Cbeg3152: Process Dynamics and Control
Cbeg3152: Process Dynamics and Control
Cbeg3152: Process Dynamics and Control
Chapter One
Introductory Concepts
1.1. Introduction to Process Control
The two main subjects of this course are
process dynamics (PD) and process control
(PC).
The term PD refers to unsteady-state (or
transient) process behavior.
The primary objective of PC is to maintain a process at
the desired operating conditions, safely and efficiently,
while satisfying environmental and product quality
requirements.
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Case (b): ): xB cannot be measured
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Control types
1) MIMO (multiple input multiple output): a system
having more than one manipulated variables and more than
one output variables.
2) SISO (single input single output): a system with one
manipulated and one controlled output variables.
Criteria in selecting manipulated variables:
The choice of appropriate manipulated variables should
affect the performance of control systems significantly.
In general the manipulated variables:
Should have direct and strong effect on the controlled
variables
Be simple to adjust
Eg. Flow rates can be adjusted easily with a control valve
Instruments of a control system
The hardware elements involved in a process control
system are the following:
1. Chemical Process
2. Sensors or the measuring instruments
3. Transmission lines
4. Transducers
5. Transmitters
6. The controller
7. The final control element
1) Chemical Process: It represents the material equipment
together with the physical or chemical operations that
occur there.
2) Sensors or the measuring instruments: the
instruments used to measure the variables (disturbances,
controlled output or secondary output variables) and are
the main sources of information about what is going on
in the process.
Characteristic examples are:
thermocouples or resistance thermometers: for
measuring the temperature,
venture meters: for measuring the flow rate,
gas chromatographs: for measuring the composition of a
stream, etc.
Factors affecting sensors selecting
Accuracy: conforming with or closeness to the true value of
the quantity being measured.
Precision: the repeatability of the reading taken of the
same value by the same instruments.
Resolution: the smallest change in the input signal which
can be detected by the instruments.
Sensitivity: the measure of the change in output caused per
unit change in input.
Cost effective
3) Transmission lines: used to carry the
measurement signal from the measuring device
to the controller.
Cables for electrical signals
Tubes for pneumatic signals
4) Transducers: a device used to change one type
of signals to another. A transducer is a device
that translates a mechanical signal into an
electrical signal. Eg. I/P: current (electrical
signal) to pressure (pneumatic signal).
A converter is a device that converts one type of signal
into another type of signal.
For example, a converter may convert current into
voltage
5) Transmitters: is a device that converts a reading from a
sensor or transducer into a standard signal and transmits
that signal to a monitor or controller.
Transmitter types include:
Pressure transmitters (PT)
Flow transmitters(FT)
Temperature transmitters(TT)
Level transmitters (LT)
An indicator is a human-readable device that displays
information about the process.
A recorder is a device that records the output of a
measurement devices.
6) Controller: is a device that receives data from a
measurement instrument, compares that data to a
programmed set-point, and, if necessary, signals a
control element to take corrective action.
Controllers may perform complex mathematical
functions to compare a set of data to set-point or they
may perform simple addition or subtraction functions to
make comparisons.
Controllers always have an ability to receive input, to
perform a mathematical function with the input, and to
produce an output signal.
7) The final control element: the hardware element that
implements in real life the decision taken by the controller.
It adjusts the value of the manipulated variable responses to
the signal from the controller.
The most frequently used in chemical process industries
final control element is the control valve (pneumatic valve).
Model Consistency:
Variables: T, F, V, Tin, Q, Cp, r 7
Constants: V, Cp, r 3
Inputs: F, Tin, Q 3
Unknown: T 1
Equations 1 => DF = 0
There exists a unique solution.
3) Mathematical Model: A Stirred Tank Heater in
jacketed
Consider a simple liquid phase, non-isothermal,
irreversible, exothermic reaction: A B, where -
rA = kCA , Hr = - and the state variables
( / )
are V, CA, T and TC
Solution: Assumption Tr = 0 and constant
density and specific heat capacity
4) Additional Examples of Mathematical Modeling An Ideal
Binary Distillation Column
Assumptions:
constant vapor holdup:
equal molar heats of vaporization for A and B
negligible heat loss
constant relative volativility
100% tray efficiency
neglect dynamics of condenser and reboiler
neglect momentum balance for each tray
Modeling Difficulties
i) Poorly understood processes
To understand completely the physical and chemical
phenomena occurring in a chemical process is virtually
impossible. for example
Multi-component reaction system
Vapor-liquid or liquid-liquid thermodynamic
equilibrium for multi-component system
Heat and mass transfer interactions in distillation
columns with non-ideal multi-component mixtures
ii) Imprecisely known parameters
Changing the parameters with time eg. Activity of
catalyst and overall heat transfer coefficient.
iii) Size and complexity of a model
Care must be exercised that the size and complexity of a
model do not exceed certain manageable levels, beyond
which the model loses its value and becomes less
attractive.