“Process dynamics and control”

(Prof. Massimiliano Barolo)

Adapted from SEMD4 – Example 3.1, p.42

Solve the following linear differential equation with constant coefficients:

d y (t )
5 + 4 y (t ) = 2
dt .
y (0) = 1

______________________________

Solve the following linear differential equation with constant coefficients:

d 2 y (t ) d y (t )
2
+5 + 6 y (t ) = 1
dt dt
y (0) = 1 .
y (0) = 0

______________________________

Adapted from SEMD4 – Exercise 3.18, p.53

A continuous perfectly-stirred tank blending system is initially full of water and is fed with pure water
at a constant volumetric flowrate q = 0.4 m3/min. At a particular time, an operator shuts off the pure
water supply and replaces it with an aqueous caustic solution at the same flowrate q, but with solute
concentration ci = 50 kg/m3. The system volume V is maintained constant and equal to 2 m3 by an
overflow line, and there are no significant changes in the volume due to mixing. The mixture density
ρ does not depend on composition and is equal to 1000 kg/m3.
• What is the concentration response in the blender?
• How long does it take for the solute concentration in the exit stream to reach the value of 40
kg/m3?

University of Padova, Department of Industrial Engineering

Master degree program in Chemical and Process Engineering
 “Process dynamics and control”
(Prof. Massimiliano Barolo)

University of Padova, Department of Industrial Engineering

Master degree program in Chemical and Process Engineering
 “Process dynamics and control”
(Prof. Massimiliano Barolo)

Adapted from SEMD4 – Example 4.9, p. 62

Consider the blending system shown in the figure.

Assume that the liquid density does not change with the
composition, that the tank volume remains constant (due to
an overflow line not shown), that stream 2 is a pure solute
(x2 = 1), and that the following variables can change with
time: w1 , w2 , x1.
Derive the transfer functions that relate the output x to the
independent inputs.

University of Padova, Department of Industrial Engineering

Master degree program in Chemical and Process Engineering
 “Process dynamics and control”
(Prof. Massimiliano Barolo)

The process of drug ingestion, distribution and subsequent metabolism in an individual may be
represented by the simplified block diagram shown in the figure.

Ingestion Distribution Elimination

GASTROINTESTINAL
BLOODSTREAM
TRACT

A simplified mathematical model for the process is made of the following differential equations:

d x1
= u − k1 x1
dt
d x2
= k1 x1 − k 2 x2
dt
where all variables are in deviation form and:
• x1 = drug mass in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT);
• x2 = drug mass in the bloodstream (BS);
• u = drug ingestion rate.
k1 and k2 are positive constants representing physiological properties of the individual in question,
and in general will neither be equal in a single subject, nor across subjects.
Obtain the expression of the transfer function relating the drug mass in the bloodstream to the drug
ingestion rate.

University of Padova, Department of Industrial Engineering

Master degree program in Chemical and Process Engineering
 “Process dynamics and control”
(Prof. Massimiliano Barolo)

Adapted from SEMD 3rd Intern. stud. ed.– Example 3.2, p. 45

Consider the example of the liquid tank with constant

holdup, perfectly stirred, and electrically heated with a
resistance whose thermal capacitance is not negligible
(SEMD, p.24). Recall that the system is described by
the following differential equations:

dT
Mc P = wc P (Ti − T ) + he S e (Te − T )
dt
,
d Te
M e c P ,e = Q − he S e (Te − T )
dt

where Q = Q el is the electrical power dissipated in the resistance.

(a) Derive the transfer functions relating changes in the outlet temperature T to changes in the two
input variables Q and Ti.
(b) Show how these transfer functions are simplified when a negligible thermal capacitance of the
heating element is assumed.

University of Padova, Department of Industrial Engineering

Master degree program in Chemical and Process Engineering
 “Process dynamics and control”
(Prof. Massimiliano Barolo)

Adapted from SEMD4 – Example 5.1 p.71

Consider a tank with constant volume V = 2 m3,

perfectly-stirred, and electrically heated by a resistance
with negligible thermal capacitance (SEMD4, p.21).
This system is used to preheat a liquid stream before
sending it to a reactor. The inlet stream has constant
flowrate wi = 1000 kg/h; its density and heat capacity
do not depend on temperature, and their values are 900
kg/m3 and 1 kcal/(kg×°C), respectively.
The system is initially at steady state, and in this
condition the inlet and outlet temperatures of the liquid
are Ti = 100 °C and T = 130 °C, respectively.
It can be shown that the system transfer function is:

1
𝑤𝑤𝑐𝑐𝑃𝑃 1
𝑇𝑇 ′ (𝑠𝑠) = 𝑄𝑄 ′ (𝑠𝑠) + 𝑇𝑇𝑖𝑖 ′(𝑠𝑠)
𝜌𝜌𝜌𝜌 𝜌𝜌𝜌𝜌
𝑤𝑤 𝑠𝑠 + 1 𝑠𝑠 + 1
𝑤𝑤

Respond to the following questions.

(a) What is the steady-state value of the heat rate Q transferred to the liquid, and what are the values
of the gain and time constant for the Q ↔ T loop?
(b) If the heat rate transferred to the liquid is suddenly increased by 30%, how long will it take for
the tank temperature to achieve 99% of the final temperature change?
(c) Assume that the system is operating at the initial steady state. If the inlet temperature is increased
suddenly from 100 to 120 °C, how long will it take before the outlet temperature changes from
130 to 135 °C?

University of Padova, Department of Industrial Engineering

Master degree program in Chemical and Process Engineering
 “Process dynamics and control”
(Prof. Massimiliano Barolo)

Adapted from SEMD4 – Example 5.6 p.79

The measurement sensors (e.g., thermocouples and resistance temperature detectors) used industrially
to measure process temperatures are usually inserted in a thermowell (or thermal well) to protect them
from the process fluid and to be able to remove them for maintenance also when the process is in
operation. The process fluid transfers heat to the thermowell wall, which in turn transfers heat to the
sensor. A schematic of the installation of a measurement sensor is shown in the figure along with the
picture of some thermowells.

Thermal wells are typically made of metal or ceramic. The system “measurement sensor +
thermowell” has its own dynamics.

An engineer uses a temperature sensor mounted in a thermowell to measure the temperature in a

CSTR. The temperature sensor/transmitter system operates approximately as a first-order system with
a time constant equal to 3 s. The thermowell behaves like a first-order system too, but its time constant
is equal to 10 s. The engineer notes that the measured reactor temperature has been cycling
approximately sinusoidally between 180 and 183 °C, with a period of 30 s, for at least several minutes.
What can be concluded concerning the actual temperature in the reactor?

University of Padova, Department of Industrial Engineering

Master degree program in Chemical and Process Engineering
 “Process dynamics and control”
(Prof. Massimiliano Barolo)

Adapted from SEMD4 – Example 6.2, p.91

The homogenization of temperature and

composition of a liquid in a tank can be obtained
by recycling to the tank a large fraction of the
outlet stream.
One such situation is illustrated in the figure,
where stirring in a catalytic reactor is obtained by
product recycling. A liquid-phase, first-order
reaction occurs in the reactor. The concentration
of the (single) reactant in the product is measured
by an analyzer (AT) at some distance from the
reactor outlet. Under normal operating conditions, the following assumptions can be made:
• perfect mixing is achieved;
• the reactor operates isothermally, and therefore the kinetic constant k has a constant value;
• all flowrates, as well as the volume V of liquid in the reactor, are constant;
• the liquid density is independent of composition;
• the holdup of liquid in the piping is negligible compared to that in the reactor;
• the analyzer has no time delay;
• if c1 and c2 are the reactant concentrations at the measurement point and at the discharge point of
the recycle line into the reactor, the dynamics of c1 and c2 can be represented as pure time delays
(dead times): θ1 is the delay associated to the transport of liquid from the reactor outlet to the
measurement point; θ2 is the delay associated to the transport of liquid from the measurement
point to discharge point of the recycle line.
Do the following:
1. derive an expression for the transfer function C '1 ( s ) / C 'i ( s ) , where ci (t ) is the reactant
concentration in the inlet stream, which has flowrate q;
2. determine an analytical expression for function c'1 (t ) resulting from a 2000 kg/m3 step increase
of c'i (t ) .

Parameter values
V = 5 m3; α = 12; q = 0.05 m3/min; k = 0.04 min−1; θ1 = 0.9 min; θ2 = 1.1 min.

University of Padova, Department of Industrial Engineering

Master degree program in Chemical and Process Engineering
 “Process dynamics and control”
(Prof. Massimiliano Barolo)

Adapted from SEMD4 – Example 9.3, p.153

It is required to select from a catalogue the control valve to be installed in the circuit shown in the
figure.

FI

The pump furnishes a constant head of 2.7 bar over the entire range of flows of interest. The pressure
drop in the line (excluding that in the valve) can be assumed equal to the pressure drop across heat
exchanger only, and is proportional to the square of the volumetric flowrate.
Under nominal conditions, 45 m3/h of liquid water at room temperature must flow in the circuit. At
these conditions, the pressure drop across the heat exchanger is equal to 2 bar.
Determine an appropriate value for the valve Cv and plot the installed valve characteristic for the
following cases:
a. a linear valve that is half-open at the design condition;
b. an equal percentage valve (R = 50) that is sized to be completely open at 110% of the nominal
flowrate;
c. same as in (b), except with a Cv that is 20% greater than calculated;
d. same as in (b), except with a Cv that is 20% smaller than calculated.

____________________________________________________

(Solution)
2.0
50
volumetric flowrate (m3/h)

linear
valve gain [(m3/h) / %]

40 Kv = 105 1.5
linear
Kv = 105
30 equal %
1.0
equal %
20
0.5
10 Kv = 75
95 Kv = 75
115 95 115
0 0.0
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 0 20 40 60 80 100
lift lift (%)

University of Padova, Department of Industrial Engineering

Master degree program in Chemical and Process Engineering
 “Process dynamics and control”
(Prof. Massimiliano Barolo)

Adapted from SEMD4 – Example 11.2 p.183 and Example 11.3 p.184

The level control system indicated in the

figure is implemented with a computer whose
inputs and outputs are calibrated in terms of
full range (i.e., they are expressed as % of the
entire range of variability).
The tank is cylindrical and 1 m in diameter;
the valve on the exit line acts as a simple
linear resistance R = 6.37 m/(m3/min).
The level transmitter has a span of 0.5 m, and
the output signal ranges between 0 and 100%.
The control valve is an equal percentage one; the lift  is related to the valve characteristic f by
f = (30)  −1 , where both f and  range between 0 and 1; the actuator dynamics is negligible. The air-
to-open control valve receives a 3 to 15 psig signal from an I/P transducer, which, in turn, receives a
0 to 100% signal from a computer-implemented proportional-only controller.
When the control valve is fully open ( f () = 1 ), the flowrate through it is 0.2 m3/min. At the nominal
operating conditions, the stem is positioned halfway its entire lift (  = 0.5 ).

Determine the closed-loop response to a unit step change in the set-point for three values of the
controller gain: Kc = 1, 2 e 5.

For the same controller gain values, find the closed-loop response and the offset resulting from a
disturbance step increase of 0.05 m3/min.

University of Padova, Department of Industrial Engineering

Master degree program in Chemical and Process Engineering
 “Process dynamics and control”
(Prof. Massimiliano Barolo)

Adapted from SEMD4 – Example 11.6 p.189

Consider the feedback control system shown in the figure, where Gv = K v , Gm = 1 , and
G p = K p /(τ p s + 1) , with τp > 0.

Discuss the system stability if a proportional controller with gain Kc is used.

___________________________________________________

Adapted from SEMD4 – Example 11.7 p.190

The system shown in the previous example is characterized by the following transfer functions:

1 1
Gp = , Gv = , G m = 1 , Gc = K c .
5s + 1 2s + 1

Determine the range of Kc values that result in a stable closed-loop system.

___________________________________________________

Adapted from SEMD4 – Example 11.10 p.191

The characteristic equation of an open-loop stable system that is controlled by a proportional-only

controller with gain Kc is:

10 s 3 + 17 s 2 + 8s + 1 + K c = 0 .

Find the maximum controller gain.

University of Padova, Department of Industrial Engineering

Master degree program in Chemical and Process Engineering