Introduction to Process Control

Dynamics and Control of Chemical Processes CBE 162

Ali Mesbah

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

University of California, Berkeley 1
 What does control mean?

Control objective Disturbances

Sensing / Constraints
Actuation
Feedback /
Feedforward 2
What does control mean?

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 What is a chemical process?
Process:
The conversion of feed materials to products using
(bio)chemical and physical operations

Increasingly more stringent performance requirements

for process plants:
Stronger economic competition
Tougher environmental and safety regulations
Tighter product quality specifications

Complex and highly integrated process plants

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 Why process control?
Process control objectives:
Satisfy the operational constraints
Ensure required conversion (quality and quantity)
Enhance process economics

Operate modern complex plants safely and

profitably while satisfying product quality
and environmental requirements

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Dynamic vs. steady-state behavior?

Steady state
Process Variable (equilibrium)

Transient
(unsteady state)

Time
Understanding of process dynamics is the
foundation of process control
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 Mode of process operation
Continuous-flow Processes

Heat exchanger Continuous stirred-tank Multicomponent

reactor distillation column

+ High efficiency and high safety

- Not flexible and high capital cost 7
 Mode of process operation
Batch/Semi-batch Processes

Semi-batch reactor Wood chip digester Plasma etcher

+ Flexible and low capital cost

- Lower efficiency and lower safety 8
 Control terminology (1)

Three types of process variables:

Controlled variables (CVs): quantify the process performance
or product quality (output variables to be controlled)

Manipulated variables (MVs): are adjusted dynamically to

keep CVs at their desired variables (i.e., setpoints)

Disturbance variables (DVs): input variables that cause the CVs

to deviate from their desired values

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 Control terminology (2)

Setpoint change: implementing a change in the desired

values of CVs. MVs are adjusted appropriately to achieve
the new setpoints.

Disturbance effect: when a disturbance acts, it leads to

transient process behavior. The control system should be
able to bring the CVs back to the setpoints.

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Input/output block diagrams

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 Example
Stirred-tank blending process

Design
Controlquestion:
question:AtSuppose
steady-state operation,
the inlet what nominal
concentration x1 varies
value
with w2 is required
of time. How canto
weproduce
ensure athat
desired outlet
the outlet
concentration
composition xsp? at xsp?
x remains 12
 Example
Control of stirred-tank blending process

Feedback control:
+ ( )
=
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 Example
Control of stirred-tank blending process

Feedforward control:


=
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 Important control concepts
Feedback control: requires measurement of CVs
+ Corrective action regardless of the source of disturbance
+ Reduce sensitivity of the CVs to process disturbances
- No corrective action taken till the effect of disturbance is seen
- May lead to instabilities

Feedforward control: requires measurement of DVs

+ Account for disturbances before they upset the process
- Requires accurate description of disturbances
- No corrective action for unmeasured disturbances

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 Feedback control block
diagram for blending process

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 Wrap up

Control problem formulation requires:

Control objective
Inputs (manipulated or disturbance)
Constraints (hard or soft)
Mode of process operation (continuous, batch, semi-batch)
Control structure (feedback, feedforward)

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 CBE-162
Course objectives:
Introduce the theory and practice of process control
Integrate your knowledge of various CHE courses to develop
dynamic models
Design, implementation, and testing of basic control systems
through interactive simulations
After completing the course:
Formulate the control problem for typical chemical processes
Analyze process dynamics
Design basic feedback/feedforward controllers
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 CBE-162
Prerequisite knowledge and skills:
Ordinary differential equations and nonlinear algebraic
equations
Thermodynamics, reaction kinetics, transport processes
General understanding of chemical engineering processes

Textbook:
Process Control: Modeling, Design, and Simulation
B. Wayne Bequette
Prentice Hall, 2003
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 CBE-162: Topics
1. First-principles modeling
2. Black-box (empirical) modeling
3. Analysis of linear process dynamics
4. Feedback control
5. PID controller design and tuning
6. Internal model control
7. Closed-loop stability analysis
8. Feedforward/cascade control
9. Closed-loop interaction

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 CBE-162: Course Organization
Lectures: 11:00-12:30 PM Tu,Th Lewis 9

Lab session: 1:00-2:30 PM We,Fr Tolman 1535

Website: bCourses, piazza

Software: Matlab/Simulink

Grading:
Homework Assignments and Quizzes: 15 %
Lab Session Assignments: 10 %
Final Project: 20 %
Exams: Mid-term (20 %) + Final (35 %)
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 CBE-162: Course Policies
Office hours for discussions, no emails please!
HW posted every Tuesday and due next Tuesday before the
class (turn in hardcopy to GSIs and upload softcopy)
No late HW
Adhere to the given templates
Lab session assignments posted every Tuesday (the solutions
should be uploaded by the end of the session)
Three quizzes (2/9, 3/2, 4/13): be on time for quizzes
Form groups of three for the final project by 3/16
Grade appeals

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