Advanced Process Control

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 1 Revision
1.1 Introduction

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 Objectives
• to define what we mean by chemical process
control,
• to describe the needs and the incentives for
controlling a chemical process,
• to analyze the characteristics of a control
system and to formulate the problems that
must be solved during the design of a control
system

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1.1.1 Importance of process
control
• To Reduce variability/maintain product
quality
• To help processes operate efficiently
• To ensure the safe operation of processes
• To meet environmental regulations
• To meet operational constraints inherent to
the operation of equipments used in a
chemical plant

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• How does a control
system fulfill the above
needs?

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• A control system can meet the above
mentioned process operation needs by
any combination of the following:
i. Suppressing the influence of external
disturbances,
ii. Ensuring the stability of a chemical
process, and
iii. Optimizing the performance of a chemical
process.

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 Consider the tank
Suppressing the effect heater system
of disturbances below.
• Fi is flowrate in(ft3/min)
• Ti is its inlet temperature (OF),
• Fs is the steam mass flowrate in lb/min used to heat
the liquid
• F is the flowrate of the outgoing liquid and
• T is the temperature of the stream leaving the tank.
• The tank is well stirred, (temperature of liquid in the
tank is uniform and is equal to the temperature of
the effluent)
• Possible disturbances include:
• Changes in the feed flowrate, Fi
• Changes in feed temperature Ti
• Changes in ambient temperature
• The objectives of the stirred tank heater are to:
• Keep the effluent temperature T at a desired value Ts
and
• Keep the volume of the liquid in the tank at a desired
value Vs.
=> Control action is needed to keep T and V at the desired
values.

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 A possible control configuration
• The desired value Ts is called the Set Point
(decided or set based on process
requirement).
• The temperature of the liquid, T, is measured
• T is compared with the desired value Ts
• The difference called the error (e=Ts –T) is
sent to a controller
• The controller takes a corrective action based
on the error

This control system is called Feedback control because:

• the variable of direct importance (T in this case) is measured
• corrective action is taken after the effect of the disturbance has been felt by the
system
Discuss the following cases:
e = 0
e < 0
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e > 0.
 Alternative configuration for the
temperature control

ÞFeedforward control

In feedforward control:

• The disturbance is measured

before it affects the system
• The controller takes action
anticipating what its effect will be

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Another control configuration

•h is controlled output
•F is manipulated variable
•Fi and Ti are disturbance inputs

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 Ensure the stability of a chemical
process
Consider the behavior of
the variable x shown:

• At time t = to the constant value of x is disturbed by some external factors,

• As the time progresses the value of x returns to its initial value and stays
there. This means:
– the process is stable or self-regulating
– needs no external intervention for its stabilization
– no control mechanism is needed to force x to return to its initial value.

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• Consider the figure:

• The variable y does not return to its initial value after it is disturbed by
external influences.
• Processes like this are called unstable processes
• They require external control for the stabilization of their behavior.
• Examples:
– The explosion of a hydrocarbon fuel with air is such an unstable system.
– Riding a bicycle is an attempt to stabilize an unstable system and we attain that by
pedaling, steering and leaning our body right or left.

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 Example:
Controlling the Operation of an Unstable
Reactor
• Consider a continuous stirred
tank reactor (CSTR) where an
irreversible exothermic
reaction A->B takes place.

• The reaction mixture is cooled

by a coolant medium that
flows through a jacket around
the reactor.

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• the heat removed by the coolant
is a linear function of the
temperature T (curve B).
• at steady state, the heat
produced by the reaction should
be equal to the heat removed by
the coolant, thus yielding the
steady states Pl, P2, P3 at the
intersection of the curves A and
B.
• The steady states p1 and P3 are
called stable while the P2 is
unstable.
• To understand the concept of
stability let us consider the steady
state P2.

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• Assume that we are able to
start the reactor at the
temperature T2, and the
concentration CA that
corresponds to this
temperature.
• Consider that the temperature
of the feed Ti increases.
• This will cause an increase in
the temperature of the
reacting mixture, say T2’

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• At T2’, the heat released by the
reaction (Q2’) is more than the
heat removed by the coolant,
Q2”.
• Thus leading to higher
temperatures in the reactor
and consequently to increased
rates of reaction.
• Increased rates of reaction
produce larger amounts of
heat released by the
exothermic reaction which in
turn lead to higher
temperatures and so on.
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• Therefore, we see that an increase in Ti takes the reactor
temperature away from the steady state P2 and that the
temperature will eventually reach the value of the steady
state P3.

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• Sometimes we would like to operate the CSTR at the middle
unstable steady state for the following reasons:
– (i) the low temperature steady state P1 causes very low yields
because the temperature Tl is very low.
– (ii) the high temperature steady state P3 may be very high causing
unsafe conditions, destroying the catalyst for a catalytic reactor, or
degrading the product B, etc.
• In such cases we need a controller which will ensure the
stability of the operation at the middle steady state.
• Question: The reader should suggest a control mechanism to stabilize the operation of the
reactor at the unstable steady state P2.

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 Optimize the performance of a chemical
process
• Follows after safety and the production
specifications are satisfied

• Focuses on how to make the operation of the

plant more profitable.
• Maximize economic objective (profit)

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