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PClesson 01 Intro
PClesson 01 Intro
1.0 Context
Much of the chemical engineering curriculum concerns continuous
processes operating at steady state. Well and good, but there's more to it:
continuous processes may be disturbed in a variety of ways, and the
effects propagate through the process as a function of time – throughout
the process, temperature, pressure, flow, and composition may rise or fall.
Process Control is about managing disturbances, for product quality, for
economics, for safety. We begin with a simple example:
wi
process 1 process 2
to other processes
from process 1
wi
to process 2
wo
1
10.450 Process Dynamics, Operations, and Control
Lecture Notes - 1
Notice that the inlet flow is unconstrained, and the outlet flow is pumped.
Because the surge tank itself is not a steady-state process, IN does not
equal OUT, and thus the liquid level will vary with time.
Stated in this way, it's not so different from approaching a steady state
process design.
Inlet: suppose that the flow swings by ±40% over a 20-minute period.
2πt
wi = 10,000 + 4000sin (1.2.1)
20
where flow is in kg h-1 and time in minutes. Of course, real data would be
more messy, but that's just a matter of detail. One can learn a lot about the
system by simplifying to the essential features.
Outlet: the desired flow wo is 10,000 kg h-1. Let's be hard-nosed and insist
on no variation.
dh
ρA = wi − wo h(0) = ho
dt
t (1.2.2)
1
(wi (t) − wo (t) )dt
ρA ∫0
h(t) = ho +
This is the process model; it describes how level varies with time as wi
changes. Substituting (1.2.1) into (1.2.2) and integrating, we find
212 2πt
h(t) = ho + 1 − cos (1.2.3)
ρA 20
2
10.450 Process Dynamics, Operations, and Control
Lecture Notes - 1
This tank has a free inlet and a pumped outlet; intuitively it seems possible
that the tank may overflow or run dry. We can confirm this sobering
thought by applying our tank model (1.2.2) to a persistent imbalance
between wi and wo. Suppose the simple case of
wi − wo = C (1.2.4)
C
h(t) = ho + t (1.2.5)
ρA
3
10.450 Process Dynamics, Operations, and Control
Lecture Notes - 1
(P), level (L), and composition (A, for analyzer). The sensor will
detect the value of the measured variable as a function of time.
controller: the device that detects the output of the sensor, decides how
seriously the controlled variable deviates from the set point, and
directs the final control element in response. The controller
performs calculations based on its control algorithm.
transducer: this may be more than you wanted to know. The controller
must be able to communicate with sensor and final element.
Transducers convert and transmit signals to make this possible.
There are more details, of course, but they can wait. We install a level
sensor on the tank, put a control valve at the pump discharge, and connect
the two with a controller. Notice the symbols: the circle containing L
represents the sensor, and LC represents the controller. The control valve
has a mushroom on it for reasons we'll cover later. In the schematic, the
sensor communicates with the process by a solid line, and with the
controller and valve by a dashed line. We call this control structure
feedback control - the value of the controlled variable is fed back to a
controller, which adjusts the manipulated variable in response.
wi
L = level sensor
C = calculation or controller
wo
When the level sensor indicates approach to high or low limits, the
controller computes a response by its algorithm and directs the control
valve to open or close appropriately. The outlet flow wo may not be
constant, as we wanted, but by suitable choice of tank size and control
algorithm we can significantly reduce its variability, and hence the effects
on downstream processes.