Chemical Process dynamics and Control

CHAPTER THREE ( PART THREE)

Analysis of the Dynamic Behavior of Chemical Processes

BY : Naol Bekele

Naol Bekele
 CHAPTER THREE (PART THREE )
❑ In this part there will be sevens lessons:
➢Lesson six: computer simulation and linearization of non linear system

➢Lesson seven : Laplace transform

➢Lesson Eight : solution of linear differential equation using Laplace transfer

➢Lesson nine ; transfer function and the input output models

➢Lesson Ten ; dynamic behavior of first order system

➢Lesson Eleven : dynamic behavior of second order system

➢Lesson Twelve ; dynamic behavior of higher order system

Naol Bekele
 Cont…
• In process control, the processes are analytically complex but relatively simple to control in
practice ... These processes act quantitatively like nothing we know, but qualitatively (and
for certain quantitative purposes), they can be modeled in terms of simple gains,

deadtimes, lags or combinations thereof ...

• In Part Ill we study the dynamic and static behavior of several, simple processing systems

• Understanding the dynamics of such simple systems allows us to analyze the behavior of
more complex systems such as the chemical processes

Naol Bekele
 Cont…
• The analysis is limited to linear dynamic systems

• This may seem incompatible with the fact that most of the chemical engineering processes
are modeled by nonlinear equations

• However, linear techniques are very valuable and of great practical importance for the
following reason:

(1) There is no general theory for the analytic solution of nonlinear differential equations,
and consequently no comprehensive analysis of nonlinear dynamic systems

Naol Bekele
 Cont…
(2) A nonlinear system can be adequately approximated by a linear system near some
operating conditions

(3) Significant advances in the linear control theory permit the synthesis and design of very
effective controllers even for nonlinear processes

➢ the concept of linearization and the procedure for approximating nonlinear systems with
linear ones which will be studied in lesson 6.

➢The Laplace transforms, which we will discuss in lesson 7, offer a very simple and elegant
procedure for the solution of linear differential equations (lesson 8) and consequently for
the analysis of the behavior of linear systems.
Naol Bekele
 Cont…
➢In the remaining chapters of Part Ill we will discuss
• The development of simple input-output models for chemical processes, using the Laplace
transforms (lesson 9)
• The dynamic analysis of various typical processes (lesson 10 through 12)

Naol Bekele
 LESSON SIX : computer simulation and linearization of non linear
Outlines
system

➢In order to find the dynamic behavior of a chemical process, we have to integrate the
state equations used to model the process

➢But most of the processing systems that we will be interested in are modeled by nonlinear
differential equations,

➢and it is well known that there is no general mathematical theory for the analytical
solution of nonlinear equations
➢ Only for linear differential equations are closed-form, analytic solutions available

Naol Bekele
 Cont…

➢ When confronted with the dynamic analysis of nonlinear systems, there are several things

we can do, such as:

1. Simulate the nonlinear system on an analog or digital computer and compute its solution
numerically, or
2. Transform the nonlinear system into a linear one by an appropriate transformation of its
variables, or
3. Develop a linear model that approximates the dynamic behavior of a nonlinear system in
the neighborhood of specified operating conditions

▪ Alternative 2 can be used in very few cases, whereas alternatives I and 3 are, in principle, always feasible

Naol Bekele
 Cont …

6.1 Computer Simulation of Process Dynamics

➢Nonlinear differential and/or algebraic equations cannot, in general, be solved analytically,

and computer-aided numerical solutions are required

➢Numerical solutions are also preferred for the equations which can be solved analytically,
when the analytic solutions are very complex and provide little insight in the behavior of
the system

➢The analog computers have several serious drawbacks:

Naol Bekele
 Cont…..

1) Significant time is required to set up the problem and get it running

2) the need of one hardware element per mathematical operation prohibits the simulation of large, complex
systems

3) the nonlinear terms are simulated by rather expensive hardware elements (function generators) with
limited flexibility

4) they do not possess memory like the digital computers

Naol Bekele
 Cont…

6.2 Linearization of Systems with One Variable

➢ Linearization is the process by which we approximate nonlinear systems with linear ones

➢ It is widely used in the study of process dynamics and design of control systems for the
following reasons:
1. We can have closed-form, analytic solutions for linear systems. Thus we can have a
complete and general picture of a process's behavior independently of the particular values
of the parameters and input variables

This is not possible for nonlinear systems, and computer simulation provides us only
with the behavior of the system at specified values of inputs and parameters
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 Cont…

2. All the significant developments toward the design of effective control systems have

been limited to linear processes

➢ First, we will study the linearization of a nonlinear equation with one variable and then
we will extend it to multivariable systems

➢ Consider the following nonlinear differential equation, modeling a given process

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 Cont…

➢ Expand the nonlinear function f(x) into a Taylor series around the point Xo and take

➢ If we neglect all terms of order two and higher, we take the following approximation for
the value of f(x):

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➢ It is well known that the error introduced in the approximation (6.3) is of the same order
of magnitude as the term

➢ Consequently, the linear approximation (6.3) is satisfactory only when

X is very close to Xo, where the value of the term I is very small

➢ In eq. (6.1), replace f(x) by its linear approximation given by eq. (6.3) and take

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.

➢This equation is the linearized approximation of the initial dynamic system given by
eq. (6.1).

Example

Consider the tank system shown in Figure 6.2a. The total mass balance yields

Naol Bekele
Cont..

➢where A is the cross-sectional area of the tank and h the height of the liquid level. If
the outlet flow rate F is a linear function of the liquid's level,

Naol Bekele
Cont..
➢which is a linear differential equation (modeling a linear dynamic sys tem) and no
approximation is needed

➢If, on the other hand,

➢the resulting total mass balance yields a nonlinear dynamic model

➢Let us develop the linearized approximation for this nonlinear model

➢The only nonlinear term in eq. (6.7) is

➢Take the Taylor series expansion of this term around a point ho

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 cont..

➢ Neglecting terms of order two and higher, we take

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 Outlines
which, if introduced in the nonlinear dynamic system (6.7), yields the following linearized
approximate model

6.3 Deviation Variables

➢Let us now introduce the concept of the deviation variable, which we will find very helpful in later
chapters for the control of processing systems

➢Suppose that x s is the steady-state value of x describing the initial dynamic system (6.1). Then

Naol Bekele
 cont..

➢ Consider Xs the point of linearization for eq. (6.1) (i.e., Xo = Xs). Then eq. (6.1) yields the
following linearized model:

✓ Subtract eq. (6.9) from (6.10) and take

✓ If we define the deviation variable x' as X'=X-Xs

✓ then eq. (6.11) takes the form

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 cont..

➢ Equation (6.12) is the linearized approximation of the nonlinear dynamic system (6.1),
expressed in terms of the deviation variable x‘

➢ The notion of the deviation variable is very useful in process control. Usually we will be
concerned with maintaining the value of a process variable (temperature, concentration,
pressure, flow rate, volume, etc.) at some desired steady state

6.4 Linearization of Systems with Many Variables

➢ In previous sections we developed the linearized approximation of a nonlinear dynamic

system that had only one variable. Let us now extend that approach to systems with
more than one variable
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 cont..

➢ Consider the following dynamic system

➢ Expand the nonlinear functions f1(X1, x2) and f2(X1, x2) into Taylor series around the
point (x1,0, X2,o) and take

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 cont..
And

➢
➢ Neglect terms of order two and higher and take the following approximations

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 cont..

➢ Substitute the foregoing linear approximations of f,(x1, X2) and f2(X1, x2) into eqs. (6.16)
and (6.17) of the initial nonlinear dynamic system and take

➢ These last two equations are linear differential equations and constitute the linearized,
approximate model of the initial nonlinear system described by eqs. (6.16) and (6.17).

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 cont..

➢ Let us now express the linearized system in terms of deviation variables. Select the steady state (x 1,s, x2,s)
as the point around which

➢ you will make the linearization [i.e., in eqs. (6.18) and (6.19) put x1,o = x1,s and X2,o = x2,s], At the steady
state, eqs. (6.16) and (6.17) yield

➢ Subtract eq. (6.20) from (6.18) and (6.21) from (6.19) and take

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 cont..

Defining the deviation variables by

eqs. (6.22) and (6.23) take the following form in terms of deviation variables

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Example : Linearization of a No isothermal CSTR

➢ The modeling equations for a CSTR were given in Example 4.10 by eqs. (4.8a), (4.9a), and (4.10b). Assume
that the volume V of the reacting

➢ mixture remains constant. Then the dynamic model of the reactor is reduced to the following

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 cont..
.

➢ where, 1/Ʈ = Fi/ V. This model is nonlinear due to the presence of the nonlinear term
➢ e-E/RT cA, while all the other terms are linear. Thus to linearize eqs. (6.28) and (6.29), we
need only to linearize the nonlinear term around some point (cA,o, To).

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 cont..

➢ Substituting the approximation above into eqs. (6.28) and (6.29), we take the following
linearized model for a nonisothermal CSTR

➢ We can proceed a step further to develop a more convenient form for eqs. (6.30) and (6.31) using the
deviation variables. Assume that T0 and cA,o are the steady-state conditions for the CSTR

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 cont..
.

Subtract from above equation 6.30 and 6.31

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 cont..
➢ Define devotion variables

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 LESSON SEVEN: LAPLACE TRANSFORMS

➢ The use of Laplace transforms offers a very simple and elegant method of solving linear
or linearized differential equations which result from the mathematical modeling of
chemical processes

❑ The Laplace transforms also allow:

✓ Simple development of input-output models which are very useful for control purposes
(see lesson 9)

✓ Straightforward qualitative analysis of how chemical processes react to various external

influences

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 cont..

7.1 Definition of The Laplace Transform

Consider the function f( t ). The Laplace transform of the function f( t) is defined as

follows:

The bar on top of f(S) variable will signify the Laplace transform of that variable

Remarks

1.A more rigorous definition of the Laplace transform is given by eq. (7.la):

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 cont..

➢ If the function/(t) is piecewise continuous and defined for every value of time from t = 0
to t = the rigorous definition (7.la) reduces to that of(7.l).
2. From the definition (7.1) or (7.la) we notice that Laplace transformation is
transformation of a function from the time domain (where time is the independent
variable) to the s-domain (with s the independent variable). s is a variable defined in the
complex plane (i.e., s = a + jb).

3. From the definition (7.1) or (7.la), we notice that the Laplace transform of the function
f(t) exists if the integral takes a finite value (i.e., remains bounded)

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 cont..

Consider the function f(t) = 𝑒 𝑎𝑡 ', where a > 0. Then

➢ Now, if a - s > 0 or s < a, then the integral in (7.2) becomes unbounded. Consequently, the
Laplace transform of 𝑒 𝑎𝑡 is defined only for s > a, which yields finite values for the integral
in (7.2).

4. The Laplace transformation is a linear operation:

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 cont..

➢ where a I and a 2 are constant parameters. The proof is straight forward:

7.2 Laplace Transforms of Some Basic Functions

❑ Exponential function This function is defined as:

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 cont..

Then

Proof:

Ramp function

This function is defined as:

f(t) = at where t>0 with a = constant

then,
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 cont..
➢ Proof:

Trigonometric functions

Consider the sinusoidal function f(t) = sin ωt. Then

Proof

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 cont..

➢ Similarly, it can be proved that

➢ In the proof above we have used the Euler identity

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 cont..

Step function

➢ This function is defined by

➢ Proof
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 cont..

Translated functions
➢ Consider the function f(t) shown in Figure 7.2a. If this function is delayed by to seconds,
we take the function shown in Figure 7.2b, and if it is advanced by to seconds, then we
have the curve of Figure 7.2c. The relationship among the three curves is

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cont…

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 cont…

Unit pulse function

➢ Consider the function in Figure 7.3a. The height is 1/A and the width A. Thus the area
under the curve is

➢ It can also be described as the difference of two step functions of equal size 1/A . The
first step function occurs at time t = 0 while the second is delayed by A units of time.
Thus if
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cont…

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 cont…

7.3 Laplace Transforms of Derivatives

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 cont…

7.5 Laplace Transforms of Integrals

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 cont…

7.6 Final-Value Theorem

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 cont…

7.7 Initial-Value Theorem

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Naol Bekele