Process control

fundamentals
By Lencho Duguma
Madda walabu university
2019/2020
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION TO PROCESS CONTROL
 1.1 Representative Process Control Problems
• To represent a certain process control, we should answer some questions such as :
1. What is a process and process control?
2. What does a control system do?
3. Why is control necessary?
4. Why is control possible?
5. How it can be done?
6. Where it can be implemented?
7. What are the control engineer’s interests?
8. How can the process control be documented?
9. What are control strategies?
What is a process?
• Process as used in the terms process control and process industry, refers to the methods of
changing or refining raw materials to create end products.
• What is control?
Control in process industries refers to the regulation of all aspects of the process. Precise control of
level, temperature, pressure and flow is important in many process applications.
What is process control?
• Process control is an engineering discipline that deals with architectures, mechanisms, and algorithms
for controlling the output of a specific process. This can be as simple as making the temperature in
a room kept constant or as complex as manufacturing an integrated circuit.
• the methods that are used to control process variables when manufacturing a product.
• For example, factors such as the proportion of one ingredient to another, the temperature of
the materials, how well the ingredients are mixed, and the pressure under which the materials
are held can significantly impact the quality of an end product
• In practice, the industrial processes are different in behavior, architecture
and characteristics. So, they can be characterized as one or more of the
following forms :
1. Discrete processes.
2. Batch processes.
3. Continuous processes.
4. Hybrid processes.
Discrete process :
• it can be found in many manufacturing, motion and packaging applications.
• Robotic assembly, such as that found in automotive production, can be
characterized as discrete process control.
• Most discrete manufacturing involves the production of discrete pieces of
product, such as metal stamping
Robot arm control in a discrete process
Batch process :
• where some applications require that specific quantities of raw materials be
combined in specific ways for particular durations to produce an intermediate
or end result.
• One examples are the production of food, beverages and medicine.
• Batch processes are generally used to produce a relatively low to intermediate
quantity of product per year (a few pounds to millions of pounds).
Continuous process :
• often, a physical system is represented though variables those are smooth and
uninterrupted in time.
• The control of the water temperature in a heating jacket, for example, is a form
of continuous process control.
• Some important continuous processes are the production of fuels, chemicals
and plastics.
• Continuous processes, in manufacturing, are used to produce very large
quantities of product per year, millions to billions of pounds
Hybrid processes :
• Applications having elements of discrete, batch and continuous
process control are often called hybrid applications
What does a control system do?
• A control system normally performs three main steps :

1. Measurement process for the variable to be controlled, or collecting

data from the controlled plant. This is done by sensors or data
acquisition cards.
2. Comparison between the measured variable and a reference value,
doing some calculations to get the change in the variable, or data
processing for the collected data. This is done by comparators, or
through running of an algorithm or program.
3. Making a final decision in order to maintain the sensed variable
within a desired range, or sending some control signals to the
controlled plant. This is done via the system actuators or final control
elements.
Why is control necessary?
• The control and dynamic operation is an important factor in an industrial process design.
• In other words, the industrial processes need some degree of control for two main reasons :
1. The first one is to maintain the controlled conditions or variables in a physical system or
• an industrial process at the desired values when small or large disturbances occur.
2. The second reason is to respond to changes in the desired values by adjusting the selected
variables in the process.
• The response is based on the analysis of the process operation and objectives.
Finally, the process control will assure the following issues :
• Safety
• Environmental protection
• Equipment protection
• Smooth plant operation
• Product quality
• Profit optimization
• Monitoring and diagnosis
Why is control possible?
• When designing an industrial process or a plant, several considerations must be accounted such as :
1. Providing adequate equipment :
• which means including adequate rapidly responded sensors for the process variable and
appropriate final control
2. Expected changes in the plant variables :
• which concerns about the anticipation of the expected changes in the process disturbances or the
desired values of the controlling variables and providing or adding adequate equipment during
the plant design?
• So, the adequate design calculations must be based on the expected changes.
3. Adding a percentage extra capacity for the equipment sizing :
• This is to allow the plant equipment to respond to all expected disturbances or system variables
by adding a percentage extra capacity in accordance to the anticipated changes
How can control be done?
1. Using the human feedback: In simple process control
2. automatic control: is implemented using electronic equipment at some levels of current or
voltage to represent the values to be communicated
Where can control be implemented?
In order to operate an industrial process on a minute-to-minute basis, a lot of
information from much of the process has to be available at a central location which
known as the control room or control center.
Such control scheme is generally known as SCADA system where :
• Sensors and control elements are located in the process.
• Signals which are mostly electronic or communications with the control center to be viewed to
the operator.
• Distances between the process and the control center ranges from few hundred feet to a mile or
more.
• In some processes, small control panels are used nearby the equipment to allow access to them
What are the control engineers’ interests?
• The main interests of the process control engineers are :
Process design :
• where the process must be designed such that being with rapid response and minimal
disturbances.
Measurements :
• where the sensors has to be selected with rapid response and high accuracy.
Final elements :
• where the final control elements must be provided and handled so that the manipulated variables
can be adjusted by the control calculation.
Control structure :
• where the basic issues in designing the controller must be considered such as which control
element should be manipulated to control which measurement.
Control calculations :
• where equations are used to handle the measurements and the desired values in calculating the
manipulated variables
How can the process control be documented?
The process control can be documented in many forms :
a. Equipment specifications and sizing.
b. Operating manuals.
c. Technical experiments and control equations.
d. Engineering drawings.
e. ROMs for storing the control algorithms.
f. Additional EPROMs.
 1.2 Importance of Process Control
Manufacturers control the production process for reasons:
• Reduce variability
• Increase efficiency
• Ensure safety
• Reduce cost
• Increase productivity
Reduce Variability
• Process control can reduce variability in the end product, which ensures a consistently high
quality product. Manufacturers can also save money by reducing variability.
Increase Efficiency
• Some processes need to be maintained at a specific point to maximize efficiency
Ensure Safety
• A run-away process, such as an out-of-control nuclear or chemical reaction, may result if
manufacturers do not maintain precise control of all of the process variables.
• Precise process control may also be required to ensure safety
 1.3 Classification of Process Control Strategies
• the control strategy is different from one process to another in accordance to its topology, complexity and
objectives
• Classical control • Modern control
• Industrial Controllers + PLCs • Adaptive Control
• Optimal Control
• Robust Control
• A.I Control
• CLOSED AND OPEN CONTROL LOOPS
• A closed control loop exists where a process variable is measured, compared to a set-point, and action
is taken to correct any deviation from set-point.
• An open control loop exists where the process variable is not compared, and action is taken not in
response to feedback on the condition of the process variable, but is instead taken without regard to
process variable conditions.
• For example, a water valve may be opened to add cooling water to a process to prevent the process fluid from
getting too hot, based on a pre-set time interval, regardless of the actual temperature of the process fluid.
 1.4 Hierarchy of Process Control & An Overview of
Control System Design
• The industrial processes comprise several types of components :
Process :
• which in general can consist of a complex assembly related to some manufacturing
sequence. The process involves some variables needed to be controlled in order to
accomplish the desired goal of it.
• So, one can say that the process may be single variable process or multivariable
process according to the number of variables to be controlled.
Measuring elements (sensors) :
• which represents the devise that transforms or converts the measured variables into
some forms required by the other elements in the process control operation.
• Signal conditioning may be required to complete the measurement function in some
cases.
Error detectors (comparators) :
• which is a physical part of the controlling circuit that determines the difference
between the actual variable and the set-point value before taking any control action.
Controllers (industrial or computer) :
• which performs the action should be taken in accordance to the determined error and
regulates or compensates the controlled variable to bring it to the desired set-point or
reference value.
The measured variable:
• is the condition of the process fluid that must be kept at the designated set-point
Set-point:
• The set-point is a value for a process variable that is desired to be maintained.
• For example, if a process temperature needs to kept within 5 °C of 100 °C, then the set-point is
100 °C. A temperature sensor can be used to help maintain the temperature at set-point
A process variable :
• is a condition of the process fluid (a liquid or gas) that can change the manufacturing process in some way.
In the example of you sitting by the fire, the process variable was temperature. In the example of the tank
in Figure above, the process variable is level.

Common process variables include:

• Pressure, Flow, Level, Temperature, Density PH(acidity or alkalinity)
• Liquid interface (the relative amounts of different liquids that are combined in a vessels
• Mass, Conductivity
Final control elements (actuators) :
• which is the device that exerts a direct influence on the process or provides the required changes in
the controlled variable to bring it to the set-point
 --The end--
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