Process Dynamics & Control

PRDC-4100

A.O. Vweza, PhD

March 5, 2025
Lecture 1
Introduction to process control & dynamics

Lecture objectives
1. Define process, process dynamics, and process control.
2. Describe types of process commonly used chemical
engineering.
3. Discuss the main components of a generalized block diagram
of a process control system.
Outline

Introduction

Categories of processes

Illustrative example of process control system design

Introduction to process control & dynamics

▶ Process involves the conversion of feed materials to products

using chemical and physical operations.
▶ Process dynamics refers to unsteady-state (or transient)
process behavior.
▶ Process control is aimed at maintaining a process at the
desired operating conditions, safely and economically, while
satisfying environmental and product quality requirements.
Introduction to process control & dynamics

▶ Process involves the conversion of feed materials to products

using chemical and physical operations.
▶ Process dynamics refers to unsteady-state (or transient)
process behavior.
▶ Process control is aimed at maintaining a process at the
desired operating conditions, safely and economically, while
satisfying environmental and product quality requirements.
Introduction to process control & dynamics

▶ Process involves the conversion of feed materials to products

using chemical and physical operations.
▶ Process dynamics refers to unsteady-state (or transient)
process behavior.
▶ Process control is aimed at maintaining a process at the
desired operating conditions, safely and economically, while
satisfying environmental and product quality requirements.
Outline

Introduction

Categories of processes

Illustrative example of process control system design

. Thus, we begin this section with a basic question: the fuel/air ratio. The crude oil composit
at is a process? For our purposes, a brief definition is and the heating quality of the fuel are comm
Continuous process
propriate: disturbance variables.
Process: The conversion of feed materials to (d) Kidney dialysis unit. This medical equipm
products using chemical and physical operations. In is used to remove waste products from the blo
practice, the term process tends to be used for both of human patients whose own kidneys are fail
the processing operation and the processing or have failed. The blood flow rate is ma
equipment. tained by a pump, and “ambient conditions,” su
▶ Examples of continuous processes
Combustion Impure
Reactants products blood

Cooling
Products

Human patient
medium
Process Cracked Dialysis
fluid products medium
Cooling Crude
medium oil
Fuel
Coolant + Purified
out air
blood
(a) Heat (b) Jacketed (c) Cracking (d) Kidney
exchanger Chemical reactor furnace dialysis unit

Figure 1.1 Some typical continuous processes.

Characterizing a process control problem

▶ Important types of process variables:

1. Controlled variables (CVs): The process variables that are
controlled. The desired value of a controlled variable is
referred to as its set point.
2. Manipulated variables (MVs): The process variables that
can be adjusted in order to keep the controlled variables at or
near their set points. Typically, the manipulated variables are
flow rates.
3. Disturbance variables (DVs): Process variables that affect
the controlled variables but cannot be manipulated.
▶ The specification of CVs, MVs, and DVs is a critical step in
developing a process control system.
Characterizing a process control problem

▶ Important types of process variables:

1. Controlled variables (CVs): The process variables that are
controlled. The desired value of a controlled variable is
referred to as its set point.
2. Manipulated variables (MVs): The process variables that
can be adjusted in order to keep the controlled variables at or
near their set points. Typically, the manipulated variables are
flow rates.
3. Disturbance variables (DVs): Process variables that affect
the controlled variables but cannot be manipulated.
▶ The specification of CVs, MVs, and DVs is a critical step in
developing a process control system.
Characterizing a process control problem

▶ Important types of process variables:

1. Controlled variables (CVs): The process variables that are
controlled. The desired value of a controlled variable is
referred to as its set point.
2. Manipulated variables (MVs): The process variables that
can be adjusted in order to keep the controlled variables at or
near their set points. Typically, the manipulated variables are
flow rates.
3. Disturbance variables (DVs): Process variables that affect
the controlled variables but cannot be manipulated.
▶ The specification of CVs, MVs, and DVs is a critical step in
developing a process control system.
Characterizing a process control problem

▶ Important types of process variables:

1. Controlled variables (CVs): The process variables that are
controlled. The desired value of a controlled variable is
referred to as its set point.
2. Manipulated variables (MVs): The process variables that
can be adjusted in order to keep the controlled variables at or
near their set points. Typically, the manipulated variables are
flow rates.
3. Disturbance variables (DVs): Process variables that affect
the controlled variables but cannot be manipulated.
▶ The specification of CVs, MVs, and DVs is a critical step in
developing a process control system.
Characterizing a process control problem

▶ Important types of process variables:

1. Controlled variables (CVs): The process variables that are
controlled. The desired value of a controlled variable is
referred to as its set point.
2. Manipulated variables (MVs): The process variables that
can be adjusted in order to keep the controlled variables at or
near their set points. Typically, the manipulated variables are
flow rates.
3. Disturbance variables (DVs): Process variables that affect
the controlled variables but cannot be manipulated.
▶ The specification of CVs, MVs, and DVs is a critical step in
developing a process control system.
 manner.
1.1.2 Batch and Semibatch Processes
Batch and semibatch processes
Batch and semibatch processes are used in many
(g) Semibatch digester in a pulp mill. Both contin-
uous and semibatch digesters are used in paper
process industries, including microelectronics, phar- manufacturing to break down wood chips in
maceuticals, specialty chemicals, and fermentation. order to extract the cellulosic fibers. The end
Batch and semibatch processes provide needed flexi- point of the chemical reaction is indicated by
bility for multiproduct plants, especially when products the kappa number, a measure of lignin content.
change frequently and production quantities are small. It is controlled to a desired value by adjust-
Figure 1.2▶ Examples
shows of batch
four representative and
batch and semibatch
semi- processes
ing the whose pressure, and/or
digester temperature,
batch processes: cycle time.
operation is noncontinuous.
Etching
gases
Electrode
Nutrient
Wood
chips Plasma
Coolant Coolant
Products N
in out Products
Steam
Products +
Products NaOH Spent
Wafer gases

( e) Jacketed batch (f ) Fed-batch bioreactor ( g) Wood chip (h) Plasma

reactor digester etcher

Figure 1.2 Some typical processes whose operation is noncontinuous. (Dashed lines indicate product removal after the
operation is complete.)
Outline

Introduction

Categories of processes

Illustrative example of process control system design

 1 2 It is important to m
a combination of Methods 1 and 2. feedback and positive
Illustrative example
Method 4. Use a larger tank. If a larger tank is used,
ature, negative feedba
in which the correcti
fluctuations in x1 will tend to be damped out as a result forces the controlled
of the larger volume of liquid. However, increasing the other hand, wh
▶ Continuous, stirred-tank
tank size is an expensiveblending
solution system.
due to the increased controller makes thin
capital cost. variable farther away
▶ Control objective: blend the two inlet streams to produce an
in the blending con
outlet stream that has the desired composition. takes place if Kc < 0
increases.1 Clearly, i
Composition ensure that a feedb
Electrical signal controller
negative feedback rat
AC An important adva
Control corrective action oc
x1 valve x2 = 1 the disturbance. For
w1 w2 the feedback control
disturbances in w1 , a
disturbances of unkn
AT
feedback control is th
Composition
analyzer/transmitter egy. Another impor

1 Note that social scientists

tive feedback in a very diff

x
w teachers provide “positive
who correctly do assignme
Figure 1.4 Blending system and Control Method 1. be an example of “negativ
r unmeasured disturbances, while feedforward 1. Analyzer and transmitter: The tank exit concen-
reacts to measured disturbances before the tration is measured by an analyzer and then the
Feedback control system of a stirred-tank blending system
d variable is upset. Consequently, in industrial measurement is converted to a corresponding elec-
ons, feedforward control is normally used in trical current signal by a transmitter.

Calculations performed
by controller
w1[kg/s]
x1 [mass
fraction]
Comparator
xsp ~
xsp
Analyzer e(t) Feedback p(t) Control w2(t) Stirred x(t)
+
[mass calibration [mA] – [mA] controller [mA] valve [kg/s] tank [mass
fraction] fraction]

xm(t) Analyzer x(t)

(sensor) and
[mA] transmitter

▶ Describe the function of each component of the feedback

system: controller, actuator, process, and sensor.
Next lecture...

Chapters 2 & 3
The Laplace transform and transfer function models of process
control systems