By Dr.

Sikander Rafiq
Department of Chemical Engineering

Instrumentation and Process

Control (IPC)

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Process Control
 Process control refers to the methods that are used to
control process variables when manufacturing a product.

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Goal of Process Control

Process engineers are often responsible for the safe and

satisfactory operation of chemical processes. As these
processes become larger scale and/or more complex,
the role of process automation becomes more and
more important.

Goal :
To learn how to develop, design and
tune controllers for the automated
operation of chemical processes.
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Process Control
 Human Aided Control vs Automated Control

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Incentives of Chemical Process Control
 Suppressing the influence of external disturbances
 Ensuring of safety of Chemical Process
 Optimizing the performance of a chemical process
 Reduce Variability

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 Suppressing the influence of
External Disturbances
Control Objectives
 Identify the variables 1. To keep temperature
at desired value.
 Develop Control Mechanism 2. To keep volume or
level of the liquid in
the tank at desired
value
Example
Controlling the
operation of
Stirred Tank Heater

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Suppressing the influence of External
Disturbances

 Expected Disturbance
 Input Variables ( Temperature, Flow rate)
 Practical case input variable may change
 So to maintain the temperature we have to
design Control system

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Stirred Tank Heater

Fi, Ti

T h
Q F, T

Fs 8
Control Mechanism
Fi, Ti

Thermocouples

Set
Point
-T T h
+ e Q F, T

Controller
e> 0 , more steam is
required
Fst e< 0 , less steam is
required
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 Ensure Stability of a Chemical
Process
X = T , CA B
X is disturbed at t = to A

X
X

External
External
Disturbanc Disturbanc c
e
e

to to
Time Time

• “X” returns automatically to  “X” returns automatically to

steady state / desired state steady state / desired state
• Response of stable process; Self-  Response of Unstable process
regulating  Required external Intervention
• No10external intervention required
Classification of Variables
 Variables that are extensively used in the Process Control

Varibles

Input Output

Manu plated or Measured

Disturbance/Load Unmeasured d
adjustable /control Variable/controlled
VARIALE Variables
variable Vriable
Common Terminologies
 Process Variables: Conditions of process fluid that can
change manufacturing process in someway.
 Input variable which denotes the effect of the
surroundings on the chemical Process.
 Output Variable which denote the effect of the
chemical process on the surroundings.
 Input Variables
 Manipulated Variables
 Disturbances
 Output Variables
 Measured Output
 Unmeasured Output
Next Task
 We will take different examples or case studies
 We will select / indentify the variables
 Example of Liquid Tank
Objective is to maintain the level of liquid in
tank “h”
Fi Controlled Varible : h
Input Variable
• Fi
Output Variables
• F (if not manipulated)
• V or h
h Paring the CV and manuplated variable, which variable can be a
F
CV MV
h Fi , F

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 Example of Stirred Tank Heater
Objective is to maintain the level and
Fi, Ti Temperature of liquid in tank i.e. “h” & “T”
Input Variable : Fi,Ti, Fst
Output Variables:
• F ( if not manipulated)
• V or h
T h • T

CV MV
Q F, T h Fi , F
T Fst

Fst
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 Terminologies
 Control Configuration
 A control configuration is the information
structure that is used to connect the available
measurements to the valuable manipulated
variables.
 Two types of CC
 SIS0 = single input –single output configuration ,
example controlling the level of the liquid in the
tank
 MIMO= multiple input – multiple out configuration
= Example controlling the level and temperature of
the liquid in the tank by changing output flow rate
and steam flowrate.
Example of Distillation
Condenser

CV MV loo
p Reflux Drum

xD R 1 F mD
D
xB VB 2 Z R xD
xD

mD D 3
mB B 4 VB
mB
Reboiler

B
xB

(Stephanopoulos, 1984)
 Terminologies
General Type of Control Configuration
FeedBack Control Configuration
Use the direct measurements of the controlled variable to
adjust the manipulated variables. The control action is taken
after the disturbances effect the controlled output variables.
Control Configuration
Feedforward Control Configuration
Use the direct measurements of the disturbances to
adjust the manipulated variables: Objective is to keep
output variable at desired value. It anticipates the
control action to be taken.
 Control Configuration
 Inferential Control Configuration: Uses secondary
measurements ( because the controlled variables can not be
measured ) to adjust the manipulated.The control objective
is to keep the un measured controlled variable at desired
levels.
Assignments
 PrepareConceptual Chemical
process block diagram.

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Control steps
 First: Measure
 (measuring elements, sensors, such
 as thermocouples, pressure or flow
 transducers, etc.)
 Second: Compare (with a set-point)
 Third: Action
 (control using a final control element)
Self Regulation
 The output will move from one steady state to another
for the sustained change in input. This means that for
change in some input variable the output variable will rise
until it reaches a steady state (inflow = outflow). It is the
tendency of the process to adopt a specific value of
controlled variable for nominal load with no control
operations.
Terminologies
 Setpoint
 The setpoint is a value for a process variable that is
desired to be maintained.
Terminologies
 Error: the difference between the measured variable and the
setpoint and it can be positive and negative. Control scheme
objective is to minimize the error. It is the difference at any
instant between the value of controlled variable
 and the set point. E=S.P-P.V
 Magnitude of error: The magnitude of the error is the
simply the deviation between the setpoint and process
variable. Comparison of two consecutive errors with respect
time determines the rate of change in error.
 Offset : Offset is a sustained deviation of the process variable
from the set point . It is the steady state deviation (error)
resulting from a change in value of load variable.
Design Elements of a Control System

 Define Control Objective ( central element)

 Select measurements
 Measuring and monitoring the process variables
 Primary Measurements
 Secondary Measurements
 Unmeasured output = f ( secondary measurements)
 Select Manipulate Variables
 Select Control Configuration
Example
 Terminologies
 Control Configuration
 A control configuration is the information
structure that is used to connect the available
measurements to the valuable manipulated
variables.
 Two types of CC
 SIS0 = single input –single output configuration ,
example controlling the level of the liquid in the
tank
 MIMO= multiple input – multiple out configuration
= Example controlling the level and temperature of
the liquid in the tank by changing output flow rate
and steam flowrate.
Design Elements of a Control System
 Design the Controller: In every configuration, the
controller Is the active element that receive
information from the measurements and takes
appropriate control actions to adjust the value of
manipulated variables. It implements the control
law automatically.
Summarize: Design Elements of a Control System

1. Define Control Objective ( central element)

2. Select measurements
a. Measuring and monitoring the process variables
b. Primary Measurements
c. Secondary Measurements
d. Unmeasured output = f ( secondary measurements)
3. Select Manipulate Variables
4. Select Control Configuration
5. Design the Controller
 Hardware Elements for a Process Control

 In Control configuration , there are

mainly two categories of hard ware
elements
 The chemical process. It represents the
material equipment together with
physical and chemical operation occur
there
 The measuring instruments or sensors:
Instruments used to measure the
disturbances, the controlled output
variable, secondary output variables and
are the main source of information.
 Function of Controller
 The element in a process control loop that evaluated error of
the controlled variable and initiates corrective action by a
signal to the controlling variable.
 Final Control Element
 Components of a control system (such as valve) is used to
directly regulates the flow of energy or materials to the
process. It directly determines the value of manipulated
variable.
Examples of sensors
 Thermocouples or resistance thermometers (T)
 Venturi meters (F)
 Differential pressure cell (V)
 Gas chromatographys ( Compositions)
Hardware Elements for a Process Control
 Trasducers :They convert one type of
signals into another type of signals .
Examples In strain guage, metallic
conductors are present whose
electric resistance changes when
they are subjected to mechanical
stress ( applied pressure) .Thus they
convert pressure signal into
electrical signals.
 Hardware Elements for a Process Control
 Transmission lines :These lines carry information
(measured signals) from the measuring device to
controller and from controller to the final control
elements. Examples : Electric transmission lines and
pneumatic transmission lines.
 Controller : Intelligence hardware that receive
information from the measuring devices and decides
what action should be taken.
Hardware Elements for a Process Control
 Final Control Elements: It implements the
decision taken by the controller. Example is
 Control Valve
 Relay and switches on- off system
 Variable speed pumps
 Variable speed Compressors
 Recording Elements :They visual demonstrate
the dynamic state of chemical process ( chemical
variables).