1.

Review the equipment sketches in the Figure below and explain whether each is or not a level feedback control
system. In particular, identify the four necessary components of feedback control, if they exist.
a. The flow in is a function of the connecting rod position.
b. The flow out is a function of the level (pressure at the bottom of the tank) and the resistance to flow.

Flow in varies, cannot be adjusted

Flow out
varies, cannot
be adjusted

% valve opening depends on the Flow out depends on the level and
connecting rode position resistance due to the exit constriction
(a) and pipe
(b)

Solution:
Figure 1 (a) represents a level feedback control system where the four elements such as Process,
Sensor, Controller and Final element are identified.

Figure 1 (b) does not represent a clearly process and it is impossible to identify the four control
elements. Therefore, it does not represent a level feedback control system.
2. Give some examples of feedback control systems in your everyday life. The control calculations may be
automated or performed by people.

Solution:
1. Driving our automobile - The driver's object is to keep the automobile traveling in the center of a
chosen lane on the road. Changes in the direction of the road are compensated for by the driver turning
the steering wheel. The driver’s object is to keep the input (the car's desired position on the road) and
the input (the car's desired position on the road) as close to zero as possible. Which Error detector
(Brain) Input (Desired Position on road) Error Driver’s Control (Muscular Action) Automobile (power
amplification) Output (actual Position on road) Sensors (Visual and tactile) is then activated.

2. The house thermostat- When the house temperature falls below the preset level, an electric message
is sent to the heating system. When the temperature increases and reaches the set level, another
message shut off the heater. This continual measurement and turning on and off the heater keeps the
house at the desired temperature.

3. A student who receives on a major examination- This is intended, of course, to give the student
information about how he or she is doing and, if performance is less than desirable, to send a signal
suggesting improvement.

4. In the home, the refrigerator utilizes a temperature-control system- A similar process that as As soon
as the temperature exceeds the preset level, the air-conditioning system cools the house to the desired
temperature.
3. Discuss the advantages of having a centralized control facility. Can you think of any disadvantages?

Solution:
Central control rooms are often part of a larger strategy to rationalize plant operations and to upgrade
control equipment. As plants evolve and grow over the decades, they may end up accumulating large numbers
of control rooms located adjacent to the units they control. This puts control room personnel at risk in the event
of a serious incident, and it increases the costs associated with maintaining redundant equipment distributed
around the plant.

Advantages:
1. Providing better protection for the control room personnel
2. Thought to enhance communication between units, enabling better coordination of refinery-wide
operations and more effective responses to upsets.
3. Centralized control facility are perceived to provide a cleaner and distraction free work environment.
4. Believed to enable both reductions in operating staffing and a move to more highly trained and
knowledgeable console operations
5. Easier Training
6. Reduced Spares
7. Often Cheaper
8. Field Based I/O is easier to house than field-based controllers
9. Only one programming package to purchase, learns, and maintain.

Disadvantages:
1. Building onto a centralized control system can be problematic because some downtime is usually
required to add hardware. The software program must be modified--this also requires downtime and
can have inadvertent effects on the existing control scheme.
4. Review the processes sketched in the Figure below, from a to d, in which the controlled variable is to be
maintained at its desired value.
a. From your chemical engineering background, suggest the physical principle used by the sensor.
b. Explain the causal relationship between the manipulated and controlled variables.
c. Explain whether the control valve should be opened or closed to increase the value of the controlled
variable.
d. Identify possible disturbances that could influence the controlled variable. Also, describe how the
process equipment would have to be sized to account for the disturbances.
Solution:
(a) From your chemical engineering background, suggest the physical principle used by the sensor.
Solution:
(a) Continuous stirred-tank reactor with composition control
Solution: Composition is the variable sensed in the CSTR, which is controlled by the valve in the
heating medium. With an increase in the temperature, the control system would sense a decrease in the
outlet composition of reactant. In response, the control system would adjust the heating coil valve,
closing slightly, until the outlet composition returned to its desired value.

(b) Flow controller

Solution: Flow is the variable sensed in the pipe, which is controlled by the valve that is located after
the pump. With an increase in the pressure drop, the control system would sense an increase in the fluid
flow. In response, the control system would adjust the valve, opening slightly, until the fluid flow
returned to its desired value.
(c) Tank level with controller
Solution: Level is the variable sensed in the tank, which is controlled by the valve that is located after
the pump. With an increase in the pressure drop, the control system would sense an increase in the
fluid flow. In response, the control system would adjust the valve, opening slightly, until the fluid
flow returned to its desired value.
(d) Mixing process
Solution: Composition of B is the variable sensed in the tank, which is controlled by the valve in the
pipe of the feed of B. With an increase in the fluid of B, the control system would sense an increase in
the composition of B. In response, the control system would adjust the valve, decreasing slightly, until
the composition of B returned to its desired value.

(b) Explain the causal relationships between the manipulated and controlled variables
Solution:
Flow control

Figure 2.Schematic of flow through valve, where P is the pression at different points in the
pipe.

Sensor: The most often used flow sensor for vapors and liquids is an orifice plate. The relationship between the
flow and pressure can be derived by applying Bernoulli equation.
F F
P1 ( 1 )2 P2 (A1 )2
A1 2
+ = + where: P1= upstream pressure, P2= Pressure at the narrowest flow F= volumetric
pg 2g pg 2g

flow rate , ρ= density , and A= cross sectional area .

 This can be arranged to give:
(P1 −P2 )
F = K ′o √
p

With K depending on the diameters of the pipe and the orifice, along with same friction losses. It is determined
empirically. The pressure difference can be measured with the manometer, but this would not provide a signal
the computer. A pieza electric device generates as signal voltage proportional to pressure, and this signal can
used for transmission to a computer.
Notice that the equation also contains the fluid density. Since density is more expensive to measure, it is
common practice to assume that density is constant, then, F = K o √∆P with ∆P =P1 – P2
Density can be measured if a very accurate measurement is required
Notice that the square root of the measure variable is proportional to flow rate. The measurement of ∆P is noisy,
ie, it has high frequency interference, because of the turbulence around the orifice plate.
Also, almost the entire pressure drop from P 1 to P2 is recovered when the flow enlarges to the entire pipe
diameter at P3. Thus, P1 P3, although P3 must be slightly lower
Final element: The final element is the dominant restriction in the system, so that adjusting the value (the way
we adjust a facet) influences the flow.
Bernoulli equation for flow in a pipe with friction factors and fittings is equation
1 F F F
Pin − Pout = p∆( )2 + ∑ fp ( )2 + ∑ K ′ p ( )2
2 A A A
f=friction factor which depends on Re
F
∑ K ′ p ( )2 =Minor losses which are due to elbow, expansions and values3
A
The term minor is unfortunate, since the flow goes to zero (K →∞) when the value is completely closed.
For the simplest case with Pin=P1=constant=Pout=P4=constant, and other friction losses in the pipe and (non-
recoverable) in the orifice.

(c) Explain whether the control valve should be opened or closed to increase the value of the controlled variable.
Solution:
The valve must be opened to increase the volumetric flow according to the following equation:

∆P
F = Cv √
p

(d) Identify possible disturbances that could influence the controlled variable. Also, describe how the process equipment
would have to be sized to account for the disturbances
Solution:
Disturbances:
1. Decrease in P1 and Increase in P4
2. The value opening would have to be large enough to allow the desired flow at the lowest P1-P4
3. Change in density
4. The measured will be maintained but the actual volumetric flow will change
5. The preliminary process designs have been prepared for the systems in the figure below. The key variables to be
controlled for the systems are (a) flow rate, temperature, composition, and pressure for the flash system and (b)
composition, temperature, and liquid level for continuous-flow stirred-tank chemical reactor. For both
processes, disturbances occur in the feed temperature and composition. Answer the following questions for both
processes.
a. Determine which sensors and final elements are required so that the important variables can be
controlled. Sketch them on the figure where they should be located.
b. Describe how the equipment capacities should be determined.
c. Select controller pairings; that is, select which measured variable should be controlled by adjusting
which manipulated variable.
Vapor

Heat Exchangers

Drum

Liquid

Pump
(a)

Solvent

Reactant

Cooling coil

Cooling

(b)
Solution:
(a)

The above figure is the control system for a flash drum in which it is included final elements such as valves,
heat exchangers and pumps to keep the process to the desire conditions of performing.
Sensors:
Flow rate: orifice meter in the inlet pipe
Temperature: thermocouple in the vapor space of the drum
Pressure: bourbon tube in the vapor space of the drum
Composition: The sensor depends on the components in the flash. A typical sensor would be a gas
chromatograph
Final Elements:
Flowrate: valve in inlet pipe
Temperature: valve in one of the heat exchanger flows. The second heat exchanger flow is
chosen here
Pressure: the valve in the exit vapor pipe is a natural selection to control the pressure
Note that this system must also have a level controller so that the liquid entering the drum for the flash exits via
the pipe at the bottom of the drum.

The heat exchangers should be sized for the (i) largest process flow, (ii) lowest heating medium temperature,
and highest flash temperature. The flash drum should provide sufficient volume for good vapor-liquid separation
and sufficient volume for good vapor-liquid separation sufficient liquid inventory for level control. The values
should accommodate the largest expected flow, including disturbances conditions.

The selected controller pairings are shown in the figure. Note that a causal relationship exists between each
manipulated and controlled variable pairing. However, the manipulated variable also influences other controlled
variables; thus, interaction exits.
(b) The control system for a CSTR

Sensors
Temperature: a thermocouple located in the reactor liquid. It would be protected with a metal sleeve or
thermo-well
Level: The level can be sensed by a float whose position is sensed
Composition: with the temperature maintained pipe could be used to influence the heat transfer rate
Level: a valve in either the feed or effluent pipes is required. Here the effluent pipe is selected
Composition: with the temperature maintained at a specified, the feed composition is selected to
influence the exit composition. Here, the flow rate of the reactant is manipulated. Note that the flow of
the solvent must be determined; thus, a valve is added to the solvent inlet pipe, and its value is
maintained constant

The heat exchanger should be sized for the maximum cooling rate at the highest coolant temperature. The values
should allow the maximum flow, including disturbed conditions.

Select controller pairings; that is, select which measured variable should be controlled by adjusting which
controlled variable.
6. For the control process diagram describe below, identify at least one control objective in each of the seven
categories discussed. Describe a feedback approach appropriate for achieving each objective.
7. Consider any of the system shown in Problem #4. Suggest a feedback control calculation that can be used to
determine a proper value of the manipulated valve position. The only values available for the calculation are the
desired value and the measured value of the controlled variable.
8. Feedback control uses measurement of a system output variable to determine the value of a system input
variable. Suggest an alternative control approach that uses a measured (disturbance) input variable to determine
the value of a different (manipulated) input variable, with the goal of maintaining a system output variable at its
desired value. Apply your approach to one of the systems in Problem #4. Can you suggest a name for your
approach?
9. Assume that the solvent and component A are contained in separate tanks; sketch the extra equipment which
would have to be added to the Figure in order to achieve the desired value of CA0.

Fo

CAo F1

V CA
10. Evaluate the potential feedback control designs in the accompanying figure. Determine whether each is a
feedback control system. Explain why or why not, and explain whether the control system will function
correctly as shown for disturbances and changes in desired value.