Laboratory Exercise No.

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Basic Concepts of Process Dynamics and Control

1. Objective:
The activity aims to understand the basic concepts of process dynamics and control.
2. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs):
The students shall be able to:
2.1 Determine the input and output in the different chemical processes.
2.2 Provide instrumentation requirements for a chemical process.
2.3 Identify the different process variables in a chemical process.
2.4 Specify the controlled variables (CVs), manipulated variables (MVs) and disturbance variables
(DVs) from the different chemical processes.
3. Discussion:
Most chemical processing plants were run essentially manually prior to the 1940s. Only the most
elementary types of controllers were used. Many operators were needed to keep watch on the many
variables in the plant. Large tanks were employed to act as buffers or surge capacities between various
units in the plant. These tanks, although sometimes quite expensive, served the function of filtering out
some of the dynamic disturbances by isolating one part of the process from upsets occurring in another
part.

With increasing labor and equipment costs and with the development of more severe, higher-capacity,
higher-performance equipment and processes in the 1940s and early 195Os, it became uneconomical and
often impossible to run plants without automatic control devices. At this stage feedback controllers were
added to the plants with little real consideration of or appreciation for the dynamics of the process itself.
Rule-of-thumb guides and experience were the only design techniques.

In the 1960s chemical engineers began to apply dynamic analysis and control theory to chemical
engineering processes. Most of the techniques were adapted from the work in the aerospace and electrical
engineering fields. In addition to designing better control systems, processes and plants were developed or
modified so that they were easier to control. The concept of examining the many parts of a complex plant
together as a single unit, with all the interactions included, and devising ways to control the entire plant is
called systems engineering. The current popular “buzz” words artificial intelligence and expert systems
are being applied to these types of studies.

The rapid rise in energy prices in the 1970s provided additional needs for effective control systems. The
design and redesign of many plants to reduce energy consumption resulted in more complex, integrated
plants that were much more interacting. So, the challenges to the process control engineer have continued
to grow over the years. This makes the study of dynamics and control even more vital in the chemical
engineering curriculum than it was 30 years ago.

Feedback control. The traditional way to control a process is to measure the variable that is to be controlled,
compare its value with the desired value (the set-point to the controller) and feed the difference (the error)
into a feedback controller that will change a manipulated variable to drive the controlled variable back to the
desired value. Information is thus “fed back” from the controlled variable to a manipulated variable, as
sketched in the figure below.

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Feed-forward control. The basic idea is shown in the figure below.

The disturbance is detected as it enters the process and an appropriate change is made in the manipulated
variable such that the controlled variable is held constant. Thus, we begin to take corrective action as soon
as a disturbance entering the system is detected instead of waiting (as we do with feedback control) for the
disturbance to propagate all the way through the process before a correction is made.

4. Resources:
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Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes
Process Modeling, Simulation and Control for Chemical Engineers

5. Procedure:
1. Explain each of the chemical processes that chemical engineers usually encounter in chemical
plants with a corresponding block diagram noting what enters into it and what comes out. Tabulate
your answers in Table 1.

2. Consider the heat exchanger as shown below:

An oil stream passes through the tube side of a tube-in-shell heat exchanger and is heated by condensing
steam on the shell side. The steam condensate leaves through a steam trap (a device that only liquid to
pass through, thus preventing “blow through” of the steam vapor). To control the temperature of the oil
leaving in the heat exchanger, a thermocouple is inserted in a thermowell in the exit oil pipe. The
thermocouple wires are connected to a “temperature transmitter”, an electronic device that converts the
millivolt thermocouple output into a 4- to20-milliampere “control signal.” The current signal is sent into a
temperature controller, an electronic or digital or pneumatic device that compares the desired temperature
(the “setpoint”) with the actual temperature, and sends out a signal to a control valve. The temperature
controller opens the steam valve more if the temperature is too low and closes it a little if the temperature is
too high.

In order to provide automatic control of some variable in a process, in the above case temperature,
determine the requirements/instrumentation that must be installed in the system. Also, provide explanation
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of its role in the automation. Tabulate your answers in Table 2.

3. Consider the simple schematic sketch of the process configuration and its control system, as
shown below:

Two liquid feeds are pumped into a reactor in which they react to form products. The reaction is exothermic,
and therefore heat must be removed from the reactor. This is accomplished by adding cooling water to a
jacket surrounding the reactor. Reactor effluent is pumped through a pre-heater into a distillation column
that splits it into two product streams.

Identify the different process variables that must be controlled and provide available instrumentation for
each process variable. Tabulate your answers in Table 3.

4. For the heat exchanger in Procedure 2, determine the type of the different variables in the system
as Manipulated Variables (MV), Controlled Variables (CV), Uncontrolled Variables (UV) and Load
Disturbances (LD) or Disturbance Variables (DV). Tabulate your answers in Table 4.

5. For the distillation column in Procedure 3, determine the type of the different variables in the
system as Manipulated Variables (MV), Controlled Variables (CV), Uncontrolled Variables (UV) and
Load Disturbances (LD). Tabulate your answers in Table 4.

6. Consider the schematic diagram of a heat exchanger as shown below:

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A process fluid on the tube side is cooled by cooling water on the shell side, determine the type of the
different variables in the system as Manipulated Variables (MV), Controlled Variables (CV), Uncontrolled
Variables (UV) and Load Disturbances (LD). Tabulate your answers in Table 6.

7. Consider the schematic diagram of continuous-stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) as shown below:

If the reaction is highly exothermic, it is necessary to control the reactor temperature by manipulating the
flow rate of coolant in a jacket or cooling coil. Determine the type of the different variables in the system as
Manipulated Variables (MV), Controlled Variables (CV), Uncontrolled Variables (UV) and Load
Disturbances (LD). Tabulate your answers in Table 7.

8. Consider the thermal cracking furnace as shown below:

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Crude oil is broken down (“cracked”) into a number of lighter petroleum fractions by the heat transferred
from a burning fuel/air mixture. Determine the type of the different variables in the system as Manipulated
Variables (MV), Controlled Variables (CV), Uncontrolled Variables (UV) and Load Disturbances (LD).
Tabulate your answers a Table 8.

9. Consider the schematic diagram of a batch or semi-batch reactor as shown below:

An initial charge of reactants is brought up to reaction conditions, and the reactions are allowed to proceed
for a specified period of time or until a specified conversion is obtained. Batch and semi-batch reactors are
used routinely in specialty chemical plants, polymerization plants ( where a reaction by-product typically is
removed during the reaction), and in pharmaceutical and other bio-processing facilities (where a feed
stream, e.g. glucose, is fed into the reactor during a portion of the cycle to feed a living organism, such as a
yeast or protein). Determine the type of the different variables in the system as Manipulated Variables (MV),
Controlled Variables (CV), Uncontrolled Variables (UV) and Load Disturbances (LD). Tabulate your
answers in Table 9.
10. Consider a schematic diagram of a batch digester in a pulp mill as shown below:

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Both continuous and semi-batch digesters are used in paper manufacturing to break down wood chips in
order to extract the cellulosic fibers. The end-point of the chemical reaction is indicated by the kappa
number, a measure of lignin content. Determine the type of the different variables in the system as
Manipulated Variables (MV), Controlled Variables (CV), Uncontrolled Variables (UV) and Load
Disturbances (LD). Tabulate your answers in Table 10.

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Course: ECE 006 Laboratory Exercise No.: 1
Group No.: Section: CH42FB1
Group Members: Date Performed: November 11, 2019
ALFARO, CLARISSA S. Date Submitted: November 18, 2019
Instructor: Engr. Crispulo G. Maranan

6. Data and Results:

1.
Table 1. Different Chemical Processes, Its Block Diagram and Explanation

Chemical Process Block Diagram

1 Absorption

Explanation: It is a process in which a substance is assimilated in

another substance. The substance that gets absorbed is known as
the absorbate and the bulk phase in which the absorption takes place
is known as the absorbent.

2 Condensation

Explanation: The process of reducing a gas or vapor to a liquid

condenser are employed in power plants to condense exhaust steam
from turbines and in refrigeration plants to condense refrigerant

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 vapors.

3 Crystallization

Explanation: It is the solidification of atoms or molecules into a highly

structured form called a crystal. Usually, this refers to the slow
precipitation of crystals from a solution of a substance.

4 Distillation

Explanation: The process of separating the components or

substances from a liquid mixture by selective boiling and
condensation.

5 Drying

Explanation: The process of using evaporation to remove water from

a solution, suspension, or other solid-liquid mixture. In addition to
solids, the process can also be used to remove water from liquids or
gases.

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6 Evaporation

Explanation: The typical evaporator is made up of three functional

sections: the heat exchanger, the evaporating section, where the
liquid boils and evaporates, and the separator in which the vapor
leaves the liquid and passes off to the condenser or to other
equipment. In many evaporators, all three sections are contained in a
single vertical cylinder. In the center of the cylinder there is a steam
heating section, with pipes passing through it in which the
evaporating liquors rise. At the top of the cylinder, there are baffles,
which allow the vapors to escape but check liquid droplets that may
accompany the vapors from the liquid surface. A diagram of this type
of evaporator, which may be called the conventional evaporator.

7 Extraction

Explanation: A process to separate compounds based on their

relative solubilities in two different immiscible liquids. Immiscible
liquids are ones that cannot get mixed up together and separate into
layers when shaken together.

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8 Filtration

Explanation: The process in which solid particles in a liquid or

gaseous fluid are removed by the use of a filter medium that permits
the fluid to pass through but retains the solid particles.

9 Flash Vaporization

Explanation: If the saturated liquid is a single-component liquid (for

example, liquid propane or liquid ammonia), a part of the liquid
immediately "flashes" into vapor. Both the vapor and the residual
liquid are cooled to the saturation temperature of the liquid at the
reduced pressure. This is often referred to as "auto-refrigeration" and
is the basis of most conventional vapor compression refrigeration
systems. If the saturated liquid is a multi-component liquid (for
example, a mixture of propane, isobutane and normal butane), the
flashed vapor is richer in the more volatile components than is the
remaining liquid.

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 10 Heat Exchange/ing

Explanation: A process that transfers heat from one medium to

another. Heat is transferred by conduction through the exchanger
materials which separate the mediums being used. A shell and tube
heat exchanger passes fluids through and over tubes, where as an
air-cooled heat exchanger passes cool air through a core of fins to
cool a liquid.

11 Stripping

Explanation: A physical separation process where one or more

components are removed from a liquid stream by a vapor stream. In
industrial applications the liquid and vapor streams can have co-
current or counter current flows. Stripping is usually carried out in
either a packed or trayed column

2.
Table 2. Different Instrumentation Requirements and Its Explanation

Requirements/Instrumentation Explanation

This instrument receives input from a connected

process sensor, then convert the sensor signal to
Transmitter an output signal using a transmission protocol.

It is an element measures a process variable: flow

rate, temperature, pressure, level, pH, density,
Sensor composition, etc. Much of the time, the
measurement is inferred from a second variable:
flow and level are often computed from pressure

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 measurements, composition from temperature
measurements.

Controller It is a device, historically using mechanical,

hydraulic, pneumatic or electronic techniques often
in combination, but more recently in the form of a
microprocessor or computer, which monitors and
physically alters the operating conditions of a given
dynamical system.

Set Point It is the desired or target value for an essential

variable, or process value of a system.

3.
Table 3. Different Process Variables and Its Instrumentation

Process Variable Instrumentation

It involves various pressure gauges, transmitters,

sensors and transducers that are used to measure
Pressure and display the units of force on the surface area of
a fluid or gas.

It includes a wide range of field instruments used to

measure heat in commercial and industrial
systems. These temperature control systems
Temperature include manual and automatic processes for
monitoring temperature to maintain an ideal
operating range and prevent equipment damage or
failure.

It involves determining the level of movement as a

fluid or gas passes through a pipe or channel.
There are two forms of measurement typically
Flow rate used: volume and mass. Flow volume is
determined by calculating the volume of a gas or
liquid that flows within a specific time interval. Mass
flow is calculated by determining the mass quantity
that flows within a specific time interval.

It is a range of level measurement equipment

including switches, controllers, transducers and
Level radars. These instruments play a vital role in
ensuring silos, tanks and vessels maintain levels
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 that are within safe operating limits. This not only
protects equipment but helps prevent
environmental and safety hazards.

4.
Table 4. Types of the different process variables for a heat exchanger

Process Variable MV/CV/UV/LD

oil feed flow rate F MV

oil inlet temperature TO MV

steam flow rate F MV

oil exit temperature T CV

5.
Table 5. Types of the different process variables for a distillation column

Process Variable MV/CV/UV/LD

feed flow rate MV

feed composition CV

Reflux MV

steam MV

cooling water MV

distillate UV

bottoms flow rates UV

distillate product composition UV

bottoms product composition UV

column pressure CV

base liquid level CV

reflux drum liquid level MV

compositions on all the trays UV

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 temperatures on all the trays UV

6.
Table 6. Types of the different process variables for a heat exchanger

Process Variable MV/CV/UV/LD

Exit temperature of the process fluid UV

Cooling water flow rate MV

Variation in inlet temperature CV

Process fluid flow rate UV

7.
Table 7. Types of the different process variables for a continuous-stirred-tank reactor (CSTR)

Process Variable MV/CV/UV/LD

Feed composition MV

Feed flow rate MV

Feed temperature MV

8.
Table 8. Types of the different process variables for a thermal cracking furnace
Process Variable MV/CV/UV/LD

Furnace temperature MV

Amount of excess air in the flue gas UV

Fuel flow rate MV

Fuel/air ratio MV

Crude oil composition UV

Heating quality of the fuel CV

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9.
Table 9. Types of the different process variables for a batch or semi-batch reactor
Process Variable MV/CV/UV/LD

Reactor temperature CV

Coolant flow rate MV

End-point (final) concentration of the batch UV

Desired temperature CV

Flow of reactants (for semi-batch MV

operation)

Cycle time UV

10.
Table 10. Types of the different process variables for a batch digester in a pulp mill

Process Variable MV/CV/UV/LD

End-point (final) concentration of the batch CV

Digester temperature MV

Digester pressure MV

Cycle time UV

7.Conclusion:

I therefore conclude that this experiment helped and taught us, students’, knowledge about the basic
concepts of process control and dynamics which have been a great help in some courses required for our
chosen program chemical engineering, such as Plant Design and Equipment Design because these
different process variables and block diagrams will definitely be encountered and used to come up with a
proposed project. Moreover, when students have their work on their chosen field, this will be a great help in
knowing how each chemical process works and benefit the company in attaining their goals and objectives
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in every project.

8. Further Readings:

Knopf, F. C. (2012). Modeling, analysis and optimization of process and energy systems. Hoboken,
New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.

Seborg Dale E., Edgar, Thomas F., and Mellichamp Duncan A. (2004). Process Dynamics and
Control. Singapore: Wiley.

Velten, K. (2009). Mathematical modeling and simulation: introduction for scientists and engineers.
Singapore: Wiley-VCH.

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9. Assessment (Rubric for Laboratory Performance):
TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES
RUBRIC FOR MODERN TOOL USAGE
(Engineering Programs)
Student Outcome (e): Use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering
practice in complex engineering activities.
Program: Chemical Engineering Course: CHE 506 Section: _______ ____Sem SY ________
Performance Unsatisfactory Developing Satisfactory Very Satisfactory Score
Indicators 1 2 3 4
1. Apply Fails to identify Identifies Identifies modern Recognizes the
appropriate any modern modern techniques and is benefits and
techniques, techniques to techniques but able to apply constraints of
skills, and perform fails to apply these in modern
modern discipline- these in performing engineering tools
tools to specific performing discipline-specific and shows
perform a engineering discipline- engineering task. intention to apply
discipline- task. specific them for
specific engineering engineering
engineering task. practice.
task.
2. Demonstrate Fails to apply Attempts to Shows ability to Shows ability to
skills in any modern apply modern apply fundamental apply the most
applying tools to solve tools but has procedures in appropriate and
different engineering difficulties to using modern effective modern
techniques problems. solve tools when solving tools to solve
and modern engineering engineering engineering
tools to problems. problems. problems.
solve
engineering
problems.
3. Recognize Does not Recognizes Recognizes the Recognizes the
the benefits recognize the some benefits benefits and need for benefits
and benefits and and constraints of and constraints of

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 constraints constraints of constraints of modern modern
of modern modern modern engineering tools engineering tools
engineering engineering engineering and shows and makes good
tools. tools. tools. intention to apply use of them for
them for engineering
engineering practice.
practice.
Total Score
Mean Score = (Total Score / 3)
Percentage Rating = (Total Score / 12) x 100%
Evaluated by: Engr. Crispulo G. Maranan November 18, 2018
Printed Name and Signature of Faculty Member Date

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