Automatic Control in

the
Process Industries
and beyond
Michael Nikolaou
Chemical & Biomolecular
Engineering
University of Houston
nikolaou@uh.edu

Process
Control What is Automatic Control?
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent

Keep room
cool
Feedback loop (literally)

Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

AC/He
at

Process
Control Why Automatic Control?
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent
Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

Process
Control Why Control?
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent

Safety
The Environment
Quality
Stabilization of unstable processes
Profit

Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

Process
Control Safety
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent
Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

Union Carbides
Bhopal factory
After Dec. 3, 51984

Process
Control The Environment
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent
Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

Process
Control Ensuring Snack Food Quality
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent

Water

Corn meal

Produ
ct

Twin-screw extrusion
cooker

Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

Process
Control Quality: Good Days and Bad Days
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent

Good
day
Bad
day

Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

Process
Control Using Computers to Run Processes
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent
Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

Process
Control Computer-Aided Process Operation
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent
Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

10

10

Process From Potato Chips to Micro-Chips:

Control Clean Rooms
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent
Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

11

11

Process
Control Making micro-chips
Reasons
for
Process
Control

Plasma etching
reactor

Safety
The
Environm
ent
Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

12

12

Process
Control Stabilize Unstable Processes
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent
Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

Grumman X-29

Nuclear power
plant

13

Process
Control Stabilizing an Unstable CSTR
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent
Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

F, CAi, Ti

At

Tc
AB
F, CA, T

Heat
remov
al rate
Heat generation
rate
Temperature
14

Process Integrate Operations and Maximize

Control Profit
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent
Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

15

Process Integrate Operations and Maximize

Control Profit
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent
Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

16

Process
Control The Nobel Prize in Physics 1912
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent
Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

Nils Gustaf Dalen,

Sweden
for his invention
of automatic
regulators for use
in conjunction
with gas
accumulators for
illuminating
lighthouses and
buoys

17

Process
Control Why is Control Possible?
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent

Engineering Science:
Feedback tolerates
Unmeasured
disturbances
Process model
inaccuracies
Measurement
noise

Technology:
Digital
Sensors
Actuators
Transmission lines
Controllers
(computers)
Networks

Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

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Process Feedback Example: Automotive

Control Control
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent
Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

19

Process Feedback Example: Gene

Control Regulation Networks
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent
Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

20

Process
Control Feedback Example: Homeostasis
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent
Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

21

Process Who Does Process Control

Control Engineering?
Reasons
for
Process
Control
Safety
The
Environm
ent

Engineers with background on

Chemical engineering
Control
Instrumentation
Computer science

Quality
Stabilizat
ion of
unstable
processe
s

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