Workshop 2: P-Only Control of Tank Level

Objective: To design and test a P-Only controller for tracking changes in set point and rejecting disturbances. Also, to explore how controller gain impacts P-Only performance.

Reference: Practical Process Control Chapters 4-5 1) Click LOOP-PROs Case Studies icon on the main screen and select Gravity Drained Tanks. Find the CO that causes the PV (liquid level) to settle at our design level of operation (DLO) of PV = 3.3 m when the pumped flow disturbance (D) is 2.0 L/min. Record this as CObias. The controller design and tuning recipe begins by specifying the design level of operation (DLO). This includes the desired value for the measured process variable (PV), which we assume will be equal to the set point (SP) during normal operation. The DLO also includes the typical or baseline values for the important process disturbances (D). In this study, when our controller is in automatic (closed loop), we desire the liquid level in the lower tank to be 3.3 m. The pumped flow disturbance (D) out of the lower tank is expected to be about 2.0 L/min during normal operation. Record these design level of operation details: Our DLO for this study is a PV = SP = ____________ when D is normally = _____________
units units

A P-Only controller design requires determination of the controller bias (CObias), which is the value of the controller output (CO) that causes the measured PV (liquid level) to remain steady at the DLO value of 3.3 m when the pumped flow disturbance is at its DLO value of 2.0 L/min. Search for this CO by entering different values and watching where the PV settles. The value of CO that steadies the PV at the DLO is our CObias = ______________
units

2) Similar to Workshop 1, perform a step (bump) test and use a graphical analysis to fit an FOPDT model to the CO to PV dynamic test data. The worksheet at the end of this workshop may be useful.
Controller design and tuning requires a first order plus dead time (FOPDT) model that describes the dynamic process behavior around the DLO. In task 1, you hopefully found that a CObias of 64% causes the measured level to steady at the design PV of 3.3 m when disturbance D is at 2.0 L/min.

Because this process is nonlinear (that is, Kp, p and/or p change as operating level changes), best practice is to perform a bump test that includes some data both below and above the DLO so the FOPDT model fit averages out the nonlinear or changing nature of the process.
To do this, set the CO to 60% and let the process steady. Now step the CO to 68%. When the response is complete, click the pause icon (II) on the tool bar. You have just generated step test data that, on average, describes the process around the design PV of 3.3 m when D is at 2.0 L/min.

Click the Plot icon on the tool bar to view a fixed plot of your step (bump) test data. 5
Hands-on Workshop Series by Douglas J. Cooper Copyright 2007 by Control Station, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Workshop 2: P-Only Control of Tank Level (cont.)

Click the Plot Options icon on the fixed plot tool bar to open a window for changing plot settings. Use the tabs at the top of the Plot Options window to switch among the plot axis. Choose options that show the plot in a manner best suited for a graphical analysis. For example, set the Min and Max Time values to zoom in on the step from initial to final steady state. This requires about 10 minutes of data. Refine the grid by setting the Major Tick Unit = 1.0 and Minor Tick Unit = 0.2. Click the PV/SP and CO tabs and make appropriate adjustments to enhance the plot display for graphical analysis. You may also consider a Thick Line Type and Large Font Size.
With the plot displayed, use a graphical analysis method to compute FOPDT (first order plus dead time) dynamic model parameters. Record your results and include units (e.g. m/% or minutes):

Process gain, Kp =

Time constant, p =

Dead time, p =

3) Using the ITAE tuning correlation and your FOPDT model parameters from task 2, compute and record a P-Only controller gain. Remember that Kc has a sign (+/) and units. A FOPDT model of bump test dynamic data gives us parameters to use in a controller tuning correlation. The ITAE (Integral Time Weighted Absolute Error) correlation reliably computes a conservative P-Only controller gain, Kc, for the simple P-Only algorithm. Note that for all other PID forms beyond P-Only, LOOP-PRO uses the theoretically derived and industry proven IMC (internal model control) tuning correlations. Compute and record P-Only controller gain. Remember it has a sign (plus or minus) and units. P-Only tuning correlation: Kc =
0.2 Kp

p
p

1.22
= __________________

(Note: Kc for this task often ranges from 4-20 %/m. Check your work if your Kc is much different) 4) Click the level controller icon (LC) on the gravity drained tanks graphic to open the controller design menu. At the top of the design menu, switch from Manual Mode to PID. Enter your SP, CObias and Kc values. Since this is a P-Only control study, switch the integral action to Off: Integral Mode. Derivative action should also be Off: Derivative Mode. Click Done to put your P-Only controller in automatic (closed loop). With the gravity drained tanks simulation displayed, click the level controller (LC) icon on the tanks graphic to open the controller design menu. At the top of the design menu, switch from Manual Mode to PID to enable a proportional-integral-derivative controller. The default configuration is a PI controller. Thus, the proportional and integral modes are On while the derivative mode is off. To implement a P-Only controller, switch the integral mode to off: Integral Mode. Entered values do not affect control action when a mode is turned off. 6
Hands-on Workshop Series by Douglas J. Cooper Copyright 2007 by Control Station, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Workshop 2: P-Only Control of Tank Level (cont.)

Enter your Set Point, Bias and Controller Gain values from the tasks 1 and 3 above. Click Done at the bottom of the controller design menu to put the controller in automatic. Click the Continue icon on the tool bar to start the process simulation if it is paused. The top strip chart should display the white PV signal trace with some noise or random error. The PV should be centered over a straight yellow SP line. There should be no sustained offset. If there is, recheck that your CObias value is set to 64% on the controller design menu. 5) Click the Continue ( ) icon on the tool bar to start the process simulation if it is paused. Click the Set Point box shown on the process graphic, step the SP from 3.3 up to 4.3 m and watch the response. Step the SP back to 3.3 m and when the response completes, click the Pause icon (II). What do you notice when the SP moves away from the DLO value of 3.3 m? Explore how Kc impacts offset and response oscillations. Repeat the above SP steps using a Kc of 5, then 10, and then 20 %/m. View a plot that shows all three tests side-by-side. Which of these three Kc values provides the best balance of a small offset yet reasonable oscillations? How/why did you decide which is the best Kc? Explore the set point tracking performance of your P-Only controller. Click once on the Set Point box on the process, step the SP from 3.3 m up to 4.3 m and observe the response. Step the SP back to 3.3 m and when the response completes, click Pause . Do you notice offset when the set point is different from the DLO (design level of operation) set point value? Explore how the size of Kc impacts offset and the oscillatory nature of the controller response. Click the level controller (LC) on the process and when the controller design menu opens, change your controller gain. Enter a Kc of 5 %/m and click Done to put the controller in automatic. Step the set point from 3.3 m up to 4.3 m and back, waiting for the response to complete after each step. Repeat this procedure for a Kc of 10 and then 20 %/m. Click Pause when you have completed all three controller gain (Kc) experiments. You may want to lengthen the time scale of the plot display using the History icon on the tool bar. Click the Plot icon and view a fixed plot of the three set point studies side-by-side. You may need to customize the display using Plot Options so the plot allows a useful visual comparison. First consider at the measured PV (liquid level) plot. How does an increasing Kc impact the speed of response? The offset? The tendency to oscillate? Now consider the controller output (CO) plot. How does a changing Kc impact this variable? Which of the Kc values do you think provides the best balance of a rapid response, acceptable offset and reasonable degree of oscillation? Explain why you selected your best Kc value.

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Hands-on Workshop Series by Douglas J. Cooper Copyright 2007 by Control Station, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Workshop 2: P-Only Control of Tank Level (cont.)

6) Use the controller design menu to set Kc = 10 %/m. Enter a SP of 3.3 m and let the measured PV steady out. Now, letting the PV settle between each test, step the SP from 3.3 up to 5.3 m, then 7.3 m, and finally 9.3 m. You may need to use the History icon on the tool bar to view the entire series of tests. How does offset and oscillatory nature of the response change as the SP moves further from the DLO? Does the controller CO become constrained at the maximum 100% limit during the tests? How does (or would) this impact the set point response performance?

7) Study disturbance rejection performance of a P-Only controller. Return Kc to 5 %/m and the SP to 3.3 m. Wait for all previous activity to scroll off of the strip charts and expand the vertical plot axes by clicking the Rescale icon on the tool bar. Since this is our DLO, there should be no offset. The major disturbance (D) is the pumped flow rate out of the bottom of the tank. Step the disturbance, D, from 2 up to 5 L/min. After the PV response completes, return D to 2 L/min and let the response complete. Repeat this procedure for a Kc of 10 and 20 %/m. The set point is at the DLO. Why does the PV show offset during the experiments? Which of the Kc values do you think provides the best balance of a rapid response, acceptable offset and reasonable degree of oscillation for disturbance rejection? Is this the same as your choice for SP tracking? Explain why you selected your best Kc value.

(optional) 8) Design and test a P-Only controller for the Heat Exchanger process. The DLO is a measured o exit stream temperature of 144 C. The warm oil flow disturbance stream is expected to be about 10 L/min during typical operation. Explore P-Only controller performance for set point tracking from 144 C up to 150 C and back again. Also explore the controller in rejecting disturbance changes from 10 L/min up to 15 L/min and back again. Determine a best Kc value that balances set point tracking and disturbance rejection performance. Document your results with plots, computation and discussion.
o o

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Hands-on Workshop Series by Douglas J. Cooper Copyright 2007 by Control Station, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Workshop 2: P-Only Control of Tank Level Worksheet

Fit a FOPDT dynamic model to the CO to PV (cause and effect) step test data CO = controller output; PV = measured process variable (level in the tank)

CO step from 60% 68%

Compute process gain, Kp when CO1 = 60%, then PV1 = _________ when CO2 = 68%, then PV2 = _________ PV = PV2 PV1 = ___________ CO = CO2 CO1 = ___________
Kp is the how far variable

Kp = PV/ CO =
units

Compute process time constant, p tPVstart = time PV response starts = _________ PV63.2 = PV1 + 0.632( PV) = __________ t63.2 = time PV63.2 reached = __________

p is the how fast variable

=t
63.2

t
PVstart

=
units

Compute process dead time, p tCOstep = time CO stepped = _________

p is the how much delay variable

=t
PVstart

t
COstep

=
units

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Hands-on Workshop Series by Douglas J. Cooper Copyright 2007 by Control Station, Inc. All Rights Reserved