College of Engineering
Department of Chemical Engineering
Process control Laboratory (ChEg 4104)
Target group: 4th Year ChEg students
Induction lecture for the course
By
Wondimu M. (PhD)
Academic year: 2023/24
Course outline
SAFETY
• Keep working area clean, avoid water spilled on floor, do not
eat/drink in lab, do not touch un allowed instruments, avoid running in
lab in sense of play, wear appropriately etc...
• Disconnect the plant from electrical mains before start.
• Use compressed air at pressure 6 bar as process fluid.
• Keep attention: some parts of the unit can be hot (max. 80 °C)
• Don’t switch on the pump while the tank is empty.
• Give attention to alarm (audible and visual) and safety trips
If there is delay/lack of response, the instrument could be fitted with a trip system
to take action on hazardous situation. To prevent hazard in taking action, use
shutting down pumps, closing valves and operating emergency systems.
Experimental study on process control
Purpose of instrumentation and control:
Safe plant operation
Designed production rate
Designed product quality
Lowest production cost achievement
The decision of with/without control depends on the requirement
of this objective.
If the process needs control system, which mode of control?
Types of control: Open and closed loop control
Open-loop control system there is no measured variable comparison
set point & do not affect control element/cock/. Requires external body
(operator) for action.
Closed-loop control system: the measured variable is compared to the
set point to directly affects the control element (the cock) without
external action.
Advantage Disadvantage
Open loop Simple/easy to maintain In accurate
economical Unreliable
Preferred for generally stable process
Closed loop accurate complex
reliable Expensive
Preferred for unstable process Difficult to maintain and use
Open loop control systems examples
1. Electric Hand Drier- hot air flows irrespective of how much your hand is dried.
2. Semi/automatic Washing Machine – it runs irrespective of washing is completed
or not.
3. Bread Toaster –runs irrespective of toasting is completed or not.
4. Automatic Tea/Coffee Maker
5. Timer Based Clothes Drier
6. Light Switch – Lamps glow irrespective of light requirement or not.
Closed-loop control system examples
1. Tank level: feed to the tank continue as far as the set point is not attained.
2. Reactor- the rxn process continues as far as the reactant is present by controlling
level, P, T and keeping reactants mixing ration.
3. Full automatic Washing Machine – it runs washing until the water gets clear.
4. Distillation column–runs by keeping correct reflex ratio, feed amount etc...
5. Mixing tank/formulation: correct amounts of the ingredients are combined
according to the set point ratio for final constant composition of product.
6. Boiler house: steam generation continue by keeping level of liquid in boiler.
Types of closed-loop system
Feedback loop : measures a process variable & sends the measurement
to a controller for comparison to set point and then action as desired.
action to be taken after process variable leave set point
Feed forward : anticipates load disturbances and controls them before
they impact the process variable.
error is prevented not corrected.
Some Identification Letters and tag numbers of control system on PFD
Tag name & numbers are used to identify the types and function of the device.
Example: -
“TT”: Temperature Transmitter
“PT”: Pressure Transmitter
“FIC”: Flow Indicating Controller
‘’PIC’’: Pressure Indicator Controller
FI: Flow Indicator
Piping and connection symbols
Examples of closed loop control schemes common to unit operations.
Level Control Measurement G1
type
G2 G3 G4
Flow rate Venture Orifice Electromagnetic Variable area
Level Float Conductivity Capacitive Resistance
Temperature Resistance Thermistor Thermometers (liquid- Radiative (infrared
temperature in-glass thermometers, and optical
detector (RTD) bimetallic strips) pyrometers)
Pressure diaphragm Burdon tubes Bellows Manometers
Flow Control systems bypass control
output control pump speed control
Pressure Control
Temperature control on HX:
Special controllers (Ratio and cascade)
Ratio/cascade?
Ratio/cascade?
Do the process need Single variable/multivariable control?
4 control system 5 control system
(P, T, (L by FB) &(FA by FB)) (L,T,P, FA& (FB by CA))
FLOW-RATE AND TEMPERATURE AND
PRESSURE CONTROL FLOW-RATE
LEVEL AND FLOW-RATE CONTROL
Demonstration time...
