IME 8310 – INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL

Practice Exercise

The Figure shows a stage of a water treatment plant. Here, the 𝑝𝐻 of water (acid solution) must be
neutralized. The 𝑝𝐻 of the inlet water stream is usually under 7. Before this water can be poured into a
nearby lake, the 𝑝𝐻 value must be returned to 7. A maximum 𝑝𝐻 deviation of ±0.2 is accepted due to
environmental regulations. The setpoint to the 𝑝𝐻 controller is set at 7 for safety concerns.

Buffer
Acid Solution

Base Solution
F.O.

AC

pH set point

AT

The implemented control loop manipulates the flow of a base solution (with a density approximately
equal to that of water) stream to maintain 𝑝𝐻. The sensor/transmitter has a range from 0 to 14. The
pressure drop across the F.O. control valve is 1.5 𝑝𝑠𝑖, and it can be considered as constant. In normal
operating conditions, the controller signal bias is 𝑚
̅ = 52 %𝐶𝑂, causing the valve to give 36 𝑔𝑝𝑚 of the
base solution, and maintaining 𝑝𝐻 at 7. When a signal 𝑚 = 73 %𝐶𝑂 is sent to the valve, the flow drops
to 18.312 𝑔𝑝𝑚.

Once you have been given all this information:

• Specify the correct controller action.

• Specify the control valve characteristics.
• Determine the 𝐶𝑣𝑚𝑎𝑥 and 𝐶𝑣̅ of the control valve.
• If a P-only controller is implemented, determine the minimum magnitude (regardless of its sign)
for the controller gain, 𝑘𝑐 , so that the 𝑝𝐻 is maintained without exceeding the maximum accepted
deviation when the base solution flow is 18.312 𝑔𝑝𝑚.
Solution
Let us address every bullet listed above one by one.

Controller action:

If the 𝑝𝐻 transmitter signal increases above the setpoint (7), this means the pH has become more basic
than the desired value. Thus, the basic solution flow should be decreased. To do that, the controller should
increase the signal sent to the F.O. control valve.

Buffer
Acid Solution

Base Solution
F.O.

AC

pH set point

AT

We conclude that the controller must have a direct action.

Valve characteristics:

There are two possibilities: i) the valve is linear, or ii) the valve is equal-percentage (E.P.). Let us explore
both cases.

i) Linear valve
If the F.O. valve were linear,
𝑚
𝐶𝑣 = 𝐶𝑣𝑚𝑎𝑥 (1 − )
100

∆𝑃
Multiplying both sides of the above equation by √ 𝐺 𝑣:
𝑓

∆𝑃𝑣 ∆𝑃𝑣 𝑚
√ 𝐶𝑣 = √ 𝐶𝑣𝑚𝑎𝑥 (1 − )
𝐺𝑓 𝐺𝑓 100
 Knowing the ∆𝑃𝑣 remains constant, the above equation becomes:

𝑚
𝑓 = 𝑓𝑚𝑎𝑥 (1 − ) (1)
100

Regarding the controller signal-flow (𝑚 − 𝑓) relationship, we know two operating conditions:

̅ = 52%𝐶𝑂 produces 𝑓 ̅ = 36 𝑔𝑝𝑚, and 𝑚 = 73%𝐶𝑂 produces 𝑓 = 18.312 𝑔𝑝𝑚.
𝑚
Evaluating these operating points into equation (1) yields the following equations:

52
36 𝑔𝑝𝑚 = 𝑓𝑚𝑎𝑥 (1 − ) → 𝑓𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 75 𝑔𝑝𝑚 (2)
100
73
18.312 𝑔𝑝𝑚 = 𝑓𝑚𝑎𝑥 (1 − ) → 𝑓𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 67.82 𝑔𝑝𝑚 (3)
100

If, when solving equations (2) and (3), we had obtained the same value for 𝑓𝑚𝑎𝑥 , we could
have concluded that the valve was linear. Since that is not the case, the valve should be E.P.
This scenario will be evaluated in case ii).

ii) E.P. valve

If the F.O. valve were E.P.,
𝑚 𝑚
(1− )−1
𝐶𝑣 = 𝐶𝑣𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝛼 100 = 𝐶𝑣𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝛼 −100

∆𝑃
Multiplying both sides of the above equation by √ 𝐺 𝑣, and keeping in mind that ∆𝑃𝑣 is
𝑓

constant:
𝑚
𝑓 = 𝑓𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝛼 −100 (4)

Evaluating the two known operating points into equation (4) yields the following equations:

36 = 𝑓𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝛼 −0.52 (5)

18.312 = 𝑓𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝛼 −0.73 (6)

Dividing equation (5) by equation (6) yields:

1.966 = 𝛼 0.21 → 𝛼 = 1.9661/0.21 = 25

Replacing the above result into either equation (5) o equation (6), we find the (so far
unknown) maximum flow:
𝑓𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 191.97 𝑔𝑝𝑚

We conclude that the valve is E.P. with 𝜶 = 𝟐𝟓.

Flow coefficients:

The nominal flow coefficient is:

𝐺𝑓 1 𝑔𝑝𝑚
𝐶𝑣̅ = 𝑓 ̅√ = (36 𝑔𝑝𝑚)√ = 29.4
∆𝑃𝑣 1.5 𝑝𝑠𝑖 √𝑝𝑠𝑖

The maximum flow coefficient is:

𝐺𝑓 1 𝑔𝑝𝑚
𝐶𝑣𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝑓𝑚𝑎𝑥 √ = (191.97 𝑔𝑝𝑚)√ = 156.74
∆𝑃𝑣 1.5 𝑝𝑠𝑖 √𝑝𝑠𝑖

Minimum controller gain not to exceed the maximum permitted offset for a certain condition:

The 𝑝𝐻 transmitter gain is:

100 %𝑇𝑂 100 %𝑇𝑂
𝑘𝑇 = = = 7.14 %𝑇𝑂
𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑛 14
The maximum permitted offset must be converted into %𝑇𝑂 units, as follows:

𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝑘 𝑇 ∆𝑝𝐻𝑚𝑎𝑥 = (7.14 %𝑇𝑂)(± 0.2) = ±1.43 %𝑇𝑂

Since the controller is Proportional, its equation is:

𝑚=𝑚
̅ + 𝑘𝑐 𝑒
Then:
𝑚−𝑚̅
𝑘𝑐 =
𝑒
Then, the minimum gain (magnitude) not to exceed a maximum permitted error at a given operating
condition is:
𝑚−𝑚 ̅
𝑘𝑐𝑚𝑖𝑛 = (7)
𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑥
The operating point we ate interested in is that when 18.312 𝑔𝑝𝑚. We know that this flow takes place
when 𝑚 = 73 %𝐶𝑂. Then:
73 %𝐶𝑂 − 52 %𝐶𝑂
𝑘𝑐𝑚𝑖𝑛 = (8)
±1.43 %𝑇𝑂
We know, a priori, that 𝑘𝑐 < 0, because we have a direct-action controller. Therefore, we must use the
negative sign for the error, so that 𝑘𝑐𝑚𝑖𝑛 < 0. Finally, we find:

𝑘𝑐𝑚𝑖𝑛 = −14.7 %𝐶𝑂/%𝑇𝑂