Process Control and Automation

Chapter 1: Introduction to Process Control

Mattu University

By: Yibekal.A(M.sc)

Electrical and Computer Engineering Department

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 Contents

1. Introduction of Process control

Review of fundamentals of process control
The Foundations of AI
Bits of History and the State of the Art
Proposing and evaluating Application of AI

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 Introduction of Process control Review of fundamentals of process control

Review of fundamentals of process control

Define the following Terms

Process
Control
Process Control What Is Process?

What Is Process?
In general, a process consists of an assembly of equipment and material that is related to some
manufacturing operation or sequence.
Any system composed of dynamic variables, usually involved in manufacturing production
operation.

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 Introduction of Process control Review of fundamentals of process control

Types of AI (General and Specific AI)

Control
The methods or techniques to force parameters or variables in the process/environment to
have specific values or trends.
Control System All the elements necessary to accomplish the control objective i.e. regulation
of some parameters to have some specific or desired values.

How is control done? Control is accomplished through a rational arrangement of equipment

(measuring devices, valves, controllers, computers) and human intervention (plant designers, plant
operators), which together constitute a control system.

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 Introduction of Process control Review of fundamentals of process control

Process Control
It deals with the elements and methods of control system operations used in industry to control
industrial process.
Primary objective of process control is to regulate/maintain a process at desired conditions
safely, and efficiently while satisfying environmental and quality requirements.
Regulation: means to maintain a quantity or variable at some desired value regardless of
external influence.

Regulatory control
It deals with the elements and methods of control system operations used in industry to control
industrial process.

Servo control
the objective is to cause the output to track the changing set-point.

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 Introduction of Process control Review of fundamentals of process control

Think like a human (Thinking humanly)

Natural vs Artificial Process Control

Natural process control Examples of natural regulation in humans include body temperature,
blood pressure, and heart rate.
Artificial process control: This type of process control is accomplished by observing a
parameter, comparing it to some desired value, and initiating a control action to bring the
parameter as close as possible to the desired value.

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 Introduction of Process control Review of fundamentals of process control

Act like a human (Acting humanly)

Process control variables

Controlled variable/Process variable-PV: it is the variable that needs to be maintained or
controlled at some desired value or range.
Manipulated variable-MV: is the variable used to maintain the controlled variable at its set
point.
Disturbance: any variable that causes the controlled variable to deviate from its set point.
Also referred to as upset.
Set Point: it is the desired value of the controlled variable. Thus the job of a control system
is to maintain the controlled variable at its set point.

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 Introduction of Process control Review of fundamentals of process control

Act rationally (Acting rationally)

A Tabela ?? mostra fatores de conversão para unidades de força.

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 Introduction of Process control The Foundations of AI

Manual vs Automatic control

Manual
For each controlled variable the operators select a manipulated variable that can be paired
with the controlled variable
Automatic
The controlled variable is selected by the control system
A process control system consists of four essential elements: process, measurement, evaluation,
and controller

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 Introduction of Process control Bits of History and the State of the Art

Elements of process control

In the system shown, a level transmitter (LT), a level controller (LC), and a control valve
(CV) are used to control the liquid level in a process tank.
The purpose of this control system is to maintain the liquid level at some prescribed height
(H) above the bottom of the tank.
It is assumed that the rate of flow into the tank is random.
The level transmitter is a device that measures the fluid level in the tank and converts it into
a useful measurement signal, which is sent to a level controller.
The level controller evaluates the measurement, compares it with a desired set point (SP),
and produces a series of corrective actions that are sent to the control valve.
The valve controls the flow of fluid in the outlet pipe to maintain a level in the tank.

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 Introduction of Process control Proposing and evaluating Application of AI

Proposing and evaluating Application of AI

Measurement
Refers to the conversion of the process variable into an analog or digital signal that can be
used by the control system.
The device that performs the initial measurement is called a sensor or instrument.
Typical measurements are pressure, level, temperature, flow, position, and speed.
The result of any measurement is the conversion of a dynamic variable into some proportional
information that is required by the other elements in the process control loop or sequence.
Evaluation
In the evaluation step of the process control sequence, the measurement value is examined,
compared with the desired value or set point.
The amount of corrective action needed to maintain proper control is determined.

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 Introduction of Process control Proposing and evaluating Application of AI

Frame Title

Evaluation
A device called a controller performs this evaluation. The controller can be a pneumatic,
electronic, or mechanical device mounted in a control panel or on the process equipment.
It can also be part of a computer control system, in which case the control function is
performed by software.
Final Control Element/Actuators
The control element in a control loop is the device that exerts a direct influence on the
process or manufacturing sequence.
This final control element accepts an input from the controller and transforms it into some
proportional operation that is performed on the process.
In most cases, this final control element will be a control valve that adjusts the flow of fluid
in a process.
Devices such as electrical motors, pumps, and dampers are also used as control elements.

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