Feedforward, ratio contol

Introduction
The basic concept of feedforward control is to measure
important disturbance variables and take corrective
action before they upset the process. In contrast, a
feedback controller does not take corrective action until
after the disturbance has upset the process and
generated a nonzero error signal.

Disadvantages of feedback control

The disturbance variables must be measured on-line. In many
applications, this is not feasible.
To make effective use of a feedforward control, at least an
approximate process model should be available. In particular, we
need to know how the controlled variable responds to changes in
both the disturbance and manipulated variables. The quality of
feedforward control depends on the accuracy of the process model.
Ideal feedforward controllers that are theoretically capable of
achieving perfect control may not be physically realizable.
Fortunately, practical approximations of these ideal controllers often
provide very effective control.

 Feed-forward control is used in many chemical engineering

applications. These include heat exchangers, CSTRs, distillation
columns and many other applications. A typical furnace, shown
below, is heating up an input fluid using fuel gas.

One possible disturbance is the flow rate of the incoming fluid. For example: If the
fluid input rate was increased by 10%, then the required heat duty should also be
increased by approximately 10%. This feed-forward control strategy immediately
changes the fuel gas flow rate and therefore the heat duty. The performance of feedforward controls is limited by model uncertainty, and in practice feed-forward control
is combined with feedback control in order to ensure better control of the system.
Feed-forward control will compensate for fluid input disturbances while feedback
control will compensate for other disturbancessuch as the fuel gas flow rate or the
temperature of the furnaceand model uncertainty. This system can also be
represented by the following block diagram.

Ratio Control

Ratio control architecture is used to maintain the relationship between two variables
to control a third variable. Perhaps a more direct description in the context of this
class is this: Ratio control architecture is used to maintain the flow rate of one
(dependent controlled feed) stream in a process at a defined or specified
proportion relative to that of another (independent wild feed stream) (3) in order
to control the composition of a resultant mixture.
As hinted in the definition above, ratio control architectures are most commonly used
to combine two feed streams to produce a mixed flow of a desired composition
or physical property downstream (3). Ratio controllers can also control more than
two streams.
Theoretically, an infinite number of streams can be controlled by the ratio controller,
as long as there is one controlled feed stream. In this way, the ratio control
architecture is feedfoward in nature. In this context, the ratio control architecture
involves the use of an independent wild feed stream and a dependent stream called
the controlled feed.
Ratio Control is the most elementary form of feed forward control. These control
systems are almost exclusively applied to flow rate controls. There are many common
usages of ratio controls in the context of chemical engineering. They are frequently
used to control the flows on chemical reactors. In these cases, they keep the
ratio of reactants entering a reaction vessel in correct proportions in order to
keep the reaction conditions ideal. They are also frequently used for large scale
dilutions.

Advantages
Allows user to link two streams to produce and maintain
a defined ratio between the streams
Simple to use
Does not require a complex model
Disadvantages
Often one of the flow rates is not measured directly and
the controller assumes that the flows have the correct
ratio through the control of only the measured flow rate
Requires a ratio relationship between variables that
needs to be maintained
Not as useful for variables other than flow rates

Ratio Control
R=u/d
u: manipulated variable

d: disturbance variable

Typical applications include

-Specifying the relative amounts of components in blending operations
-Maintaining a stichiometric ratio of reactants to a reactor
-Keeping a specified reflux ratio for a distillation column
-Holding the fuel-air ratio to a furnace at the optimum value

 Method 1

Flow rates for both disturbance and manipulated stream are measured and the measured
ratio Rm=um/dm is calculated. The output of the divider element is sent to a ratio controller
(RC) thatcompares the calculated ratio Rm to the desired ratio Rd and adjusts the
maniuplated flow rate u accordingly. The ratio controller is typically a PI controller with the
desired ratio as its set point.

Disturbance stream,d
dm

Ratio controller
FT

Divider

Rm

um
FT

manipulated stream,u

RC

Ratio set
point, Rd

 The main advantage is the measured ratio is calculated. A key

disadvantage is the divider element must be included in the loop
and this element makes the process gain vary in a nonlinear
fashion.
Kp= R = 1
u d d
The process gain is inversely related to the disturbance flow rate d

 Method II
Disturbance stream,d

FT
dm
RS

Radio station
Set point, usp

FC
um

p
FT

manipulated stream,u

The flow rate of the

disturbance stream is
measured and
transmitted to the
radio station (RS) which
multiplies this signal by
an adjustable gain KR
whose value is the
desired ratio. The
output signal from the
radio station is then
used as the set point
usp for the flow
controller which adjust
the flow rate of the
manipulated stream u.

The chief advantage of Method II is that the process gain remain constant. Note that
disturbance variable d is measured in both methods. Thus ratio control is a simple type of
feedforward control.

A disadvantage of both methods is the desired ratio may not be achieved during transient
conditions as a result of the dynamics associated with the flow control loop u.

Thus, after a step change in disturbance d, the manipulated variable will require some time to
reach its new set point usp.

Flow control loops tend to have short settling times and this transient mismatch between u and
d is usually acceptable.

Regardless of how ratio control is implemented, the process variables must be scaled
appropriately. For example, the gain setting for the radio station Kd must take into account the
spans of the two flow transmitters, thus the correct gain for the radio station is
KR=RdSd/Su
Rd is desired ratio Sd and Su is spans of the flow transmitter for the disturbance and
manipulated streams, respectively
If orifice plates are used with differential pressure transmitters, then the transmitter oupt is
proportional to the flow rate squares. Consequently KR should be proportional to Rd2 rather
than Rd, unless square root extractors are used to convert each transmitter ouput to a signal
that is proportional to flow rate

example

A ratio control scheme is to be used to maintain a stoichiometric ratio of

H2 and N2 as the feed to an ammonia synthesis reactor. Individual flow
controller will be used for both the H2 and N2 streams. Using the
information given below, do the following:
i. Draw a schematic diagram for the ratio control scheme
ii. Specify the appropriate gain for the ratio station, KR
Information
a. the electronic flow transmitters have built in square root extractors.
The spans of the flow transmitters are 30 L/min for H2 and 15L/min for
N2
b. the control valves have pneumatic actuators
c. each required current to pressure transducer has a gain of 0.75
psi/mA
d. the radio station is an electronic instrument with 4-20 mA input and
output signals

Feedforward design criteria

Gd
Gffs
Gff
SP

+
-

Gc

+
+

Gv

Gp

CV

CV=GvGpGffsGff+Gd
1+GvGpGfbsGc

Gfbs

Ideally, we would like the control system to produce perfect control

where the control variable remain exactly at the set point despite
arbitrary changes in the disturbance variable. This condition can be
satisfied by setting the numerator equal to zero and solving for Gff.
Gff

- Gd
GffsGvGp

Stability considerations
To analyze the stability of the closed loop syste, set the denominator equal
to zero which gives the characteristic equation
1+GvGpGfbsGc=0
Lead-lag units
Lead-lag units can provide reasonable approximations to ideal feedforward
controllers. If the feedforward controller consists of a lead lag unit with
gain Kf
where Kf, 1, 2 are adjustable controller
Gff=U/D=Kf(1s+1)
2s+1
parameters

Configurations for feedforward

feedback control
Feedback trim is normally used inconjunction with feedforward
control to compensate for modelling errors and unmeasured
disturbances.
Feedforward and feedback controllers can e combined in several
different ways.
In a typical control configuration, the outputs of feedforward and
feedback controllers are added together and the sum is the signal
that is sent to the final control element.
The feedforward controller theoretically does not effect the stability
of the feedback control loop. Gff does not appear in the
characteristic equation

 An alternative configuration for feedforward-feedback control is to

have the feedback controller output serve as the set point for the
feedforward controller. It is especially convenient when the feedback
forward control law is designed using steady state material and
energy balances.
The feedforward controller set point denoted as x*sp. It is generated
as the output signal from the feedback controller. The actual setpoint
xsp is used as the set point for the feedback controller. In this
configuration, the feedforward controller can affect the stability of the
feedback control system because it is now an element in the
feedback loop.