A Career in Process Control

• Provides professional mobility. There is a

Chapter 1

shortage of experienced process control

engineers.
• Well paid technical profession for chemical
engineers.

1
 Importance of Process Control

• Process Control directly affects the safety and

Chapter 1

reliability of a process.
• Process Control determines the quality of the
products produced by a process.
• Process Control can affect how efficient a process
is operated.
• Bottom Line: Process Control has a major impact
on the profitability of a company.

2
 Safety and Reliability
• The control system must provide safe operation
– Alarms, safety constraint control, start-up and
Chapter 1

shutdown.
• A control system must be able to “absorb” a
variety of disturbances and keep the process in a
good operating region:
– Thunderstorms, feed composition upsets, temporary loss of utilities
(e.g., steam supply), day to night variation in the ambient
conditions

3
Application of Process control

• Vinyl Acetate Monomer Process

• Reactions
– C2H4 + CH3COOH +0.5O2 → VAM + H2O -176.2 kJ/mol
– C2H4 + 3O2 → 2CO2 + 2H2O -1322.8 kJ/mol
(side reaction)
• Temperature 150 – 160 ºC (max. 200 ºC)
• Pressure 8 – 10 bar
• Safety limit oxygen < 8% !!!
 Vinyl Acetate Monomer Process

Regulatory layer control loop configuration

 Simulation of Vinyl Acetate Monomer production plant
s119 1 2 s118 1 1 s117 1 1 s324

P RATE
M
1 2 from Absorber
c
C2H4 Feed s115
RC101
BL SV=0.70 SW1 PID
M M
M P P PID
PID P c
1 SW2 SWITCH c c c SW305.cpv2
M M
F P PID
QIC101 QIC104 QIC102 PID P
s101 SW3 SW105 c c
SW1 SWITCH 7.5mol% 58.1mol% 0.7mol%
FIC101 SW2 TIC104
C05.cmv m
0.98T/h C01.cmv O2 C2H4 CO2
M SW101 M C2H6 136.0 degC
m F P PID
QI QI QI
c BL 1 s110 1 1 s111
QI
FIC103 Steam PID M
P
Oxgen Feed 1 m m m m c FIC303.csv
1.4T/h
BL
QIC103
2 1 s112
21.6mol%
1 SW1 1
O2 0.075
M SWITCH s124 CO2 0.007
C03.cmv C2H4 0.581
SW103 SW3
1 PID M
C2H6 0.216 m QI P
c
SW2 1
HAc 0.110
s102 HAc
m F H2O 0.009 QIC105
VAc 0.002 11mol% m F
FI107 1
M
21.13kNm3/h m F
PID P PT s123
c
FI105
PIC101 m 1 25.89kNm3/h
885kPa Heater 1 1 s126 1 BL
TI101 M PID P TT m
TT 2 2 s109 c
PT PIC102
m QI TIC102 1 M
P PID
m 1 148.5 degC React c
QI107 s129 p
3
C2H6:0.1mol% s125
2 1 s106 1
M 1 TT t
P RATE Jacket
c 1 TI105
T W 1 s128 1 1 s127 1 BL
RC102
SW2 O2 0.049
CO2 0.011
SV=5.3 R 1 2
s103 1 1 C2H4 0.549
c SWITCH SW1 C2H6 0.221 l
s113
SW3 PI106 HAc 0.070 LT
SW104 C04.cmv PT H2O 0.055 Water
R
F s122 M
m VAc 0.045 P PID
c
2 p
M LIC102
PID P Vapolizer
c
Steam
SWITCH
SW1 FIC102
7.53T/h 1 s105 1 1 s121 1 BL F m TT
M PID M
2 TT P
SW102 FI106 c m QI
l 2 m
TT 25.43kNm3/h TIC103 QI106
SW2 t
PID M m
LT P
c 158.9 degC O2:4.9mol%
C02.cmv TI106 3 1 1 s114 Cooler01
1 1 LI101 LIC101 FEHE
s108
2
s104 T
s116

1 1 s107 1 BL

from HAcTank
s120 1 1 s223
 s211 1 1

CW
BL

PID M
P 1
c
PIC202 s214

M PID P
c
1
M TIC202
CW PT P PID TT
c s215 70.0 degC s210
BL
PIC201 2
1 m m 2
1
620kPa
2 1 s208 s209 1 1 s212 1 1 s213 Absorber
s201
1 1 to Absorber
1 2
F m
s216
M PID P m
P
c FI202 c 1
1
21.64Nm3/h BL
TIC201 HAc Feed
s202 44.5 degC TT s207 Compressor
BL
2 3 1 2
m
1

s114 1 1 s204 1
F s217
m

from FEHE Cooler Separator q

l
2
PID M
2 LT P
c
s203

s205 LIC201
1 50%
BL
PID M 1
P
c
SW1 SWITCH M
FIC251
SW2 2.86T/h SW3
SW251 1
m F PID M SW201
P
c s218
FIC201 SW1 SWITCH
SW2 C07.cmv 2
7.82T/h M SW3 C06.cmv
1 s421
1 1 s206 ZMX301
1 from Column
to Column
s219

1 2

CV305
l
s222 to Absorber M PID TANK
P LT 1 s220
c
1
M LIC251
CV107 s223 2 1 s221 1 50%
1
to Vaporizer 3

s224
m F
CV407 FI252
10.13T/h
to Decanter
 Purge
R
ZBR102 s324 1 1 s323 1 1 s322 1 2 s321 2 1 s317 1 1 s318 1 BL

1 1

m QI C13.cmv F m QI
s320
M SW303 QI301
QI302 1 C10.cmv
m M SWITCH SW3 C2H6
CO2 P PID
c
SW1
SW2 SWITCH M QIC103.cmv
SW2
SW1 QIC102.cmv FIC303
CW 1
SW306 4.23Nm3/h
BL

1 C12.cmv

s325
SW2 SW3
PID M
M F P SWITCH
1 PID P F m c
c s319 m F
SW1 M
M PID FIC305 SW305
P FIC306 2 m V FI307
c 8.57kNm3/h 1 1 s316
1 12.78kNm3/h 0.10kNm3/h
TIC302 1 s313 1 1 s314 1 BL
TT
s326 25 degC 2
1 CO2 Purge
2 m s315

1 1 s305
F m
2
FI308 PID M
21.03Nm3/h s312 PT P
c
s327
t PIC301
1 p
892.9Pa
BL t
CW
Absorber BL
s213

from Compressor 1
1
s328

C09.cmv 1
C08.cmv
l M
PID P
c
b LT SW2 1
TIC301
SW2 SWITCH M PID P F
b F P PID M
c c
SWITCH s329 25 degC
M SW1 FIC302 s301 SW1 M TT
SW302 FIC301 SW301 2
m
PUMP01 PID
M m
51.65T/h P
M 1 c 2.6T/h m
s304 1 1 s303 1
1 s302 1 LIC301 s222 1 1 s310 1 1 s311

2 from TANK
2

s306 SW2 s330

SW304
1
M
F P PID SWITCH
c BL
SW1 M
FIC304 SW3
m C11.cmv
4.49T/h
1 1 s307 m F
PUMP02
1 FI310 M
12.31T/h 1 s309 Column
s206 2 1 s308 1
to Column
from Separator
 1 1 s409 1 BL
s408

3 1

2 s424 1 BL
1 1 s407 1
2
Condensor s423 1 1 s422 1 BL
FT 3
CALC
CW
s410
m
Condens

M PID P TT
c
TIC402 CALC M PID P F
M 1 m c
s406 PT P PID DsdesSET
c
1 s411
FIC405
R m
t PIC401 s426
p s425 1 1
124.1kPa
3 1 2
s224
t
1 from TANK
s309 M
PID P l
c q
from Absorber LT
LIC402 3 s414
50% 2
l

1
s412 LT
s417 SW2
Column P PID M
1 c M
C18.cmv P PID
SW3 SW3 LIC402B
c
M SWITCH C16.cmv
M 50% LIC403
SW1 PID P TT t
1 F 50%
c SWITCH c m
SW403 SW1
SW2 TIC401 r l FI406
SW405
120 degC PID M 0.915T/h
LT P
M SW2 C14.cmv
s404 r c 1 1 s413 1 BL
F P PID
b
c SWITCH LIC401 Aqueous Product
SW1
FIC401 M s420 PID M
m SW401 m F P
7.50T/h c

BL
2 s405 QI403
1 s401 1 1 s402 1 FIC403
H2O
2 25.31T/h
Steam 1 s416 QI
Reboiler
s403 1 PUMP04
M m
1 1 s415 1
1
T 2

M s418 m
P PID
c
M
SW3
QIC401 C17.cmv P RATE QI
c C15.cmv
9.52mol% QI404
QI402 SW2 RC402 SW2 HAc(ppm)
H2O VAc(ppm) M SV=0.1657 QI405
PID P F SW402 SWITCH
QI QI SW3 SWITCH c HAc(ppm)
SW1 F PID M M
M P QI
FIC404 m c
SW404
m m 7.27T/h SW1
m FIC402
ZMX501
s421 1 1 m
4.13T/h
1 1 s419 1 BL
to TANK
Organic Product
 Benefits of Improved Control
Old Controller New Controller
Concentration

Concentration
Limit Limit
Chapter 1

Impurity

Impurity
Time Time
Improved Performance
Concentration

Limit
Impurity

10
Time
 Maximizing the Profit of a Plant

• Many times involve controlling against

Chapter 1

constraints.
• The closer that you are able to operate to these
constraints, the more profit you can make. For
example, maximizing the product production rate
usually involving controlling the process against
one or more process constraints.

11
 Constraint Control Example

• Consider a reactor temperature control example

for which at excessively high temperatures the
Chapter 1

reactor will experience a temperature runaway and

explode.
• But the higher the temperature the greater the
product yield.
• Therefore, better reactor temperature control
allows safe operation at a higher reactor
temperature and thus more profit.

12
 Control Terminology
Controlled Variables - These are the variables which
quantify the performance or quality of the final
product, which are also called output variables.
Chapter 1

Manipulated Variables - These input variables are

adjusted dynamically to keep the controlled variables
at their set-points.
Disturbance Variables - These are also called "load"
variables and represent input variables that can
cause the controlled variables to deviate from their
respective set points. Product
Stream
TC Steam

TT

Feed
Condensate
Chapter 1
 Control Terminology(2)

Set-point change - implementing a change in the

operating conditions. The set-point signal is
Chapter 1

changed and the manipulated variable is adjusted

appropriately to achieve the new operating
conditions. Also called servomechanism (or "servo")
control.
Disturbance change - the process transient
behavior when a disturbance enters, also called
regulatory control or load change. A control system
should be able to return each controlled variable
back to its set-point.
Chapter 1 1.1 Illustrative Example: Blending system

Notation:
• w1, w2 and w are mass flow rates
• x1, x2 and x are mass fractions of component A
 Assumptions:
1. w1 is constant
2. x2 = constant = 1 (stream 2 is pure A)
3. Perfect mixing in the tank
Chapter 1

Control Objective:
Keep x at a desired value (or “set point”) xsp, despite variations in
x1(t). Flow rate w2 can be adjusted for this purpose.

Terminology:
• Controlled variable (or “output variable”): x
• Manipulated variable (or “input variable”): w2
• Disturbance variable (or “load variable”): x1
 Design Question. What value of w2 is required to have
x  xSP ?

Overall balance:
0  w1  w2  w (1-1)
Chapter 1

Component A balance:

w1x1  w2 x2  wx  0 (1-2)

(The overbars denote nominal steady-state design values)

• At the design conditions, x  xSP. Substitute Eq. 1-2, x  xSP and

x2  1 , then solve Eq. 1-2 for w2 :
xSP  x1
w2  w1 (1-3)
1  xSP
 • Equation 1-3 is the design equation for the blending
xSP  x1
system. w2  w1 (1-3)
1  xSP

• If our assumptions are correct, then this value of w2 will keep x

at xSP . But what if conditions change?
Chapter 1

Control Question. Suppose that the inlet concentration x1

changes with time. How can we ensure that x remains at or near
the set point xSP ?
As a specific example, if x1  x1 and w2  w2, then x > xSP.

Some Possible Control Strategies:

Method 1. Measure x and adjust w2.
• Intuitively, if x is too high, we should reduce w2;
 • Manual control vs. automatic control
• Proportional feedback control law,
w2  t   w2  Kc  xSP  x  t  (1-4)

1. where Kc is called the controller gain.

Chapter 1

2. w2(t) and x(t) denote variables that change with time t.

3. The change in the flow rate, w2  t   w2 ,is proportional to
the deviation from the set point, xSP – x(t).
Chapter 1
 Method 2. Measure x1 and adjust w2.
• Thus, if x1 is greater than x1, we would decrease w2 so that
w2  w2 ;

• One approach: Consider Eq. (1-3) and replace x1 and w2 with

x1(t) and w2(t) to get a control law:
Chapter 1

xSP  x1  t 
w2  t   w1 (1-5)
1  xSP
Chapter 1
 • Because Eq. (1-3) applies only at steady state, it is not clear
how effective the control law in (1-5) will be for transient
conditions.

Method 3. Measure x1 and x, adjust w2.

• This approach is a combination of Methods 1 and 2.
Chapter 1

Method 4. Use a larger tank.

• If a larger tank is used, fluctuations in x1 will tend to be damped
out due to the larger capacitance of the tank contents.
• However, a larger tank means an increased capital cost.
 1.2 Classification of Control Strategies
Table. 1.1 Control Strategies for the Blending System
Method Measured Manipulated Category
Variable Variable
1 x w2 FBa
Chapter 1

2 x1 w2 FF
3 x1 and x w2 FF/FB
4 - - Design change

Feedback Control:
• Distinguishing feature: measure the controlled variable
 • It is important to make a distinction between negative feedback
and positive feedback.
 Engineering Usage vs. Social Sciences
• Advantages:
 Corrective action is taken regardless of the source of
Chapter 1

the disturbance.
 Reduces sensitivity of the controlled variable to
disturbances and changes in the process.
• Disadvantages:
 No corrective action occurs until after the disturbance
has upset the process, that is, until after x differs from
xsp.
 Very oscillatory responses, or even instability…
 Feedforward Control:
 Distinguishing feature: measure a disturbance
variable
• Advantage:
 Correct for disturbance before it upsets the process.
Chapter 1

• Disadvantage:
 Must be able to measure the disturbance.
 No corrective action for unmeasured disturbances.
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
 Justification of Process Control

Specific Objectives of Control

• Increased product throughput
Chapter 1

• Increased yield of higher valued products

• Decreased energy consumption
• Decreased pollution
• Decreased off-spec product
• Increased Safety
• Extended life of equipment
• Improved Operability
• Decreased production labor
 3.2 Economic Incentives - Advanced
Control
Chapter 1
 (da ys-month s) 5. P l ann in g an d
S ch edu l in g

(ho urs-day s) 4. Rea l-T im e

Opti miza tio n

3b . Mu lti vari abl e

Chapter 1

(min utes-ho urs) and Co nstrai nt

Co ntro l
Figure 1.7 Hierarchy of
process control activities.

(se con ds-mi nutes

) 3a . Re gul a to ry
Co ntro l

2. S afety, E n viron ment

(< 1 se con d) a nd E qu ip ment
P rotecti on

(< 1 se con d) 1. Mea sure ment

a nd A ctua ti on

P ro ces s
Chapter 1

Figure 1.9 Major

steps in control
system development