Control Systems

with Multiple Loops

• The single loop feedback configuration involves one
measurement (output) and one manipulated variable.
• There are, however, other simple control configurations
which may use:

More than one measurement and one manipulation

One measurement and more than one manipulated

variables

• In such cases control systems with multiple loops

may arise.
Typical Examples of Multiple Loops
Control Systems

Feedforwar
Cascade Ratio Split-Range Selective
d Plus
Control Control Control Control
Feedback
 Feedforward Plus Feedback
•It is difficult to account for every possible
load disturbance in a feedforward system
•Feedforward systems are often combined
with feedback systems.
•Controllers with summing functions are
used in these combined systems to total
the input from both the feedforward loop
and the feedback loop, and send a unified
signal to the final control element.
• The figure shows a feedforward-plus-
feedback loop in which both a flow
transmitter and a temperature transmitter
provide information for controlling a hot
steam valve.
 Cascade
•Cascade control is a control
system in which a secondary
(slave) control loop is set up to
control a variable that is a major
source of load disturbance for
another primary (master) control
loop.
•The controller of the primary
loop determines the setpoint of
the summing contoller in the
secondary loop
 Traditional Controller
• The temperature inside the tank is
measured and the steam valve
opening is manipulated to add more
or less heat as inflowing water
disturbs the tank temperature.
• This arrangement works well
enough if the steam supply and the
steam valve are sufficiently
consistent to produce another X%
change in tank temperature every
time the controller calls for another
Y% change in the valve opening.
 However, several factors could
alter the ratio of X to Y or the
time required for the tank
temperature to change after a
control effort.
• The pressure in the steam supply
line could drop while other tanks
are drawing down the steam
supply they share, in which case
the controller would have to open
the valve more than Y% in order
to achieve the same X% change
in tank temperature.
• A cascade control system could
solve both of these problems as
shown in Figure where a second
controller has taken over
responsibility for manipulating the
valve opening based on
measurements from a second sensor
monitoring the steam flow rate.
• Instead of dictating how widely the
valve should be opened, the first
controller now tells the second
controller how much heat it wants in
terms of a desired steam flow rate.
• The second controller then
manipulates the valve opening until
the steam is flowing at the requested
rate. If that rate turns out to be
insufficient to produce the desired
tank temperature, the first controller
can call for a higher flow rate,
thereby inducing the second
controller to provide more steam and
more heat (or vice versa).
• In the original single-controller arrangement, a drop in the steam
supply pressure would first have to lower the tank temperature
before the temperature sensor could even notice the disturbance.
• With the second controller and second sensor on the job, the steam
flow rate can be measured and maintained much more quickly and
precisely
 Ratio Control
• Ratio Control is a special type of feedforward control where 2
disturbances (loads) are measured and held in a constant ratio to
each other.
• It is mostly used to control the ratio of flow rates
• Two flowrates are measured but only one can be controlled.
• The stream whose flowrate is not under control is usually referred
to as wild stream.
 Configuration Configuration
1 2

• We measure both flow rates and take • We measure the flow rate of the wild
their ratio. stream and multiply it by the desired
• Ratio is compared with the desired ratio ratio.
(set point) and the deviation (error) • The result is the flow rate that the
between the measured and desired ratios stream B should have and constitutes
constitutes the actuating signal for the the set point value which is compared to
ratio controller. the measured flow rate of stream B.
• The deviation constitutes the actuating
signal for the controller, which adjusts
appropriately the flow of B.
Ratio control is used extensively in chemical
processes with the following as the most commonly
encountered examples:-
• Hold constant the reflux ratio in a distillation column.
• Control the ratio of 2 reactants entering a reactor at a desired
value.
• Hold the ratio of 2 blended streams constant, in order to
maintain the composition of the blend at the desired value.
• Keep the ratio of fuel/air in a burner at its optimum value
(most efficient combustion).
• Maintain the ratio of the liquid flow rate to vapor flow rate in
an absorber constant, in order to achieve the desired
composition in the exit vapor stream.
Example

• Imagine a process in which an octane booster must be added in a

definite proportion to gasoline to obtain 92 octane gasoline. A
control system could be developed to control the ratio of the
booster to gasoline, even though the gasoline supply itself may
not be controlled.
 Selective Control Systems
These are control systems that involve one manipulated variable and
several controlled outputs. Since with one manipulated variable we
can control only one output, the selective control systems transfer
control action from one controlled output to another according to
need. There are several types of selective control systems, among
which are:
• Override control for protection of process equipment
• Auctioneering control
 • Override Control
• During the normal operation of a plant or during its startup or
shutdown it is possible that dangerous situations may arise which
may lead to destruction of equipment and operating personnel.
• In such cases it is necessary to change from the normal control
action and attempt to prevent a process variable from exceeding an
allowable upper or lower limit. This can be achieved through the
use of special types of switches:
 HSS (high selector switch):- whenever a variable should
not exceed an upper limit.
 LSS (low selector switch); to prevent a process variable
from exceeding a lower limit.
 • Examples of Override Control
Protection of a Boiler System

• Usually the steam pressure in the boiler is controlled through the use of a
pressure control loop on the discharge line (Loop 1).
• At the same time the water level in the boiler should not fall below a lower
limit necessary to keep the heating coil immersed in water thus preventing its
burning out.
• The figure shows the override control system using an LSS (Low Selector
Switch) . If liquid level falls below the allowable limit, the LSS switches the
control action from pressure control to level control (Loop 2).
 • Examples of Override Control
Protection of a Compressor System

• The discharge of a compressor is controlled with a flow control system (Loop

1).
• To prevent the discharge pressure from exceeding an upper limit, an override
control with a HSS is used. It transfers the control action from the flow control
to the pressure control loop (Loop 2) whenever the discharge pressure exceeds
the upper limit.
• Notice that the flow control or pressure control is actually cascaded to the
speed control of the compressor's motor.
 • Examples of Override Control
Protection of a Steam Distribution System

• In any chemical process there is a network distributing steam, at various

pressure levels, to the processing units. High pressure steam is "let down" to
lower pressure levels at the let-down stations. The amount of steam let down at
such stations is controlled by the demand on the low-pressure steam lines
(Loop 1).
• To protect the high pressure line from excessive pressures, we can install an
override control system with a HSS, which transfers control action from loop 1
to loop 2 when the pressure in the high-pressure line exceeds an upper limit.
 • Auctioneering Control

Auction =‫مزاد علنى‬

• Such control configurations select among several

similar measurements the one with the highest value
and feed it to the controller.
• Thus it is a selective controller, which possesses
several measured outputs and one manipulated
variable.
 • Examples of Auctioneering Control
Catalytic Tubular Reactors with High Exothermic Reactions
• Several highly exothermic reactions take place in tubular reactors filled with a
catalyst bed e.g. oxidation of o-xylene or naphthalene to produce phthalic
anhydride.
• Figure below shows the temperature profile along the length of the tubular
reactor. The highest temperature is called “the hot spot”.
The location of hot spot moves
along the length of the reactor
depending on the
• feed conditions (temperature,
concentration, flow rate)
• the catalyst activity

The value of the hot spot depends on:

• feed conditions (temperature, concentration, flow rate)
• the catalyst activity
• the temperature and flow rate of the coolant.

The control of such systems are a real challenge

The primary control objective is to keep the hot spot temperature below an
upper limit, thus we need a control system that can identify the location of the
hot spot and provide the proper action. This can be achieved by:
• Placement of several thermocouples along the length of the reactor.
• Use of an auctioneering system to select the highest temperature which
will be used to control the flow rate of the coolant.
 • Examples of Auctioneering Control
Regeneration of Catalytic Reactors
• The catalyst in catalytic reactors undergoes deactivation as the
reaction proceeds, due to carbonaceous deposits on it. It can be
regenerated by burning off these deposits with air or oxygen.
• To avoid destruction of the catalyst due to excessive temperatures
during the combustion of the deposits, we can use an
auctioneering system which:
 Takes the temperature measurements from various
thermocouples along the length of the reactor.
 Selects the highest temperature that corresponds to the
combustion front as it moves through the bed.
 Controls appropriately the amount of air.
 Split Range Control
• Unlike the cascade and selective control schemes, the split-range
configuration has one measurement only (controlled output) and more than
one manipulated variable.
• Since there is only one controlled output, we have only one control signal,
which is thus split into several parts, each affecting one of the available
manipulations, i.e.

We can control a single process output by coordinating the actions of several

manipulated variables all of which have the same effect on the controlled
output.

• Such systems are not very common in chemical processes but provide added
safety and operational optimality whenever necessary.
 • Example of Split Range Control
Split Range Control of Chemical Reactor

• Consider the reactor shown in Figure were a gas-phase reaction

takes place.
• Two control valves manipulate flow rates of the feed and the
reaction product.
• To control the pressure in the reactor, the two valves cannot act
independently but should be coordinated.
• Let the controllers output signal
corresponding to the desired
operation of the reactor be 6 psig.
• From the figure we see that the
valve V2 is partly open while valve
V1 is completely open.
• If P increases  P=9 psig; V2 opens continuously and V1 remains completely
open. This leads to a reduction in pressure until the reactor has returned to the
desired operation.
• For large increase in P  P>9 psig; V2 completely opens and V1 starts closing.
Both actions again lead to a reduction in pressure until the reactor has returned to
the desired operation.
 • Example of Split Range Control
Pressure in a Steam Header

• This is encountered very often in chemical plants. Several parallel boilers

discharge steam in a common steam header and from there to the process
needs .
• The control objective is to maintain constant pressure in the steam header
when the steam demand at the various processing units changes.
• There are several manipulated variables (steam flow rate from every boiler)
which can be used simultaneously.
• It could be noted that instead of controlling the steam flow from each boiler,
we could control the firing rate and thus the steam production rate at each