CHE3007S Block3

Lecture 1
Introduction to Process Control
Overview
• What is process control?
• What are the dynamics of process?
• Why control processes?
Textbooks and Resources
Seborg et al.
• 3rd edition or 4th edition

Thomas Marlin
• pc-textbook.mcmaster.ca

Youtube
• Brian Douglas - youtube.com/user/ControlLectures
• Steve Brunton - youtube.com/c/Eigensteve
• Grant Sanderson (3Blue1Brown) - youtube.com/c/3blue1brown
Textbooks and Resources
Seborg et al.
US Version International Version US Version International Version
3rd Edition 3rd Edition 4th Edition 4th Edition

Laplace Transforms: Appendix A Laplace Transforms: Ch 3

Additional Reading / Learning
Sections of textbook by Seborg et al.:
• Chapter 1

Glossary:
• Control Theory, Control Systems, Process dynamics, Process control,
Disturbance variables, Controlled variables, Manipulated variables,
Set point
Some definitions
Control Systems
• Mechanism that alters the future state of a system to give us a
desired outcome

Control Theory
• The mathematics that helps us understand and select a control
strategy
What is process control?

Process control uses Control Systems to achieve desired

outcomes.

It is the automation or semi-automation of process activities to achieve

desired outcomes .
Desired Outcomes
Process and environmental safety
• Prevention of unwanted events

Good process outputs

• Product(s) quality, quantity and even waste quality.

Optimum plant operation

• Minimize energy usage, minimize reagent usage

• Plant stability
• Set point tracking and minimizing effect of disturbances

• Plant feasibility
• minimizing waste and ensuring plant safety.
Examples of process control
• Refrigerator temperature control
• Geyser/boiler temperature control
• Cruise control in cars
• Self driving cars
• Body temperature control
• Laptop/computer temperature control
• Reusable rockets
• Most if not all chemical engineering plants you have seen
 Modern control rooms

Figure 1: Control room of a moving grate incinerator for municipal solid waste. The screen shows two oven lines, of
which the upper ("Linie 1") is not in operation. Steag, Germany 2005
Levels of process control
Regulatory control / Basic process control strategies (BPCS)
• Used to maintain controlled variables at a specific value or follow a
set point change (so called servo control) by manipulating a
manipulated variable.
• Under regulatory control we have two configurations to maintain the
controlled variables at their desired values; feedback control and feed
forward control.
Levels of process control (cont.)
Process alarms
• Alarms call attention to abnormal situations when a measured
variable exceeds a specified high, low limit.
• Typically two kinds of limits
• Alerting limits - low/high limits (LL/HL)
• not associated with any action and are
• meant for alerting personnel
• System interlock limits - High-high/Low-low limits (HHL/LLL)
• associated with an action
Levels of process control (cont.)
System interlock systems
• This type of control is triggered when a critical process parameter
exceeds a specified HHL/LLL alarm limit.
• Such a limit defines the allowable operating envelop of the process.
• The action from SIS control results in a drastic options like starting or
stopping plant equipment like a pump.
• Used as backup system to BPCS.
Hierarchy of Control

Figure 2: Hierarchy of hazard control measures (https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hierarchy/)

Hierarchy of Control
Physical protection

System Interlocking systems Logic

Alarms Logic

BPCS Maths and models

Process Design Logic, Maths and models

Figure 3: Hierarchy of Process Control covered in CHE 3007S (adopted from Seborg et al. 2011. Page 161)
Control Decisions
Regulator Control
• Used to maintain controlled variable (CV) at set point despite changes
in disturbance variable(s) (DV), process known as disturbance
rejection

Servo Control
• Used to maintain desired changes in CV according to specified
changes in set point (also called set point tracking)
Control Loops
Open Loop
(Input is not dependent on Output)

Plant
Input Output

Input has no way to compensate for changes in the output

Figure 4a: General open loop control system

Control Loops
Sprinkler System (Open Loop)
(Input is not dependent on Output)

10 min Soil Moisture

(input) (output)

Input has no way to compensate for changes in the output

Figure 4b: Sprinkler system example of open loop control system

Control Loops
Closed Loop
(Input can vary depending on Output)

Sensor

Plant
Input Output

Varies the input of a system with respect to the output of the system.

Figure 5a: General closed loop control system

Control Loops
Sprinkler system (Closed Loop)
(Input can vary depending on Output)

Sensor

X min Soil Moisture

(variable input) (output)

Varies the input of a system with respect to the output of the system.

Figure 5b: Sprinkler system example of closed loop control system

 Control Loops
Disturbance Variable (DV)

Set Point (SP)

Desired value
Controller Final control Controlled
for Controlled
variable element (FCE) Process Variable (CV)
+ Automatically adjusts
- FCE so that CV = SP. e.g. control valve e.g. tubular heat
Uses control which responds to exchanger
algorithm signal from controller

Measuring device

e.g. thermocouple

Figure 6: Block representation of a control loop

Realistic operations
𝑑𝑚
= 𝑚𝑖𝑛 − 𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑡 + 𝑚𝑅𝑥𝑛
𝑑𝑡

• True plants show significant deviation about the steady state

conditions
• Plants tend to deviate from set points despite good plant designs
• Process control arises from the need to maintain process variables at
their intended set points
• safety, costs, quality
Realistic operations
70

65

60

55

50

45

40

35

30
LLL LL HL HHL Measured Variable

Figure 7: Realistic plant operation with High and Low limits