the process, it does achieve the desired goal.
Make sure the process always remain within a tight
specification.
Maximize the profitability of the plant
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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Chapter 1
LECTURE - 2
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Chapter 1
Process Dynamics
Refers to response or behavior of a process,
especially unsteady-state or transient behavior.
-- Steady-state vs. unsteady-state behavior
i. Steady state: variables do not change with time
ChE curriculum emphasizes steady-state or equilibrium
situations: Examples: ChE 111, 201, 203, 405
ii. Unsteady state: variables change with time
It is observed that sometimes operation at unsteady state,
i.e. dynamic operation, gives higher productivity than the
operation at steady state.
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Chapter 1
Process Dynamics
Continuous processes: Examples of transient behavior:
i. Start up & shutdown
ii. Grade changes
iii. Major disturbance: e.g., refinery during stormy or
hurricane conditions
iv. Equipment or instrument failure (e.g., pump failure)
Batch processes
i. Inherently unsteady-state operation
ii. Example: Batch reactor
-Composition changes with time
-Other variables such as temperature could be constant.
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Chapter 1
Is it steady or unsteady?
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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Process Control
Chapter 1
Objective: to maintain or operate a process at the desired
operating conditions safely and efficiently, while satisfying
environmental and product quality requirements.
a) Large scale, continuous processes:
i. Oil refinery, ethylene plant, pulp mill
ii. Typically, 1000 5000 process variables are measured.
b) Batch plants:
i. Smaller plants in most industries
-- Exception: microelectronics (200 300 processing steps).
ii. But still large numbers of measured variables.
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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Process Control
For Process Control, it is important to identify three type of
variables:
Chapter 1
1. Controlled Variables (CV or PV): The variables that are
controlled. The desired value of CVs are called set-points.
2. Manipulated Variables (MV, CO, OP): The variables that can
be adjusted in order to keep the controlled variables at or near
their set-points. Typically, manipulated variables are flow rates.
3. Disturbance or Load Variables (DV): Variables that affect the
controlled variables but can not be manipulated. Disturbances
are generally related to the operating environment of the process,
for example, feed conditions or ambient temperature.
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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Chapter 1
Example: Identify CV and MV
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Chapter 1
Example: Identify CV and MV
Controlled Variables: Level, 1LIC317.PV
Manipulated Variables: Outlet flow rates
Controller Output = Valve Input Signal
1LIC317.CO / 1LIC317.MV / 1LIC317.OP
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Chapter 1
A Typical Control Loop
Controlled
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Chapter 1
1.1 Illustrative Example: Blending system
Figure 1.3. Stirred tank
blending system
Notation:
w1, w2 and w are mass flow rates
x1, x2 and x are mass fractions of component A
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Assumptions:
1. w1 is constant
2. x2 = constant = 1 (stream 2 is pure A)
3. Perfect mixing in the tank
Chapter 1
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
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Design Question. What value of w2 is required to have
x xSP ?
Overall balance:
Chapter 1
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 Eq. 1-2,
x2 1 , then solve Eq. 1-2 for w2 :
xSP x1
w2 w1
1 xSP
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
x xSP
and
(1-3)
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1.1 Illustrative Example: Blending system
Chapter 1
Equation 1-3 is the design equation for the blending system.
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.
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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Some Possible Control Strategies
Method 1. Measure x and adjust w2.
Chapter 1
Intuitively, if x is too high, we should reduce w2;
Manual control vs. automatic control
Proportional feedback control law,
w2 t w2 K c 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 to
the deviation from the set point, xSP x(t).
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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Chapter 1
Some Possible Control Strategies
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Some Possible Control Strategies
Method 2. Measure x1 and adjust w2.
Chapter 1
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.
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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Chapter 1
Some Possible Control Strategies
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Some Possible Control Strategies
Method 3. Measure x1 and x, adjust w2.
Chapter 1
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
out due to the larger capacitance of the tank contents.
However, a larger tank means an increased capital cost.
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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Chapter 1
Some Possible Control Strategies
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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Classification of Control Strategies
Chapter 1
Table. 1.1 Control Strategies for the Blending System
Method
Measured
Variable
Manipulated
Variable
Category
w2
FB
x1
w2
FF
x1 and x
w2
FF/FB
Design change
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Feedback Control
Distinguishing feature: measure the controlled variable
Chapter 1
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 process, that is, until after x differs from xsp.
Very oscillatory responses, or even instability
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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Feedforward Control
Distinguishing feature: measure a disturbance variable
Chapter 1
Advantage:
Correct for disturbance before it upsets the process.
Disadvantage:
Must be able to measure the disturbance.
No corrective action for unmeasured disturbances.
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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(da ys-mo nths)
(ho urs-days)
Chapter 1
(mi nutes-hours)
(se con ds-mi nu te s)
5. Pl an ni ng an d
Sche dul in g
4. Re al -T ime
Op ti mi zati on
3b . Mul ti va ri ab le
and Co nstrai nt
Control
3a . Regu la to ry
Control
(< 1 se con d)
2. Sa fe ty, En vi ro nmen t
a nd Equ ip ment
Protection
(< 1 se con d)
1. Me asu re ment
a nd Actua ti on
Figure 1.7 Hierarchy of process
control activities.
Process
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Chapter 1
Figure 1.9 Major steps in
control system development
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Chapter 1
The key elements and principles of a feedback loop
Cause and Effect
Exercise: The key
elements and
principles of a
feedback loop
What is being measured?
valve
sensor
Is this a valid feedback
control loop?
pump
pump
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
valve
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The key elements and principles of a feedback
loop Cause and Effect
Chapter 1
Exercise: You want to control the level, but you can
only measure the flow in. What is your
strategy? Are you using feedback?
sensor
valve
pump
valve
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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The key elements and principles of a feedback
loop Cause and Effect
Chapter 1
Exercise: The key elements and principles of a
feedback loop
What is being measured?
Is this a valid feedback control loop?
P
Gas stream
Gas stream
Empty vessel
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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The key elements and principles of a feedback
loop Cause and Effect
Chapter 1
Exercise: The key elements and principles of a
feedback loop
Hot process fluid
into shell
Cooling water
into tubes
We want to
control the hot
outlet
temperature.
Add a sensor and a valve to make this possible.
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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The key elements and principles of a feedback
loop Cause and Effect
Chapter 1
Exercise: The key elements and principles of a
feedback loop
Cooling water
into tubes
Hot process fluid
into shell
We want to
control the hot
outlet
temperature.
TC
Add a sensor and a valve to make this possible.
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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Chapter 1
Acknowledgement
1. Prof. Nazmul Karim
2. Prof. T. Marlin
for providing some of the slides
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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Chapter 1
Class Test 1
Syllabus Chapter 1
4/3/2013
Monday
Dr. M. A. A. Shoukat Choudhury
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