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Solutions for Tutorial 1
Feedback Concepts

1.1. Drawing symbols: Determine all letters that would be used to designate each of
the following instruments on process and instrumentation (P&I) drawings.


For example, for a level controller, the designation would be LC.

i) Liquid level alarm high, LAH Set value for the alarm is NOT
shown on the drawing
ii) Pressure indicator, PI Not used for control
iii) Temperature indicator in a packed
bed,
TI in a packed bed is not
relevant; the symbol is
independent of the process
application
iv) Volume flow rate of butane in a pipe, FI
v) Mass flow rate of hydrogen, FI
Flow == F
The units of the flow are not
indicated in the symbol.
vi) Weight of a solid in a vessel,
vii) Speed of rotation of a shaft, and SI
viii) Mole % of propane in a gas stream AI Analyzer is A





The approach for assigning symbol letters is explained in Appendix A in Marlin,
2000. Much more detail is provided in ISA 5.1-1984.
You might wonder, Where are the details? A detailed instrument
specification sheet is completed for every sensor. This indicates the stream
conditions, physical principle, range of operation and other information. You
will be able to purchase the instrument and design installation based on the
information in the data sheet.
Conclusion: We must use a standard set of symbols so that all engineers and
plant operators understand the design.
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1.2. Common examples of automation: Discuss whether each of the common
systems below uses automatic feedback to achieve its desired performance.


a. Boiling water on a burner in a home stove.


b. Maintaining a temperature in an oven in a home stove.


c. An alarm clock used to wake you for class.


Note: The question asks if automatic feedback is applied. Automatic implies
the use of a computing device, such as a digital computer. Feedback could be
applied by a person, which is generally not as reliable. Were smart but we get
tired.
The burner is set to a constant gas flow or electrical power, and no automatic
adjustment is applied to achieve a desired rate of boiling.

Note that the temperature is constant when the water is boiling, regardless of the
heating applied. This is NOT due to control, but is a result of the process
principles.
The typical home oven has a temperature controller. The automatic approach is
not complex; it applies and on/off feedback algorithm. If the temperature is
below a set point, the furnace is turned on; if the temperature is above a set point,
the furnace is turned off. Usually, a dead band is applied to prevent the heater
from switching on and off too frequently.
No automatic mechanism is applied to the alarm clock. If the power fails, the
clock cannot recognize this and correct. Also, if you do not awake, the clock stops
sounding the alarm after a specified time.

So, the success of the alarm depends on our participation, which we regret every
morning.
Conclusion: We apply automatic feedback control when we desire reliable
application of a consistent policy.
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1.3. A Chemical Engineering Example: A chemical reactor with recycle is depicted in
textbook Figure 1.8 and repeated below.
a. Can the following variable be controlled by feedback? Hint: determine which valves have a
causal effect on each sensor.
b. Select the best valve to control each, if more than one valve can effect the sensor.
c. Select a sensor principle for each of the sensors. (Hint: Check the WEB site!)

i. T4, reactor feed temperature
ii. T1, feed temperature
iii. F3, reactor effluent flow
iv. L1, reactor liquid level
Figure 1.1
T4, reactor temperature
v1

Yes,
strong
This will influence the flow rate through the feed exchanger and
the ratio of fresh to recycle, which can be at different
temperatures.
v2 Yes,
strong
This will affect the flow of heating oil to the feed heat exchanger.
v3 Yes,
weak
This will affect the flow rate of both fresh and recycle feeds,
without changing the ratio.
v4 Yes,
temporary
This will change the recycle flow temporarily. Note that the
supply of recycle material is limited that the average over time can
be no more (or less) than what remains liquid in the flash drum.
v5 no This affects the flow out of the reactor.
v6 no See v5 above
v7 Yes,
weak
This will affect the heat to the reactor effluent, which influences
the flow rate and temperature of the recycle.
v8 Yes,
weak
This will affect the pressure in the flash drum and thus, the
fraction of reactor effluent that is vapor. The liquid recycles to
the reactor.

The best choice should provide a fast and strong effect on T4 and leave valves for
other important controllers. Lets select v2.

Because this is a reactor, we could select an RTD sensor for good accuracy, but we
need more information.
v1
Hot Oil
v2
v3
L1
v7
v5
v6
Hot Oil
F1 T1 T3
T2
F2
T4
T5
F3 T6
T8
F4
L1
v8
T7
P1
F5
F6 T9
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1.4 When we consider history, we encounter a puzzle. Automatic control has been
applied for a long time. Certainly, scientists and engineers needed automatic
control since the time of the steam engine to prevent explosions and maintain the
driver speed at a desired valve. (Actually, before then, but lets use the revolution of
the steam engine as our marker in history.) However, digital computers were not
available for these purposes until after World War II. In fact, digital control did
not begin until the 1960s.

So, how was automatic control implemented physically before digital computation?


As usual, we have been preceded by many clever people who were able to
overcome limitations to achieve their goals. Before digital computers, we
employed a concept of analog computation. In analog computation, we build a
physical device that behaves in the same way as the calculation we intend to
implement. To be feasible, we typically limit ourselves to relatively simple
calculations. Even so, considerable ingenuity is required.

Lets look an example of a simple process
control application. We have a tank containing
liquid that supplies a downstream process. The
flow rate to the downstream process depends
on the production rate, which changes in an
unpredictable manner. It is our task to
maintain the liquid level in the tank at a desired
value (lets say at 50% of the tank height) by
manipulating the flow into the tank. Why? If
the level were not controlled,

It could overflow and cause loss of valuable material, or perhaps, a hazard
It could decrease to zero. Then, not liquid would be available to the
process and we would have to stop production.

First, we decide to use the feedback principle. This requires a measurement of the
level and adjustment of a causal variable. We will select a very simple automatic
control strategy, but one that is very widely used, as we will see later. We chose
to manipulate the flow in proportion to the amount that the level deviates from its
desired value. The feedback approach is given in the following equation.

) (
0 desired c in
L L K F F + =
with
F
0
= the base case flow
L
desired
= the desired level
L = the measured (actual) level
K
c
= an adjustable constant, which we will later call the controller gain

Flow out to
downstream
process
Flow into
tank
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We want this implemented without human interference, i.e., we seek automatic
control. This calculation would be easy via digital computation. How would you
have achieved this in 1895?

Lets look at one way. We implement the calculation using a mechanical analog
computation. The mechanism is shown in the sketch below.

Lets look at each element of the automatic control device.


Sensor: The level is measured by a float, whose position indicates the
level.
Final Element: The flow in is influenced by a gate, whose position
determines the flow rate. As the gate position is elevated, the opening for
flow increases, as does the flow.
Controller: The controller is a lever that can rotate about a fulcrum. As
the float increases (decreases), the connecting rod forces the level to
decrease (increase) the gates position.

This device exactly implements our strategy and the control equation! It is
simple, inexpensive, and reliable (does not require electricity). However, it is not
very flexible. If we want to change the proportionality constant (K
c
), we have to
change the location of the fulcrum.

Current process control technology takes advantage of digital computation to
achieve tremendous increases in process safety, product quality and profitability.
However, lets not forget the ingenious pioneers who established automatic
control by solving practical problems with the tools and technology available at
the time!

Float measures
the liquid level
Raising and
lowering the gate
affects the flow
in
Location of the fulcrum
determines the
gate/level