" Control laboratory "

Experiment : flow control

Date : 19-10-2015

Name of student : Mohammed Kadhim Mohammed

No. of student : 64
Objective :

On/off control of flow (Closed loop)

To demonstrate the operation of an On/Off Controller using flow rate as the

measured variable to control the operation of a water pump .

To show that On/Off control is not suitable for controlling a variable such as
flow rate because a steady flow rate cannot be maintained .

Introduction :

All practical work areas and laboratories should be covered by local safety
regulations which must be followed at all times. It is the responsibility of the
owner to ensure that all users are made aware of relevant local regulations,
and that the apparatus is operated in accordance with those regulations. If
requested then Arm field can supply a typical set of standard laboratory safety
rules, but these are guidelines only and should be modified as required.
Supervision of users should be provided whenever appropriate.
YourPCT51 Flow Control Process has been designed to be safe in use when
installed, operated and maintained in accordance with the instructions in this
manual. As with any piece of sophisticated equipment, dangers exist if the
equipment is misused, mishandled or badly maintained.

Electrical Safety :

The equipment described in this Instruction Manual operates from a mains

voltage electrical supply via a 24Vdc adapter. It must be connected to a supply
of the same frequency and voltage as marked on the equipment or the mains
lead. If in doubt, consult a qualified electrician or contact Arm field. The
equipment must not be operated with any of the panels removed.
 Water Borne Hazards :

The equipment described in this instruction manual involves the use of water,
which under certain conditions can create a health hazard due to infection by
harmful micro-organisms. For example, the microscopic bacterium called
Legionella pneumophila will feed on any scale, rust, algae or sludge in water
and will breed rapidly if the temperature of water is between 20 and 45C. Any
water containing this bacterium which is sprayed or splashed creating air-
borne droplets can produce a form of pneumonia called Legionnaires Disease
which is potentially fatal. Legionella is not the only harmful micro-organism
which can infect water, but it serves as a useful example of the need for
cleanliness.

Under the COSHH regulations, the following precautions must be observed:

Any water contained within the product must not be allowed to stagnate,
ie. the water must be changed regularly.

Any rust, sludge, scale or algae on which micro-organisms can feed must
be removed regularly, i.e. the equipment must be cleaned regularly.

Where practicable the water should be maintained at a temperature

below20C. If this is not practicable then the water should be disinfected
if it is safe and appropriate to do so. Note that other hazards may exist in
the handling of biocides used to disinfect the water.

A scheme should be prepared for preventing or controlling the risk

incorporating all of the actions listed above.
Theory :

On/off control of flow :

An On/Off controller is a simple and effective way of controlling many
processes but does have disadvantages because its output can only be on or
off. In the case of the flow process in this exercise the pump is started and
stopped.

An on/off controller incorporates a dead band to avoid rapid switching of the

controlled variable when at the set point i.e. in this case the flow must rise
above the set point by a fixed amount before the pump switches off and the flow
must fall below the set point by a fixed amount before the pump starts again.

Proportional Band (P) :

The Proportional Band, P, setting on a process controller makes a change to

the output (pump speed on PCT51) that is proportional to the current error
value (the difference between the measured flow rate and the set point on the
controller). The proportional response can be adjusted by multiplying the
error by a constant Kp, called the Proportional Gain. This is related to the
Proportional Band setting on the controller as follows:
Proportional Gain (Kp) = 100 % / Proportional Band %
i.e. 100 % P term means unity gain (change in controller output = error at
input)
and 50 % P term means a gain of 2 (change in controller output = 2x error at
input)
A low setting of the P term (large gain) results in a large change in the output
for a given change in the error. If the P term is too low, the system can become
un stable. In contrast, a large setting of the P term (low gain) results in a small
output response to a large input error, and a less responsive or less sensitive
controller. If the P term is too high, the control action may be too small when
responding to system disturbances resulting in slow response and offsets of the
resulting process variable from the set point.
A Proportional-only controller will not always settle at the set point, but may
retain a steady-state offset. Offset can be reduced in Proportional-only control
by reducing the P term setting. However, if the P-term is set too small then
hunting or oscillating will occur. The offset can be minimized by adding a bias
to the set point (setting theset point above or below the required value to
compensate for the offset) but this technique is only appropriate if the system
characteristics are known and fixed. A better solution is to remove the offset by
adding Integral action to the controller (P+I)as described below.

Integral term (I) :

The contribution from the integral term is proportional to magnitude and

duration of the error. The Integral term in a PID controller is the sum of the
instantaneous error over time and gives the accumulated offset that should
have been corrected previously. The resulting controller output is the sum of
the contribution from the Integral term and the contribution from the P term.

When the I term is correctly adjusted any residual offset in the process
variable due to the P term will be gradually reduced by the Integral term until
the offset is eliminated. If the time setting of the I term is too long then
correction to any offset will be very slow.

However, since the integral term responds to accumulated errors from the
past, it can cause the present value to overshoot the set point value or to make
the process completely unstable if the time setting of the I term is too short. If
this occurs the I term makes adjustments to the controller output faster than
the process can response ,i.e. the I term winds up the controller output so that
the process over shoots considerably, hence the term Integral Wind-up or
Integral saturation.

Careful selection of the I term in combination with the P term will give efficient
response to changes in the system.
 Proportional control flow (Closed loop, P only and P + I):

To control the flow of water through the process loop using a proportional
controller automatically vary the speed of the feed pump (flow control).

To determine the response of a process loop when using a P only controller to

vary the pump speed.

To determine the response of a process loop when using a P+I controller to

vary the pump speed. To change the flow of water through the process loop by
changing the set point on the P or P+I controller.

To test the stability of the flow control loop by applying disturbances using the
solenoid valve.

To investigate the effect of different ranges of flow.

Procedure:

On/off control of flow:

Choose the PID box on the mimic diagram, set the Proportional Band to 0 %,
Integral Time to 0 and Derivation time to 0 then set the Set Point to 1.5 L/min
(default at startup). Click Apply to enter the changes to the settings. Choose
the Automatic Mode of Operation.
Select the Go icon to begin data logging.
The pump will switch on, the flow rate will quickly increase and water will
flow into the flow indicator tube. The flow will instantaneously increase until it
reaches the flow set on the controller i.e. the set point of 1.5 L/min. When the
flow rises above the set point by a fixed amount (the dead band) the pump will
switch off and the water flow will rapidly drop-off as the pump has stopped.
When the flow falls below the set point by a fixed amount (the dead band) the
pump will switch on again and the cycle will continue resulting in widely
fluctuating flow rate that is completely unacceptable. Observe that the level
rises and falls in the flow indicator but at reduced amplitude because of the
time constant of the indicator (the tube does not indicate instantaneous flow
rate because it must fill or drain to indicate a new level).

In the PID controller Adjust the set point to 2.5 L/min and observe the same
behavior the increased set point . Then set different values for proportional
band and changing set point value .and again this step with value for integral
time. Choose the Stop icon to finish data recording . Select Manual Mode of
Operation and reset pump speed to 0 % on the mimic diagram .
Results:

4.00

3.50

3.00

2.50
Flow
2.00 F1

1.50 [l/min]

1.00

0.50

0.00
00:00 00:09 00:17 00:26 00:35 00:43 00:52 01:00 01:09

Set point 1.5 closed valve

3.50

3.00

2.50

2.00 Flow
F1
1.50
[l/min]

1.00

0.50

0.00
00:00 00:09 00:17 00:26 00:35 00:43 00:52 01:00 01:09

Set point 1.5 open valve

3.50

3.00

2.50

2.00 Flow
F1
1.50
[l/min]

1.00

0.50

0.00
00:00 00:09 00:17 00:26 00:35 00:43 00:52 01:00 01:09

Set point 2.5 closed valve

3.50

3.00

2.50

2.00 Flow
F1
1.50
[l/min]

1.00

0.50

0.00
00:00 00:09 00:17 00:26 00:35 00:43 00:52 01:00 01:09

Set point 2.5 open valve

2.00

1.80

1.60

1.40

1.20
Flow
1.00 F1

0.80 [l/min]
0.60

0.40

0.20

0.00
00:00 00:09 00:17 00:26 00:35 00:43 00:52 01:00 01:09

Set point 2.5 open valve proportional band 200

1.92
1.90
1.88
1.86
1.84
1.82 Flow
F1
1.80
1.78 [l/min]

1.76
1.74
1.72
1.70
00:00 00:09 00:17 00:26 00:35 00:43 00:52 01:00 01:09

Set point 2.5 open valve proportional band 100

1.80

1.60

1.40

1.20

1.00 Flow
F1
0.80
[l/min]
0.60

0.40

0.20

0.00
00:00 00:09 00:17 00:26 00:35 00:43 00:52 01:00 01:09

Set point 1.5 open valve proportional band 200

1.80

1.60

1.40

1.20

1.00 Flow
F1
0.80
[l/min]
0.60

0.40

0.20

0.00
00:00 00:09 00:17 00:26 00:35 00:43 00:52 01:00 01:09

Set point 1.5 open valve proportional band 100

 1.80

1.60

1.40

1.20

1.00 Flow
F1
0.80
[l/min]
0.60

0.40

0.20

0.00
00:00 00:09 00:17 00:26 00:35 00:43 00:52 01:00 01:09

Set point 1.5 open valve integral time 50 - proportional band 100

1.80

1.60

1.40

1.20

1.00 Flow
F1
0.80
[l/min]
0.60

0.40

0.20

0.00
00:00 00:09 00:17 00:26 00:35 00:43 00:52 01:00 01:09

Set point 1.5 open valve integral time 100 proportional band 100
 2.50

2.00

1.50
Flow
F1

1.00 [l/min]

0.50

0.00
00:00 00:09 00:17 00:26 00:35 00:43 00:52 01:00 01:09

Set point 2.5 open valve integral time 50 - proportional band 100

2.10

2.05

2.00

1.95 Flow
F1
1.90
[l/min]

1.85

1.80

1.75
00:00 00:09 00:17 00:26 00:35 00:43 00:52 01:00 01:09

Set point 2.5 open valve integral time 100 - proportional band 100
 1.80

1.60

1.40

1.20

1.00 Flow
F1
0.80
[l/min]
0.60

0.40

0.20

0.00
00:00 00:09 00:17 00:26 00:35 00:43 00:52 01:00 01:09

Set point 1.5 open valve integral time 50 proportional band 200

1.60

1.55

1.50

1.45 Flow
F1
1.40
[l/min]

1.35

1.30

1.25
00:00 00:09 00:17 00:26 00:35 00:43 00:52 01:00 01:09

Set point 1.5 open valve integral time 100 proportional band 200
Discussion :

From curves of On/Off Observe that the flow rate varies dramatically as
the pump starts and stops, that refer to the On/Off control is unsuitable
for a process with a fast response such as this flow loop.

The flow meter and the flow indicator have different response times so
the indication from the two devices is different. The flow meter with a fast
response indicates the instantaneous flow rate but the indicator tube with
a slow response indicates more of an average .

Observe the changes in flow and the stability of the responses for each
change in P setting with a disturbance or change in set point . Choose a
setting for P that will reduce the offset as much as possible without the
pump becoming unstable; this setting will be used in the next part of the
exercise introducing Integral action .

From proportional curves Observe the changes in flow rate and the
stability of the responses for each change in I setting with a disturbance
or change in set point.

Choose a setting for I that gives stable control and reduces any offset
swiftly without causing the system to be unstable. Since the effect of
Integral Action is related to the Proportional Band setting (reduced PB
gives greater effect for any setting of I).
 A large Proportional Band setting will result in stable control but will
result in slow changes and large offsets in the process variable.

Increasing the Proportional Band will improve the speed of response and
give smaller offsets .

Optimum results are obtained with a suitable combination of

Proportional and Integral action to eliminate any offset from the set
point.

Reducing the Integral time setting increases the speed at which any offset
is reduced but settings that are too short will result in instability because
the process is unable to respond quickly enough to the changes from the
controller.

Increasing the Proportional Band reduces the effect of Integral Action so

shorter setting of I is required to eliminate offset quickly.

Reference :

http://www.armfield.co.uk
pct51 issue 1 instruction manual :scribd