ECHM 451 Chemical Engineering Process Dynamics and Control

Spring, 2013 REID 104

What is Process Control?

Techniques and technology to control a process. Example: light switch Example: coffee maker This class will focus on automated control

About me
Office: COBL 310 Phone: 406-994-7902 Email: jeff.heys@gmail.com Office hours:
Tuesday 11:00am 12:00pm Thursday 1:00pm 2:30pm Open office policy, but focus on TTh

About this class

Meet twice per week on Tuesday and Thursday. Scheduled time 9:25-10:40 (typically less)
http://www.coe.montana.edu/jeffrey.heys/web451

Typical class. Lectures, homework, 2 exams including the final, and a project Lecture capture?

History
1995: Ron Larsen took a sabbatical with Dow focused on process control 1996: I took the course from Dr. Larsen the first time he taught it 1996 2011: Dr. Larsen refined and improved the course and wrote a textbook along the way. 2011-12: Dr. Larsen promoted to associate provost

2013
Im teaching this course for the second time (some experience at Stone Container). We will use Dr. Larsens book (pick up in main officeprice?) Read the syllabus and schedule Homework policy (boxes, staple, 1 or 2 per page, etc) Check your MSU email account frequently

Chapter 1
Example #1: Thermostat (On/Off control with set points (SP)) Example #2: Cruise control (proportional control)
= +

Determining is difficult

Why?
1. Convenience (and lower labor costs) 2. Safety (many industrial accidents could have been prevented with better process controls) 3. Consistent quality (computers are just better at mundane details)

Why?
Most chemical and biological engineers are not process control experts, but they need to understand the basics! Production engineering: responsible for day-today operations. Need to understand process controls to deal with daily issues. Process engineer: longer term view toward continuous process improvementthese improvements often involve new or modified process controls.

Specialists
Some chemical and biological engineers become process control engineers focus on improving process control systems and implementing standard systems Even fewer become process control specialists implement solutions for specialized, nonstandard, control situations.

Types of Process Controls

1. 2. 3. 4. Manual control (open loop) On/Off control (closed feedback loop) PID control (chapters 2-9) (closed feedback loop) Dynamic model-based control (closed feedforward loop)
1. Empirical models (e.g., cold shower) 2. Phenomenological models

This book
Focus is on information needed by process and production engineers (i.e., not specialists) Other books focus on process modeling and Laplace transforms first, and then they discuss PID controls for those processes (and the result are engineers that cannot tune a controller without a model).

Basic Control System

Oil heater that uses steam

Basic Control System

#1 we need a sensor (and we cannot measure everything, like entropy or fugacity)

Basic Control System

#2 we need a controller (e.g., PID controller)

Basic Control System

#3 we need something to control (and we cannot control everything like steam T and P)