ChE381 Process Dynamics & Control Jan-Apr 2014

End-semester exam 3 hours; 100 points

1. A second-order system is given by the transfer function

Kp
G(s) =
τ s + 2ζ τ s + 1
2 2

(a) Determine the response of this system to a unit step input for ζ = 1. [7 points]

(b) Determine the response of this system to a unit step input for the case 0 < ζ < 1.
[7 points]

(c) Derive an expression for the overshoot for this process when ζ < 1. Hint: Over-
shoot is defined as the ratio of the maximum amount by which the transient response
exceeds the ultimate value to the ultimate value. [6 points]

2. A first order process with G p (s) = 1/(s + 3) and Gd (s) = 1/(s + 3) is controlled with a
PI controller:

(a) Find the values of controller gain Kc and integral time τI such that the closed-loop
gain to a unit step change in disturbance is 2. [5 points]

(b) Find the values of controller gain Kc such that the decay ratio of the closed-loop
response is 1/4, when τI = 0.01. [5 points]
Hint: Use the result you derived for question 1(c), and the relation decay ratio =
(overshoot)2 .

3 (a). Is the direct substitution method for finding the limits of stability equivalent to the
Bode stability criterion ? Justify your result by a short mathematical proof. [4 points]
3 (b). Derive expressions for frequency response, i.e. amplitude ratio and phase angle, for
a pure capacitive process. [4 points]

log AR

log ω

φ −180

log ω

Figure 1: Problem 3c

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 ω=0
−1 ω +1

Figure 2: Problem 3d

3 (c). Determine the process that corresponds to the Bode plot sketched in figure 1. Give
reasons for your answer. [4 points]
3 (d). Determine the process that corresponds to the Nyquist plot sketched in figure 2. Give
reasons for your answer. [4 points]
3 (e). A process described by the transfer function 2/(s − 4) is to be controlled by a pro-
portional controller with gain Kc . Assuming Gv = Gm = 1, sketch the root locus of the
closed-loop system. Find the range of Kc for which the closed-loop response is stable. For
Kc such that the closed-loop pole is zero, determine the response of the closed-loop process
to a unit step change. Is the response stable or unstable ? [9 points]

Figure 3: Problem 4

4. The bottoms temperature of a distillation column (y in deviation variables) is controlled

by manipulating the steam flow rate to the reboiler (u1 in deviation variables). This purely
feedback control strategy is shown in figure 3. An approximate transfer function model for
this process is given as:
0.25s
y(s) = u1 (s)
10s + 1
However, the steam flowrate itself depends on the percent valve opening (u2 in deviation
variables), and the steam supply pressure (d1 in deviation variables) which is known to
fluctuate in an unpredictable (but measurable) fashion. These process variables are related

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 according to the approximate model:
2.2 1.5
u1 (s) = u2 (s) + d1 (s)
2s + 1 0.5s + 1
(a) Implement a cascade control strategy to control problems created by steam pressure
fluctuations. Draw a block diagram for this process under the cascade control strat-
egy. Include all the given transfer functions (and controllers), and label all the signals
in the block diagram. [3 points]

(b) Calculate the ultimate (i.e. t → ∞) closed-loop response to a unit step change in the
disturbance variable d1 with and without the cascade control assuming proportional
controllers for the master and slave loops. [7 points]

(c) Determine the ratio of the ultimate steady state response with and without the cascade
control. [2 points]

(d) If the steam supply pressure is measured, propose a design for feedback-feedforward
control instead of the cascade control. Draw a block diagram for this new config-
uration, and obtain an expression for the feedforward controller to be implemented.
[8 points]

5. Consider a two-input, two-output process with manipulated variables mi and controlled

variables yi (i = 1, 2). The open-loop dynamics is described by the relations:

y1 (s) = G11 (s)m1 (s) + G12 (s)m2 (s)

y2 (s) = G21 (s)m1 (s) + G22 (s)m2 (s)

(a) If loop 1 pairs y1 with m1 (with controller Gc1 ) and loop 2 pairs y2 with m2 (with
controller Gc2 ) under feedback control, draw the block diagram for the feedback
control of this process. Assume the set points to be y1SP and y2SP respectively for
y1 and y2 . Assume no disturbance variables, and the transfer functions of measuring
devices and valves to be unity. [3 points]

(b) Derive the relation between y1 (s) and y1SP (s) if loop 1 is closed, but loop 2 is kept
open. What is the characteristic equation of this closed loop process ? [4 points]

(c) If both loops (1 and 2) are closed, derive the following relation under closed-loop,
and thereby explicitly derive the expressions for Pi j (s) (i, j = 1, 2): [5 points]

y1 (s) = P11 (s)m1 (s) + P12 (s)m2 (s)

y2 (s) = P21 (s)m1 (s) + P22 (s)m2 (s)

(d) What is the characteristic equation of the closed-loop transfer functions ? If we tune
Gc1 by keeping loop 1 closed and loop 2 open, and Gc2 by keeping loop 2 closed and
loop 1 open, would it guarantee the stability of the process with both loops closed ?
Explain why with the help of your derivations. [5 points]

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 (e) If G11 = 1/(0.1s + 1), G12 = 5/(s + 1), G21 = 1/(0.5s + 1), and G22 = 2/(0.4s +
1), and assuming simple proportional controllers for Gc1 and Gc2 , find the ultimate
values of the controller gains if each loop is tuned independently (i.e. loop 1 is closed
and loop 2 is open for tuning Gc1 , and the reverse for Gc2 ). [3 points]

(f) For the transfer functions given in the previous part, we would like to tune the con-
trollers with both loops closed. If we are given Kc2 = 4, is there any restriction on
the values of Kc1 that you would choose ? Hint: Use Routh array test. [5 points]

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