7.

Cascade Control

1
Session Outlines & Objectives
Outlines
 A process challenge - improve performance
 Cascade design rules
 Good features and application guidelines
 Several process examples

Objectives
 Identify situations for which cascade is a good control
enhancement
 Design cascade control using the five design rules
 Apply the tuning procedure to cascade control

2
Cascade Control Motivations
 The feedback controller can respond only
after some changes appear in measurement
of PV
 If a secondary measurement can recognize

the disturbance and have causal relationship

with actuator, then the disturbance can be
handled more efficiently

3
Feedback Control of
Jacketed Tank Reactor (JTR)

Feed
TSP TC1 TT1

Product

Heating stream

CV

Fig. Direct feedback control of temperature in a jacketed tank reactor

4
Feedback Control Response of JTR
Due to the Pressure Drop
76

Feed
TSP TC1 TT1 75

temperature
74
Product

73
minimum
72
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
Heating stream

CV

Disturbance = heating pressure

Pressure drop Control performance not acceptable

Fig. Direct feedback control response of temperature in a jacketed tank reactor

in the present of pressure drop of the heating stream

5
More on JTR (1)
Let’s think about the TSP TC1 TT1
Feed
process behavior…
Product

• Causal relationship
from P disturbance to
T (without control)
Heating stream
• What measurable
effect always occurs CV
when P changes?

Pressure drop

v (valve)  ???  Q  TC

P
6
More on JTR (2)
Let’s think about the TSP TC1 TT1
Feed
process behavior…
Product

If we can maintain this

variable approximately
constant, can we reduce the
Heating stream
effect of the disturbance?
CV

Pressure drop

v (valve)  ???  Q  TC

P
7
Control of Heating Water Flow of JTR

Feed
TSP TC1 TT1

F1SP Product

FC1

FT1

Heating stream

Fig. Control of heating water flow

8
Cascade Control I of JTR
Feed
T1SP TC1 TT1

F1SP Product

FC1

FT1

Heating stream
CV

Fig. Cascade control of temperature using flow control loop as the inner loop

9
 Block Diagram of
Cascade Control I of JTR

Pressure drop Disturbance

of heating stream Gd(s)

T1SP F1SP
Temperature Flow Flow Jacketed Temperature
+ + Valve
Controller Controller Tank Reactor
_ _ GCV(s)
GTC1(s) GFC1(s) GP(s)

Flow Inner Loop

Transmitter
GFT1(s)

Temperature Outer Loop

Transmitter
GTT1(s)

Fig. Block diagram of cascade control of temperature using flow control loop as the inner loop

10
Computation of Cascade Control I
plant computer computer person

ET 1  T 1sp  T 1 TSP
TT1  t 
1 dE
MV1  (P )T 1 ET 1 
 (I m )T 1  ET 1dt  (D )T 1 T 1
dt 

 0 
F 1SP  MV1

FT1
E F 1  F1sp  F 1
MV2  (P )F 1E F 1
v  MV2

CV

11
 Single-loop vs. Cascade Control I
Single-Loop Cascade I

Feed Feed
TC1 TT1 T1SP TC1 TT1
T1SP

Product FSP Product

FC1

FT1
Heating stream
Heating stream
CV

76 76

75 75
temperature

74 74

73 73

72 72
0 50 100 150 200 0 50 100 150 200
12
Cascade Design Criteria
Cascade is desired when
1. Single-loop performance unacceptable
2. A measured variable is available
A secondary variable must
3. Indicate the occurrence of an important
disturbance
4. Have a causal relationship from valve to secondary
5. Have a faster response than the primary (3 times
or greater)

13
Feedback Control Response of JTR
Due to the Temperature Drop
76

Feed
T1SP TC1 TT1 75

temperature
74
Product

73
minimum
72
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
Heating stream

CV

Disturbance = Fluid temperature

Temperature drop Control performance not acceptable

Fig. Direct feedback control response of temperature in a jacketed tank reactor

in the present of fluid temperature drop of the heating stream

14
More on JTR (3)
Let’s think about the T1SP TC1 TT1
Feed
process behavior…
Product

• Causal relationship
from T disturbance to
T (without control)
Heating stream
• What measurable
effect always occurs CV
when T changes?

Temperature drop

v (valve)  ???  Q  TC

T
15
More on JTR (4)
Let’s think about the T1SP TC1 TT1
Feed
process behavior…
Product

If we can maintain this

variable approximately
constant, can we reduce the
Heating stream
effect of the disturbance?
CV

Temperature drop

v (valve)  ???  Q  TC

T
16
Control of Jacket Temperature of JTR

Feed
T1SP TC1 TT1

TT2 Product

T2SP TC2

Heating stream
CV

Fig. Control of jacket temperature

17
Cascade Control II of JTR
Feed
T1SP TC1 TT1

T2SP TT2 Product

TC2

Heating stream
CV

Fig. Cascade control of temperature using

jacket temperature control loop as the inner loop

18
 Block Diagram of
Cascade Control II of JTR

Disturbance Jacket
Gd(s) Temperature

T1SP
Temperature T2SP Temperature Jacketed Temperature
+ + Valve
Controller Controller Tank Reactor
_ _ Gcv(s)
GTC1(s) GTC2(s) GP(s)

Temperature Inner Loop

Transmitter
GTT2(s)

Temperature Outer Loop

Transmitter
GTT1(s)

Fig. Block diagram of cascade control of temperature

using jacket temperature control loop as the inner loop
19
Computation of Cascade Control II
plant computer computer person

ET 1  T 1sp  T 1 TSP
TT1  t 
1 dE
MV1  (P )T 1 ET 1 
 (I m )T 1  ET 1dt  (D )T 1 T 1
dt 

 0 
T 2SP  MV1

TT2
ET 2  T 2sp  T 2
MV2  (P )T 2 ET 2
v  MV2

CV

20
 Single-loop vs. Cascade Control II
Single-Loop Cascade II

Feed Feed
TC1 TT1 T1SP TC1 TT1
T1SP

Product TT2 Product

T2SP
TC2

Heating stream
Heating stream
CV CV

76 76

75 75
temperature

74 74

73 73

72 72
0 50 100 150 200 0 50 100 150 200
21
Cascade Control III of JTR
Feed
T1SP TC1 TT1

T2SP TT2
Product
TC2

FSP
FC1

FT1

Heating stream
CV

Fig. Double cascade control with flow control as the innermost controller
and JTR temperature loop as the outermost controller

22
Cascade Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages Disadvantages
 Large improvement in  Requires more instrumentation
performance when the than the equivalent single-loop
secondary is much faster control
than primary  More complex structure
 Simple technology with PID
algorithms
 Use of feedback at all levels.
Primary has zero offset for
“step-like” disturbance

23
Special Note on Cascade Control
 Does cascade apply to instrumentation? Yes,
a valve positioner is a secondary that reduces
effects of friction!!
T1SP TC1 TT1 Feed
Valve positioner:
Measures the stem
Product position and adjusts the air
pressure to (closely)
achieve the desired
position. This is located at
Heating stream the valve
CV

Fig. Cascade control of valve stem position

using valve positioner

24
Tuning of Cascade Controller
 Tune the innermost loop first. Set the above loops to
manual
◦ Conduct test and tune it
 Remove integral and derivative actions from the innermost and tune it,
aiming for tight control
 Absence of derivative avoids excessive activity of the slave loop
 Overall integral action to remove offset in the tank temperature is already
provided by the master controller
 …
 When tuning the master loop, place the inner loops in
automatic, and tune in the normal way
◦ Note that the slave loop now becomes part of the master loop
that you are tuning at the outermost loop
◦ Conduct test and tune it
 Use integral action to remove offset
 Use derivative action if necessary

25
Classroom Exercise
 Evaluate cascade control for every possible disturbances in
the heating medium inlet temperature. You may add sensors
but make no other changes to the equipment

F1
L1
feed
T1 product

TC2

F2
T3
heating stream

26
Session Summary
 Cascade control can be used to improve
control system performance due to
disturbance
 Some precautions must be carefully handled

to implemented cascade control successfully

27