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A Completely Real Time Approach To Process Control Education PDF
A Completely Real Time Approach To Process Control Education PDF
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Engineering
ELSEVIER Computers and Chemical Engineering 24 (2000) 1481-1484
www.elsevier.com/locate/compchemeng
Abstract
The traditional approach to process control education of process systems engineers has been to employ the classical methods
of process control that were originally developed as a substitute for the real time simulation of process systems. It is our
contention that with the availability of fast and easy-to-use simulation software, classical methods have limited relevance for the
process control education of practicing process systems engineers. In this paper, we will outline our real time approach to process
control instruction. The methodology is, then, illustrated by application to the feedback control of liquid level in a separator.
Finally, the results of student subject evaluations from implementation in both the senior undergraduate process control course
at the University of Calgary and in the AEA Technology Engineering Software process control training course are presented.
© 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
0098-1354/00/$ - see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
PII: S0098-1354(00)00539-1
1482 D. Mahoney et al./ Computers and Chemical Engineering 24 (2000) 1481-1484
Given the fit to their purpose, classical control tech- 3. Real time approach
niques still prevail and remain relevant in these engi-
neering disciplines today. Unlike mechanical and electromechanical systems,
Although these methods make up almost half the process systems are characterized by high degrees of
content of standard control texts (Coughanowr & Kop- non-linearity, process interactions, and substantial dead
pel, 1965; Ogunnaike & Ray, 1994; Marlin, 1995), these time. Additionally, due to these non-idealities, process
methods all share a number of deleterious characteris- control demands to be addressed with a multivariable
tics. They are all heavy on applied mathematics to get and plant-wide view. As such, applying classical tech-
them to work, requiring linearization in order to apply niques to process control is a bit like using a wrench to
linear analysis. The methods have a transfer function do a hammer's work. In an ideal world, the process
basis, focus on individual units and are generally good systems engineer would have a "virtual plant" on which
only for single loops and PID control. Limited multi- to experiment. This plant would capture all of the
variable and no plant wide controls are possible. important non-idealities the real world imposes, and
Beyond the engineering deficiencies of classical tech- would allow the engineer to readily test even the most
niques, there are implications from a teaching and outlandish of control structures with impunity.
learning perspective. The abstraction of classical meth- Early attempts to realize this "ideal world" date back
ods makes a difficult subject more difficult, and the to the 1970's and 80's (Jeffrey, Kaye & Brisk, 1998)
methods lack physical meaning, obscuring the central when dynamic simulators first became available for the
problem of how to modify the system in order to solution of the non-linear differential equations describ-
achieve control (Stillman, 1997). These methods are ing process dynamics, such as DYNSYS, DYFLO or
also not suited to "what if" studies such as determining SPEEDUP. However, the hardware was slow at this
loop performance with parameter variation. time, and the software was impractical for students to
The ready availability of hardware and software now learn and implement in a reasonable time frame. There
has called into question the relevance of these classical was, effectively, no user interface in that there was poor
methods. A number of previous workers have also graphics and the programs were run batch-wise.
identified this need for change. Levine (Levine, 1994) However, in today's "simulation-rich" environment,
incorporated simulation software into the syllabus and the right combination of hardware and software is
deleted previous graphical procedures, but retained the available to implement a "hands-on" approach to pro-
classical methods. More recently Bissell (1997) and cess control education (Jeffrey, Kaye & Brisk, 1998).
particularly Stillman (1997) proposed the more radical The hardware and software, such as HYSYS TM, are
solution of complete replacement of classical methods now fast and easy-to-use. Simple, complex and/or user
with computer simulation. Jeffrey, Kaye & Brisk, 1998 defined process modules are available and it is now easy
developed a successful simulation education module, to do "what-if" studies, multi-loop and plant wide
but it was only a single laboratory in process control control simulations. The software user interface is now
course. In this paper, we outline and evaluate the actual graphical and interactive and the software can be pain-
implementation of such a real time approach to process lessly run on a PC. In short, the "virtual plant" has
control (Svrcek, Mahoney & Young, 2000). arrived.
4. Case study
5. Student evaluation