▪ Plant objective

▪ Importance of process control

▪ Direct targets of control
▪ Benefits of control
▪ Block representations
▪ Control nomenclature
▪ Control system development
▪ Feedback control: definition
▪ Feed forward control : definition
▪ Examples

Process Control Chapter 1 -(3)

To maximize profits by transforming raw materials into useful
products while satisfying a number of important criteria:

1. Product specifications: product specification,

concerning quality and production rate, must be met.

2. Safety: to protect well-being of plant personnel and

nearby communities.
3. Environmental Regulations: to comply with
environmental regulations concerning air and water
quality as well as waste disposal.
4. Operational Constrains: process variables must
satisfy certain other operating constrains

Process Control Chapter 1 -(4)

Plant objectives determine the objectives for the control system
as well as the controller set point
Directly affects the safety and reliability of a process
» Control system must provide safe operation
» Control system must be able to “absorb” a variety of
disturbances & keep the process in a good operating region
Determines the quality of the products produced by a process
Can affect how efficient a process is operated
Bottom Line: process control has a major impact on the
profitability of the company.

Process Control Chapter 1 -(5)

In the chemical industry,

the design of a control system is essential to ensure:

Good Process Operation
Process Safety
Product Quality
Minimization of Environmental Impact

Process Control Chapter 1 -(6)

 What is the purpose of a control system?
“To maintain important process characteristics at desired
targets despite the effects of external perturbations.”
Perturbations Processing
Plant objectives

Market Safety
Economy Make $$$
Climate Environment...
Upsets...

Control

Process Control Chapter 1 -(7)

What constitutes a control system? Control

Combination of process
sensors, alarms, actuators and
computer systems designed and tuned multi-function
platform

to orchestrate safe and profitable

operation.

Plant

Process Control Chapter 1 -(8)

⚫ Process Dynamics:
• Study of the transient (variation with time) behavior
of processes

⚫ Process Control
• The use of process dynamics for the improvement of
process operation and performance
or/and
• The use of process dynamics to alleviate the effect
of undesirable (unstable) process behaviors

Process Control Chapter 1 -(9)

What do we mean by process?
A process, P, is an operation that takes an INPUT or a
DISTURBANCE and gives an OUTPUT
u
y
P
d

Information Flow
INPUT : (u) Something that you can manipulate
DISTURBANCE : (d) Something that comes as a result of some
outside phenomenon
OUTPUT : (y) An observable quantity that we want to regulate

Process Control Chapter 1 -(10)

 Measured Process Variable (PV)
 Manipulated Variable (MV)
 Disturbances (D or DV)
 Controller Output (CO)
 Control Objective, controlled variable (CV)
 Set Point (SP)
Inputs Outputs
Variables
Manipulated Disturbances Measured Unmeasured Control

Process Control Chapter 1 -(11)

 wind

Friction Engine Power

Inputs Process Output

(D) • Wind speed
(D) • Friction
Process Speed (SP,CV)
(MV) • Engine Power
(Driving an automobile) Direction (SP,CV)
(MV) • Steering position
(MV) • Break position

Process Control Chapter 1 -(12)

 • Control Objective, (CV)
• Measured Process Variable (PV)
• Set Point (SP)
• Controller Output (CO)
• Manipulated Variable (MV)
• Disturbances (D)
thermostat
controller
T Qout
set point TC TT
Qout Tin xin temperature heat loss
sensor/transmitter (disturbance)

control
signal
Fin Process T

fuel flow furnace

valve
Fin Tin xin
©

Process Control
13
 Closed-loop Artificial Pancreas
 Control Objective
 Measured Process Variable (PV)
 Set Point (SP)
 Controller Output (CO)
 Manipulated Variable
 Disturbances (D)
Actual
Glucose Glucose
level An insulin pump administers insulin through
a catheter in the abdominal fat to help level
setpoint control a person’s blood sugar levels
y
u
r

controller pump sensor

measured glucose

Process Control Chapter 1 -(14)

  Control Objective, (CV)
 Measured Process Variable (PV)
5 feet
 Set Point (SP)
 Controller Output (CO)
 Manipulated Variable (MV)
VALVE VALVE  Disturbances (D)
Main
supply
temp
Main
supply Room
flow temp
Cold water supply

Hot water supply

Inputs Output
H. Valve position
Temp.

C. Valve position Process Flow

Process Control Chapter 1 -(15)

  Control Objective, (CV)
 Measured Process Variable (PV)
M  Set Point (SP)
 Controller Output (CO)
Tin, w  Manipulated Variable (MV)
 Disturbances (D)

T, w
Q

Qout T RPM
Inputs Output
Tin
w Process T
Q

Process Control Chapter 1 -(16)

⚫ To regulate a process output despite the effect of
disturbances e.g.
• Driving a car
• Controlling the temperature of a chemical
reactor
• Reducing vibrations in a flexible structure

⚫ To stabilize unstable processes e.g.

• Filling a storage tank
• Level of a distillation coulm condenser
• Operation of a nuclear plant

Process Control Chapter 1 -(17)

⚫ Economic Benefits
• Quality (waste reduction)
• Variance reduction (consistency)
• Savings in energy, materials, manpower
⚫ Operability, safety (stability)
• Performance
• Efficiency
• Accuracy
• robotics
• Reliability
• Stabilization
• bicycle
• aircraft
• nuclear reactor
Process Control Chapter 1 -(18)
⚫ Block diagrams are models of the physical systems

Input variables Output variables

Process

System Physical
Boundary
Transfer of fundamental
quantities Physical
Mass, Energy and Momentum

Abstract
Operation

Process Control Chapter 1 -(19)

 Process

Controller

A controller is a system designed to regulate a given process

Process typically obeys physical and chemical conservation
laws
Controller obeys laws of mathematics and logic (sometimes
intelligent)
e.g. - Riding a bike (human controller)
- Driving a car (human controller)
- Automatic control (computer programmed to control)

Process Control Chapter 1 -(20)

⚫ A controlled process is a system which is comprised of two
interacting systems:

e.g. Most controlled systems are feedback controlled systems

Disturbances Outputs
Process

Action Observation
intervene Controller monitor

The controller is designed to provide regulation of process outputs in

the presence of disturbances

Process Control Chapter 1 -(21)

1. Process Understanding
• Required measurements
• Required actuators
• Understand design limitations
2. Process Instrumentation
• Appropriate sensor and actuator selection
• Integration in control system
• Communication and computer architecture
3. Process Control
• Appropriate control strategy

Process Control Chapter 1 -(22)

 Wind Road
speed Friction
Driver Steering
r
+ Σ e C
p
A
u
P
y
-
ym Automobile
M

Human eye
Visual and tactile measurement

Actual trajectory
Desired trajectory (y)
(r)

Process Control Chapter 1 -(23)

 Tin, w

Q
Heater
T, w
TC
Thermocouple
Tin, w
Controller Heater T
TR e p u y
+
C A P
-
Tank
M

Thermocouple

Process Control Chapter 1 -(24)

 D
⚫ Measure T, adjust Q CO MV PV
SP
Tin, w
Controller Heater
TR e p u y
+ C A TinP
,w
- T
Tank
M

Thermocouple
Controller Output (CO):
CO = p = f(e) = f(TR-T)
p = Q = Qss + Kc (TR-T) [Proportional Controller]

where Qss: Heat input at SS (when the TR = T) = wCp(Tss-Tin)

Is this positive or negative feedback?

Process Control Chapter 1 -(25)

⚫ Identification of all process variables
Disturbances Other
Manipulated Process Control

Controller

Input Variables Output Variables

(Affect process) (Results of process)
• Disturbance variable • Measured variable
• Variables affecting process that are due • speed of a car
to external forces • Unmeasured variable
• Manipulated variable • acceleration of a car
• Things that we can directly affect • Control variable
• important observable quantities that we
want to regulate
• can be measured or unmeasured

Process Control Chapter 1 -(26)

 wi, Ti

T L
wc, Tco

h
Pc
wc, Tci
List of Variables Po T
wo, To
• wi, wo: Tank inlet and outlet mass flows
• Ti, To: Tank inlet and outlet temperatures
• wc: Cooling jacket mass flow
• Pc: Position of cooling jacket inlet valve
• Po: Position of tank outlet valve
• Tci, Tco: Cooling jacket inlet and outlet temperatures
• h: Tank liquid level

Process Control Chapter 1 -(27)

 Task: Classify the variables

Variables Inputs Outputs

Disturbances Manipulated Measured Unmeasured Control

wi
Ti
Tci
wc
h
wo
To
Pc
Po

Process Control Chapter 1 -(28)

Control development is usually carried out following these important
steps
Define objectives

Develop a process
model
Often an iterative
process, based on Design controller based
performance we may on model
decide to retune,
redesign or remodel a Test by simulation
given control system

Implement and tune

Monitor performance

Process Control Chapter 1 -(29)

⚫ Objectives
• “What are we trying to control?”
⚫ Process modeling
• “What do we need?”
• Mechanistic and/or empirical
⚫ Controller design
• “How do we use the knowledge of process behavior to reach our
process control objectives?”
• What variables should we measure?
• What variables should we control?
• What are the best manipulated variables?
• What is the best controller structure?

Process Control Chapter 1 -(30)

⚫ Implement and tune the controlled process
• Test by simulation
• Incorporate control strategy to the process hardware
• Theory rarely transcends to reality
• Tune and re-tune

⚫ Monitor performance
• Periodic retuning and redesign is often necessary based on
sensitivity of process or market demands
• Statistical methods can be used to monitor performance

Process Control Chapter 1 -(31)

• w1, w2 and w are mass flow rates
• x1, x2 and x are mass fractions of component A
:
1. w1 is constant
2. x2 = constant = 1 (stream 2 is pure A)
3. Perfect mixing in the tank
Keep x at a desired value (or “set point”) xsp,
despite variations in x1(t). Flow rate w2 can be adjusted for this
purpose.

• Controlled variable (or “output variable”): x

• Manipulated variable (or “input variable”): w2
• Disturbance variable (or “load variable”): x1

Process Control Chapter 1 -(32)

 . What value of w2 is required to have x = xSP ?

: 0 = w1 + w2 − w (1-1)

: w1x1 + w2 x2 − wx = 0 (1-2)

At the design conditions: x = xSP

(The overbars denote nominal steady-state design values.)
Substitute x = xSP in Eq. 1-2, and set 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.
• If our assumptions are correct, then this value of w2 will keep x at xSP
But what if conditions change?
Process Control Chapter 1 -(33)
 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 w2 = w2 and x1  x1 , then x > xSP.

The previous design equation will fail to calculate the correct

w2 because it was based on the assumption that x1 and w1 are
constants.

Hence: we need to think of another approach for controlling

the exit concentration!!!

Process Control Chapter 1 -(34)

Some Possible Control Strategies:
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)

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).

Process Control Chapter 1 -(35)

Method 2. 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
• Note:
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.

Process Control Chapter 1 -(36)

 AC AC

Method 3. Measure x1 and x, adjust w2. AT

• This approach is a combination of Methods

1 and 2. AT

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.

Process Control Chapter 1 -(37)

Method Measured Manipulate Category
Variable d Variable
1 x w2 FB
2 x1 w2 FF
3 x1 and x w2 FF/FB
4 - - Design
change
FB: Feedback , FF: Feedforward

Process Control Chapter 1 -(38)

 Steam

Feed Outlet
Ti To

Condensate

Control Objective:
Maintain temperature of the outlet stream (To)

Process Control Chapter 1 -(39)

Characteristics
measure controlled variable
adjust manipulated variable to keep controlled at set point

Good choice for set point tracking

Steam
Toset
TC

Feed Outlet
TT
Ti To

Condensate

Process Control Chapter 1 -(40)

Process: the process under investigation, the heat exchanger

The sensor: a device used to measure a signal (PV), thermocouple

The controlled variable: the temperature of the outlet stream

The set-point: desired outlet stream temperature
Manipulated variable: variable used to maintain the controlled
variable at the set point, the steam flowrate.

The actuator or final control element: Valve on the steam line

Process Control Chapter 1 -(41)

The controller: The Temperature controller
Feedback control or closed-loop control: manipulation based
on the sensed temperature
Feedback control loop: combination of the sensor, set-point,
controller, actuator and process control
Open-loop response: no feedback from the measured
controlled variable
Disturbance: any variable cause a deviation of the controlled
variable from the set-point, changing inlet temperature, quality
of steam
Feed-forward control: compensating known disturbances
before they affect the process, e.g. adjust the steam
temperature due to change in inlet temperature.

Process Control Chapter 1 -(42)

Characteristics Steam

measure disturbance variable FFC

adjust manipulated variable to

keep controlled at set point
Feed Outlet
TT
Ti To

Condensate

(+) Superior disturbance rejection

(-) Disturbance model required
(-) Difficult to predict the disturbance

Process Control Chapter 1 -(43)

Feedback Controller
» (+) simple
» (+) most common
» (+) use current measurement
to determine control action
» (-) disturbances must
manifest in output signal
before corrective action can
be taken
Feedforward Controller
» (+) excellent disturbance
rejection properties
» (+) manipulated variable
changes occur before
disturbance affects output
signal
» (-) model required
» (-) no output information
needed
Chapter 1 -(44)
From your text book (Seborg: Process Dynamics
and Control), solve the following questions:
• 1.5
• 1.6
• 1.7
• 1.8
Submission : Next week, same day.