CEIC3006 Process Dynamics & Control

WEEK 1 - LECTURE 1

Control of an Exothermic Reactor

 Disturbances
o Temperature variations in cooling water (& make up)
o Variations in concentrations of reactants
 The process needs to be operated (controlled) dynamically
 The temperature of the reactor is to be controlled
 Control structure (feedback control):
o Measure the temperature of the reactor and manipulate
the flowrate of the cooling water makeup

 A process control system includes

o Devices that convert pressure, temperature etc. to signals the controller can use 
sensors (transducers)
o Devices that are used to manipulate the process, such as control valves, pumps,
heating elements  actuators
o Device that gathers information from transducers and quantitatively devices how to
adjust the action of the actuators in real time to attenuate the effects of disturbances
 controller (decision maker)

Process Control

Concerned with operating a process such that important process characteristics is maintained at
desired targets, despite the effects of external perturbations e.g. refinery – the compositions of certain
species in the product should be of the desired value.

 Process control improves the safety and reliability of a process

o It provides safe operations (e.g. alarms, shutdown, safety constraint control)
o Stabilises unstable processes – prevents certain important variables from running
away (temperature control)
 Proper process control improves the quality of the produces produced by a process
o Reduced variability products are in high demand and have high value added

 Maximising productivity
o Process control often involves controlling against constraints
o The closer that you can operate to these constraints, the more profit you can make
 More environmentally friendly operation: Reduce energy consumption and pollution
Purpose of process control

 To regulate a process output despite the effect of disturbances

 To stabilize unstable processes
 A controlled process is a system which is comprised of two interacting systems
 Two strategies to control: feedback and feedforward

 In process flowsheets:

 In process control: Information Flow

Example: Speed Control of Automobile

 Measured and controlled: Speed (controlled;

output variable)
 Manipulate or actuated: Pressure on accelerator
footpad (manipulated; input variable)
 Outside factors: friction, slope of road
(disturbances; input variable)

 Feedback Control
1. Measure the actual speed
2. Find the difference: Error = Desired_Speed – Actual_Speed
3. Decide how much force should be applied to the accelerator:
 If error > 0 then push the accelerator footpad harder. If error < 0 then release.

 Feedforward Control
1. Watch the slope of the road
2. If it is uphill, push the accelerator
3. If it is downhill, release or use brake
Note: in this case the controlled variable is not measured, the disturbance is measured, and
the controller acts accordingly
Example: Stirred Tank Heater

Assumptions:

(1) Inlet flowrate = outlet flowrate

(2) Constant liquid density

Control objective:

(1) T = TR (called the setpoint)

Q1. How much heat must be supplied?

Steady state energy balance: Q́= ẃ C ( T́ −T́ ¿ )

For T = TR: Q́= ẃ C ( T́ −T́ ¿ )

If: (1) Assumptions are valid and (2) Inlet flowrate and temperature are constant and equal to their
nominal values then T=TR

Q2. Suppose inlet temperature Tin changes with time. How can we ensure T remains at or near the
setpoint TR?

1. Use a large tank and a high capacity heater (no control)

 Expensive
2. Measure T and adjust Q (Feedback Control)
 Compare T with TR
 Adjust Q based on the error dynamically
3. Measure T and adjust w (Feedback Control)
4. Measure Tin and adjust Q (Feedforward Control)
 Q=wC (T R −T ¿ )
5. Measure Tin and adjust w (Feedforward Control)
6. Measure Tin and T and adjust Q (Feedforward + Feedback)
7. Measure Tin and T and adjust w (Feedforward + Feedback)

Classification of Control Strategies

 Feedback Control
o Control variable is measured, and the measurement is used to adjust the manipulated
variable
o Disturbance variable is not measured
o Error calculated as: e (t )=r ( t )− y (t ). This is called negative feedback.
o Advantages:
 Corrective action
 Minimum knowledge of process: does not need measurement of disturbance,
adjust the control action by trial and error & does not need an accurate model
 o Disadvantages:
 Compensate for disturbance only after the control variable has deviated form
setpoint

 Feedforward Control
o Disturbance is measured and manipulated variable is adjusted
o Controlled variable is not measured
o Advantages:
 Capable of providing perfect control (theoretically, if the model is perfect and
accurate measurements of disturbances available)
o Disadvantages:
 Needs perfect model
 Cannot deal with unmeasured disturbances
 Not economical to measure all disturbances

Process Block Diagrams – based of Q2.2

 Operation of temperature control

o The tank exit temperature is measured with a thermocouple which generates
corresponding milli-voltage signal
o This time varying signal must be amplified to a voltage level signal V(t) and sent to
the controller
o The controller performs three tasks:
 Calculates error: e (t )=V R −V (t)
 Calculates the heat duty Q(t) and sends its corresponding signal u(t) to the
heater
o In response to the input signal u(t), the heater converts this signal to generate Q(t)

 Control Block Diagram

 o Control is meant to provide regulation of process outputs about a reference, r, despite
inherent disturbances
o The deviation of the plant output, e=(r-y), from its intended reference is used to make
appropriate adjustments in the plant input, u
o Controller could be an analogue controller, a digital controller, a computer, or an operator
that performs the required manipulations

Hierarchies of Process Control

 Qualitative control design (P&ID Diagrams)

o Controlled, manipulated and disturbance variables
 Process control instrumentation
o Sensors & actuators
 Quantitative control design
o Mathematical control algorithms to determine, in real time, the actual amount of
control action, based on measurements