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01 Problems and Solutions

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54 views5 pages

01 Problems and Solutions

Uploaded by

Manish Goyal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Week 1 Questions and Answers

1. What are the basic elements of a control structure?

Basic elements or blocks of a of control structure are:


• The process which will be controlled (input output block for the purposes of the class of
controllers we will learn here).
• The measuring device (or sensor) that measures the output which is related to the control
objective.
• The comparator, which compares the measured output with the desired output (setpoint) and
computes the difference between the two (error).
• The Controller which takes the computed error as input and calculates the control action.
• The final control element which takes the decision of the controller as input and effects the
relevant changes to the process.

2. The comparator is located on the plant


a. True
b. False

The comparator is located in the control room which is normally away from the plant for safety
purposes.

3. Control objectives are related to:


A. Process disturbances

B. Manipulated variables

C. Process outputs

D. A combination of process inputs and outputs

Control objectives are always related to one or more process outputs, which need to be “set” to a
desired level.

4. A distillation column is designed for the fractional separation of a 4-component mixture at 850oC.
A control loop is designed and placed at the steam inlet to the column. The steam flow rate is
controlled by a valve. This is servo control.
True
False

This is regulatory control. We want to maintain the column temperature at 850oC despite various
distrubances. In other words we need the controller to reject disturbances by altering the steam flow
rate in order to have a constant set point, T=850oC.

5. What is the first step I need to take to design a controller for a particular process?
A. Find what kind of controllers are available for this type of process.

B. Understand the process and its dynamics

C. Find the best and most cost-effective sensors for the outputs I need to measure.

D. Decide if I need to implement servo or regulatory control or combination of the two.


The first step is always about understanding the process and its dynamics. Everything comes after this
step.

6. An endothermic reaction takes place in a packed bed reactor. In need to carefully control the
reactor yield in order for my process to be viable. I find that the reactor temperature can help me
to predict yield quite accurately through the mass and heat balances I have constructed, so I
decide to measure the outlet temperature and control the amount of preheat for the reactants
that I need to provide.
This is an example of
A. Feedforward control
B. Feedback control

C. Inferrential control

D. Inferrential feedback control

This is inferential control as the yield which is my control objective is unmeasured, and I
measure temperature which I then use to estimate yield and compare it against the yield set
point. It is also feedback control as based on the measured temperature the controller
calculates the amount of preheat in order to achieve the yield set point.

7. In a continuous heating tank model the outlet compositions are state variables.
True
False
This is true. State variables are the ones that are calculated as model outputs (so we cannot
manipulate them).

8. Integrate the first order ODE in slide 9-2 (NOT using Laplace transforms) to find an
expression for CA with respect to time.

There are several ways this can be done. Integration can be performed using an integrating factor.
This is applicable for all linear ODEs.
However as this is a non-homogeneous ODE with constant coefficients it can be done more easily.

See attached file for “handwritten” answer.

9. Additional question (to give students during break out session):

This second order ODE is used to describe motion of a body on a spring:


𝑦″+4𝑦′+3𝑦=3𝑥
Find a particular solution for y(0)=1 y’(0)=0

See attached file for “handwritten” answer.

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