Topic 6.

0: Cascade Control System: TCE 2207

6.1 Introduction
6.2 Cascade Control
 6.1 Introduction

• Generally, feedback control configuration involves one measurement (output)

and one manipulated variable in a single loop
• Control Systems with multiple loops may use:
more than one measurement and one manipulation, or
one measurement and more than one manipulated variables
• In such cases control systems with multiple loops may arise and typical examples
are:
(a) Cascade control.
(b) Various types of selective control.
(c) Split- range control.
• These control systems involve loops which are not separate but share either the
single manipulated variable or only one measurement.
6.2 Cascade Control
• In a cascade control configuration we have one manipulated variable and more
than one measurement.
Distinguishing features:
• Two FB controllers but only a single control valve (or other -final control element).
• Output signal of the "master" controller is the set-point for “slave" controller.
• Two FB control loops are "nested" with the "slave" (or "secondary") control loop
inside the "master" (or "primary") control loop.
Terminology
• slave vs. master
• secondary vs. primary
• inner vs. outer 
The advantages of cascade control include:
• Better control of the primary variable
• Primary variable less affected by disturbances
• Faster recovery from disturbances
• Increase the natural frequency of the system
• Reduce the effective magnitude of a time-lag
• Improve dynamic performance
• Provide limits on the secondary variable
Disadvantages of Cascade Control:
1. It requires an additional measurement (usually flow rate) to work.
2. There is an additional controller that has to be tuned.
3. The control strategy is more complex – for engineers and operators alike.
• These disadvantages have to be weighed up against the benefits of the
expected improvement in the control system to decide if cascade control
should be implemented.
 6.2.1 Conventional Simple feedback control system:

• Simple feedback control configuration shown in Fig 6.l a, i.e.; measure

temperature T and manipulate coolant flow rate Fc.
• T will respond much faster to changes in Ti than to changes in Tc.
• Therefore, the simple feedback control will be very effective in compensating
for changes in Ti and less effective in compensating for changes in Tc
6.2.2 Cascade control system

• Can improve the response of the simple feedback control system to

changes in the coolant temperature by measuring Tc and taking control
action before its effect has been felt by the reacting mixture.

Fig 6.1 Temperature control of jacketed CSTR: (b) Cascade

• If Tc goes up↑, ↑increase the flow rate of the coolant in
order to remove the same amount of heat.
• ↓Decrease the coolant flow rate when Tc ↓decreases.
• We can have two control loops using two different
measurements, T and Tc, but sharing a common manipulated
variable, Fc (Fig 6.1 b)
the loop that measures T (controlled variable) is the dominant, or
primary, or master control loop and uses a set point supplied by
the operator, while
the loop that measures Tc uses the output of the primary
controller as its set point and it is called secondary or slave loop
• The control configuration with the two loops is known as
Fig 6.2 Schematic representation of (a) open – loop process; (b) conventional fee
(c) cascade control
Generalization of the above concepts by considering a process
consisting of two parts, Fig 6.2 a; Process I and Process II
• Process I (primary) has its output the variable we want to
control
• Process II (secondary) has an output we are not interested in
controlling but affects the output we want to control
• For a CSTR (Fig 6.1), Process I is the reaction in the tank and
controlled output is the temperature T.
• Process II is the jacket and its output Tc affects Process I
(reactor) and consequently T.
• Fig 6.2b shows typical simple feedback control system and Fig
6.2c indicates a general form of cascade control.
• Disturbances arising within the secondary loop are corrected
by the secondary controller before they can affect the value
of the primary controlled output.
• This important benefit has led to the extensive use of
cascade control in chemical processes.
• In chemical processes, flow rate control loops are almost
always cascaded with other control loops.
Fig 6.3 (a) Block diagram of a cascade control system; (b) simplified but equivalent form
• Considering the block diagram of a general cascade system (Fig 6. 3a)
and assuming that the transfer functions of the measuring devices are
both equal to 1.
• The closed-loop response of the primary loop is influenced by the
dynamics of the secondary loop, whose open-loop transfer function is
equal to:

• The stability of the secondary loop is determined by the roots of its

characteristic equation:
 • For the primary loop the overall open-loop transfer function
is:

• The characteristic equation (CE) whose roots determine the

stability of the primary loop is as follows: