Introduction to Process Control

©2006, R.S. Parker

ChE 1034, Summer 2006 (06-03)
Instructor: Jeffry A. Florian
1272 BEH
florian@sage.che.pitt.edu.

University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Announcements & Objectives

• Announcements
• new copy of the syllabus
• survey results are in
• reminder: print handouts before class
• reading assignment for Friday:
Chapter 4
• Objectives
• Identify, compare, and contrast the 4 primary
classical control structures
• Motivate and construct block diagrams
Student’s Responsibilities

• Students
• attend class (prepared)
• complete homework, projects, exams
• inform the professor of topics not understood
• use available resources (including the teacher
and TA)
• Additional Items
• application of previous engineering knowledge
• common sense
• negative flow rates
• mole fractions greater than one
• answers of 10100
Instructor’s Responsibilities

• Instructor
• attend lectures and be available during office
hours
• use examples and cover the specified material
• test on material covered (no trick problems)
• ensure that students understand the material (?)

• Additional Items
• educate students who can be control engineers
(not just pass the tests)
• be understanding (the student is human)
• incorporate student feedback in course
development
Two-minute Drill
1. control objective (setpoint)
2. controlled variable
3. manipulated variable
4. actuator
5. sensor
6. controller
7. disturbance
A Heat Exchange Example
Steam

Control Objective: Main-

Feed Outlet
tain temperature of the outlet
Ti To stream To

Condensate

1. controlled variable
2. manipulated variable
3. actuator
4. sensor
Types of Controllers – Feedback (FB)
• Characteristics
• measure controlled variable
• calculate deviation from setpoint (error)
• adjust manipulated variable to keep controlled
variable at setpoint
• (+) good choice for setpoint tracking
Steam

TC

Feed Outlet
Ti TT To

Condensate
Types of Controllers – Feedforward
• Characteristics Steam

FFC
• measure disturbance
variable
• manipulated Feed Outlet
Ti TT To
variable adjusted
based on measured
disturbance Condensate

• (+) superior disturbance rejection

• (-) disturbance model required
• (-) no setpoint tracking
Controller Comparison
• Feedback • Feedforward
• (+) simple • (+) excellent
• (+) most common disturbance
• (+) use current rejection properties
measurement to • (+) manipulated
determine control variable changes
action occur before
• (-) disturbances disturbances affects
must manifest in output signal
output signal before • (-) disturbance
corrective action can model required
be taken • (-) no output
information
Types of Controllers – FF/FB
• Characteristics Steam

FFC
• measure disturbance Σ TC

and controlled
Feed
variables Ti TT TT
Outlet
To

• adjust manipulated
variables to keep Condensate

controlled variable
at setpoint
• (+) superior disturbance rejection and setpoint
tracking
• (-) disturbance model required
• (-) two controllers (increased complexity)
Types of Controllers – Cascade
• Characteristics
• measure disturbance
variable and
controlled variable
• adjust manipulated
variable to keep
controlled variable
at setpoint
Steam
• (+) superior disturbance
rejection
• (+) disturbance model
not required
• (-) requires one “fast”,
one “slow” loop
• (-) tune two controllers

PC TC
“FAST”
PT
Feed Outlet “Slow”
Ti TT To

Condensate
Block Diagrams
• General method for representing (control) systems
• visualization of process behavior

• Include 1 block for each element of the process

• Contains physical and information flow
• “Open-Loop” – a (manual) manipulated input
change induces a change in the measured
(controlled) output
Manipulated Controlled
Input (u) Process
Output(y )

• “Closed-Loop” – a controller automatically adjusts

the manipulated input to keep the controlled
(measured) output at the setpoint
Feedback Control Revisited
Steam

TC

Feed Outlet
Ti TT To

Condensate
Feedforward Control Revisited
Steam

FFC

Feed Outlet
Ti TT To

Condensate
Cascade Control Revisited
Steam

PC TC
“FAST”
PT
Feed Outlet “Slow”
Ti TT To

Condensate
Block Diagram Summary
• Clean method for representing the flow of
material/information
• Each block contains a mathematical model
• convenient model structure (next week and
beyond) facilitates simulation and solution.
• most often used for linear systems (models)

• Next class
• how are mathematical models constructed
• temperature, mass, concentration
• what models are admissible
• what complications may be present in models