Basic Terms

Instrumentation and Process Control

Dr. Imran Nazir Unar

Department of Chemical Engineering
MUET Jamshoro

Lecture No. 2 – Basic Terms in Instrumentation

and Process Control
 An Introductory Example

• The System
• Steady-state Design
• Process Control
• The Unsteady State
• Feedback Control
• Transient Responses
• Integral Control
• Thermocouple
• Block Diagram
 An Introductory Example

• The System
 A liquid stream at temp. Ti is available at a constant flow rate of w in units of
mass per time.
 It is desired to heat this stream to a higher temp. TR.
 The fluid flows into a well-agitated tank equipped with a heating device.
 It is assumed that the agitation is sufficient to ensure that all fluid in the tank will
be at the same temp., T.
 Heated fluid is removed from the bottom of the tank at the flow rate w as the
product of this heating process.
 Under these conditions, the mass of fluid retained in the tank remains constant
in time, and the temp. of the effluent fluid is the same as that the fluid in the
tank.
 For a satisfactory design this temp. must be TR.
 An Introductory Example

• The System

Agitator
w, Ti

w, T
Heater

Figure-1: Agitated heating tank.

 An Introductory Example
• Steady-State Design
 Definition: A process is said to be at steady state when none of the variables are changing
with time.
 At the desired steady state, an energy balance around the heating process may be written
as follows:
qs = w C (Ts – Tis) …………………(1)
 qs the heat input to the tank and subscript s is added to indicate a steady-state design
value.
 For a satisfactory design, the steady-state temp. of the effluent stream Ts must be equal
TR. Hence
qs = w C (TR – Tis) …………………(2)
 Problem: However, it is clear from the physical situation that, if the heater is set to deliver
only the constant input qs, then if process conditions change, the tank temperature will also
change from TR.
 A typical process condition that may change is the inlet temp. Ti.
 Solution: An obvious solution to the problem is to design the heater so that its energy input
may be varied as required to maintain T at or near TR.
 An Introductory Example

• Process Control
 Need: It is necessary to decide how much the heat input q is to be
changed from qs to correct any deviations of T from TR.
 Solution-1:
 To hire a process operator, who would be responsible for controlling the
heating process.
 The operator would observe the temp. in the tank, presumably with a
measuring instrument (thermocouple and thermometer), and compare
this temp. with TR. If T were less than TR, he would increase the heat
input and vice versa.
 As he became experienced at this task, he would learn just how much to
change q for each situation.
 Solution-2:
 This task can be easily and less expensively performed by a machine.
 The use of machines for this and similar puroposes is known as
AUTOMATIC PROCESS CONTROL.
 An Introductory Example

• The Unsteady State

 If a machine is to be used to control the process, it is necessary to
decide in advance precisely what changes are to be made in the heat
input q for every possible situation that might occur.
 We can not rely on the judgment of the machine as we could on that
of the operator.
 Machines do not think; they simply perform a predetermined task in a
predetermined manner.
 To be able to make these control decisions in advance, we must
know how the tank temp. T changes in response to changes in T i and
q.
 This necessitates writing the unsteady-state, or transient, energy
balance for the process.
 The input and output terms in this balance are the same as those
used in steady-state balance, [Eq.(1)].
 An Introductory Example

• The Unsteady State

 In addition, there is a transient accumulation of energy in the tank,
which may be written:
Accumulation = ρ V C dT/dt [energy units/
time]
Accumulation = Input – Output
ρ V C dT/dt = q – [w C (T – Ti)]
ρ V C dT/dt = w C (Ti – T) + q ……………..(3)

 Eq.(1) is the steady-state solution of Eq. (3), obtaining by setting the

derivative to zero.
 An Introductory Example
• Feedback Control
 The Controller is to do the same job that the human operator was to do,
 except that the controller is told in advance EXACTLY how to do it.
 This means that the controller will use the existing values of T and TR to adjust
the heat input according to a predetermined formula.
 Let the difference between these temperatures, TR – T, be called Error.
 The larger this error, the less we are satisfied with the present state of
affairs and vice versa.
 Complete satisfaction when Error=ZERO.
 Based on these considerations, it is natural to suggest that the controller
should change the heat input by an amount proportional to the Error.
 Thus, a plausible formula for the controller to follow is:
q(t) = w C (TR – Tis) + Kc (TR – T) ………………..(4)
 This is called Proportional Control.
 In effect, the controller is introduced to maintain the heat input at the
steady-state design value qs as long as T is equal to TR, i.e., as long as the
error is Zero.
 An Introductory Example

• Feedback Control
 If T deviates from TR, causing an error, the controller is to use the
magnitude of the error to change the heat input proportionally.
 The parameter Kc may vary as per our needs.
 This degree of freedom forms a part of our instructions to the
controller.
 The concept of using information about the deviation of the system
from its desired state to control the system is called “FEEDBACK
CONTROL”.
 Information about the state of the system is “fed back” to a
controller, which utilizes this information to change the system in
some way.
 In the present case, the information is the temp. T and the change
is made in q.
 When the term wc(TR – Tis) is abbreviated to qs, Eq(4) becomes.
q = qs + Kc(TR – T) …………………. (4a)
 An Introductory Example
• Transient Response
 ρ V C dT/dt = w C (Ti – T) + q ………………...(3)
 q = qs + Kc(TR – T) …………………. (4a)
 Substituting the value of q from Eq(4a) in Eq(3) and rearranging, we
have,
 ρ V C dT/dt = w C(Ti – T) + qs + Kc(TR – T)
 ρ V C dT/dt = w CTi – w CT + qs + KcTR – Kc T)
 wC [ (ρ V/w)( dT/dt)] =wC [Ti–T + qs/wC + KcTR/wC –KcT/ wC]
τ1 dT/dt +(Kc/wC + 1) T = Ti + (Kc/wC) TR + qs/wC ……….(5)
 Where τ1 = ρ V/w ….. (called Time Constant of the tank)
 It is the time required to fill the tank at the flow rate, w.
 Ti is the inlet temp., which is a function of time.
 Its normal value is Tis, and qs is based on this value.
 Eq.(5) describes the way in which the tank temp. changes in response
to changes in Ti and q.
 An Introductory Example
• Transient Response
 Suppose that the process is proceeding smoothly at steady-state
design conditions.
 At a time arbitrary called zero, the inlet temp., which was at T is,
suddenly undergoes a permanent rise of a few degrees to a new
value Tis + ΔTi. (Fig. 2 – Fig. 3 for mathematical convenience )

Tis + ΔTi Tis + ΔTi

Ti Tis Ti Tis

0 Time Time

Figure-2: Inlet Temp. vs Time. Figure-3:Idealized Inlet Temp. vs Time.

(For mathematical convenience)
 An Introductory Example
• Transient Response
Tis + ΔTi

Ti Tis

0 Time

Figure-3: Idealized Inlet Temp. vs Time.

(For mathematical convenience)
The equation for the function Ti(t) of Fig.3 is

Tis t <0
Ti(t) = ……………………. (6)
Tis + ΔTi t>0

Step function
 An Introductory Example
• Transient Response
 Response of T to a step change in Ti:
– Substitute Eq.6 in Eq.5 and solve the resulting differential equation for
T(t).
 Initial Conditions:
– Since the process is at steady state at (and before) time zero, the initial
condition is: T(0) = TR ………………(7)
 Solution:
– Using any technique like Laplace transform, we can solve differential
equation:

Δ Ti (1 – e- (Kc/wC + 1)t/τ1)
T = TR + ………..(8)
(Kc/w C) + 1

This is the transient response of the system, or tank

temperature versus time, to a step change in Ti
 An Introductory Example
• Transient Response
 The transient Response for the system at various values of the
adjustable control parameter Kc.

TR + ΔTi
Kc =0

Kc = wC
Kc = 3wC

T TR

0 Time

Figure-4: Tank Temp. versus time for various values of Kc

Course Overview

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