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CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
INSTRUMENTATION AND PROCESS CONTROL
INTRODUCTION
A plant is an arrangement of processing units, integrated with one another in a systematic and rational manner. The
plants over-all objective is to convert certain raw materials into desired products using available sources of energy, in the
most economical way.
During its operation, a plant must satisfy several requirements imposed by its designers and the general technical,
economic and social conditions in the presence of ever-changing external influences. Among such requirements are the
following:
1. SAFETY. Safe operation of a plant is the primary concern. Operating pressures, temperature, concentration of
chemicals, etc., should be within allowable limits.
2. PRODUCTION SPECIFICATION. A plant should produce the desired amounts and quality of final products.
3. ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS. Various laws may specify that the temperatures, concentrations of chemicals, and
flow rates of the effluents from the plant be within certain limits.
4. OPERATIONAL CONSTRAINTS. The operation of a plant must conform with market conditions, that is, the availability
of raw materials and the demand of the final products. Furthermore, it should be as economical as possible in its
utilization of raw materials, energy, capital, and human labor. Thus it is required that the operating conditions are
controlled at given optimum levels of minimum operating cost, minimum profits, etc.
The requirements dictate the need for continuous monitoring of the operation of the plant and external intervention
to guarantee the satisfaction of the operational objectives. This is accomplished through a rational arrangement of
equipment (measuring devices, valves, controllers, computers) and human intervention (plant designers, operators), which
together constitute the control system.
CONTROL SYSTEM - is an arrangement of physical components connected or related in such a manner as to command,
direct, or regulate itself or another system, dynamically or actively.
There are three classes of needs that a control system is called on to satisfy:
1. SUPPRESSING THE INFLUENCE OF EXTENAL DISTURBANCES. This is usually out of reach of the operator,
thus there is a need to introduce a mechanism that will make the proper changes on the process to eliminate the
negative impact that such disturbances may have on the desired operation of a plant.

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2. ENSURE THE STABILITY OF THE PROCESS.

3. OPTIMIZE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PROCESS. The economic objective of a plant must be always
maximized. This is undertaken by the automatic controllers of the plant and its human operators.
BENEFITS FROM PROCESS CONTROL
1. Increased production levels
2. Reduced raw materials cost
3. Enhanced product quality
4. Extended equipment life
DESIGN ASPECT OF A PROCESS CONTROL SYSTEM
Variables in a process
1. Input Variables the stimulus, excitation or command applied to a control system, typically from an external energy
source, usually, in order to produce a specified response from the control system.
a. Manipulated or Adjustable variable variable used to maintain the controlled variable as its set point.
b. Disturbances or Upset any variable that can cause the controlled variable to deviate away from the set point.
2. Output Variables the actual response obtained from a control system. It may or may not be equal to the specified
response implied by the input.
a. Controlled Variable the variable that must be maintained or controlled at some desired value.
b. Set point desired value of the controlled variable.
TYPES OF CONTROL SYSTEM
1. OPEN LOOP - the controller is disconnected from the process. i.e., the controller is not making a decision on how to
maintain the controlled variable at set point. The action taken by the controller does not affect the measurement.
Their ability to perform accurately is determined by their calibration. To calibrate means to establish or reestablish the input-output relation to obtain desired system accuracy.
They are not usually troubled with problem instability.
2. OPEN LOOP or FEEDBACK - the controller is connected to the process, comparing to set point to the controlled
variable and determining corrective action
They are also called feedback control systems
FEEDBACK permits the output to be compared with the input to the system so that the feedback appropriate
control action may be formed as function of input and output.
The objective of the controlled system is to control the output in some prescribed manner by the input through the
elements of the control system. In a control system, the first thing to do is to measure the variable to be controlled. This is
done by a sensor which is connected physically to a transmitter. The transmitter takes the output from the sensor and
converts it to a signal strong enough to be transmitted to a controller. The controller then receives the signal which is related
to the variable and compares it with the desired value. Depending on this comparison, the controller decides what to do to
maintain the controlled variable at its desired value. Based on this decision, the controller then sends another signal to the
final control element, which in turn manipulates the input variable.
FOUR BASIC ELEMNETS OF ALL CONTROL SYSTEMS
1. Sensor
2. Transmitter
3. Controller, the brain of the control system
4. Final Control Element
The importance of these components is that they perform three basic operations that must be present in every control
system.

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M (Measurement); measuring the variable to be controlled which is usually done by the combination of the sensor
and transmitter.
D (Decision); based on the measurement, the controller must then decide what to do to maintain the variable at its
desired value.
A (Action); as a result of the controllers decision, the system must then take action. This is usually accomplished by
the final control element.

TYES OF FEEDBACK SYSTEMS

1. Linear or Non-Linear
Strictly speaking, linear systems do not exist in practice. Linear systems are idealized model which are used as
basis for analyzing non-linear systems.
2. Time Invariant or Time Varying Systems
When the parameters of a control system are stationary with respect to time during operation of the system, the
system is called time variant. In practice, most systems contain elements that drift or vary with time.
3. Continuous Data Control System
A continuous data system is one in which the signals at various parts of the system are all functions of
continuous time variable.
4. Sampled Data and Digital Control System
Sampled data and digital systems differ from continuous data systems in that the signals at one or more
points of the system are in the form of either a pulse train or digital code. Usually, sampled data systems
refer to a more general class of system whose signals are in the form of pulse data, whereas a digital
control system refers to the use of a digital computer or controller in the system.
CONTROL SYSTEM MODELS
1. Mathematical models
2. Block Diagram
3. Signal Flow Graphs
CONTROL STRATEGIES
1. Feedback Control
2. Feed forward Control - its objective is to measure the disturbances and compensate for them before the controlled
variable deviates from set point. If applied correctly, the controlled variable will not deviate from set point.
PROBLEMS
1. A control system has the transfer function as given below:

Y ( s ) 1s

X (s) 2 s

A unit step change is applied to the system. If

a. 0

b. 5

1 5 , the maximum value of y(t) is

2
c. 1

d. 4

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2. What will be the minimum value of k such that a closed loop system having the following characteristic equation is
stable?
s3+ks2+(k+1)s+4=0
a.

1 2
2

b.

1 5
2

c.

1 2
5

d.

1 5
3

3. The thermometer follows first order dynamics with a time constant of 0.2 min. It is placed in a temperature bath at 100C
and is allowed to reach steady state, it is suddenly transferred to another bath at 150C at time t=0 and is left there for
0.2 min, it is immediately returned to the original bath at 100C. What will be is reading at t=0.1 min.
a. y(t) = 100(1-e-0.1/0.2)

b. y(t) = 50(1-e-0.1/0.2)

c. y(t) = 75(1-e-0.1/0.2)

d. y(t) = 50(1-e-0.2/0.1)

Problems 4 & 5 are based on the illustration below:

R(s)
+

Kc

3
S 1

Us
+

24
S 1

4. Maximum gain for stable operation will be

a. 64
b. 62

c. 60

d. 63

5. The corresponding frequency of oscillation will be

a. 2
b. 3

c. 2

d.

C(s)

6. The transfer function of a process, a measuring element and a control valve is given respectively:

Gp

2
1.5
1
; Gv
; Gm
2s 1
3s 1
5s 1

A proportional controller with gain of kc = 1.

What is the steady state error in the output for a unit step in the set point?
a. 20%
b. 25%
c. 30%

d. 35%

7. A mercury thermometer having a time constant of 0.1 min is placed in a temperature bath at 100F and allowed to come
to equilibrium with the bath. At time t=0, the temperature of the bath begins to vary sinusoidal about its average
temperature 100F with an amplitude of 20F. If the frequency of oscillation is 10/ cycles/min, plot the ultimate
response of thermometer reading as a function of time, what is the phase lag?
a. 63.5
b. 66.7
c. 65.3
d. 66.3
Problems 8 to 10 are based on the following information:
A thermometer having a time constant of 0.2 min is placed in a temperature bath, and after the thermometer comes to
equilibrium with the bath, the temperature of the bath is increased, linearly with time at a rate of i/min. What is the
difference between the indicated temperature and the bath temperature?
8. 0.1min,
a. -0.0787C

b. -0.0877C

c. -0.0878C

d. -0.0967C

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9. 1.0 min after the change in temperature begins.

a. -0.1986C
b. -0.02000C
c. -0.1896C
d. -0.2010C
10. What is the maximum deviation between indicated temperature and bath temperature and when does it occur.
a. 0
b.
c. 100
d. 1000
Problems 11 & 12 are based on the following information and illustration:

20ft3/min

A tank having a cross-sectional area of 2 ft2 is operating at steady state with an inlet flow rate of 2.0 cfm. The flow-head
characteristics are shown in the figure.

11. What will be the transfer2.1

function H(s)/Q(s).
a.

1
s 1

b.

1
2( s 1)

c.

2
s 1

d.

1
s 2)

2.0

0.3from1.0
12. If the flow to the tank increases
2.0 to 2.2 cfm according to a step change, what is the level h 2 min after the
change occurs?
a. 0.886 ft
b. 0.896 ft.
c. 0.868 ft
d. 0.869ft

13. The liquid-level process shown in the figure is operating at steady-state when the following disturbance occurs: at time
t=0, 1 ft3 water is added suddenly (unit impulse) to the tank; at t=1, 2 ft3 of water is added suddenly to the tank. What
will be the level at t=0.5, 1 and 1.5?
10 cfm

Disturbance

--------------- - - - -- - - - - - - - - ----------------------------h

= 1min

X
R=0.5

a. 0.303 ft

b. 0.309 ft

c. 0.301 ft

d. 0.302 ft

14. A thermometer of time constant 10 seconds initially at 30C is suddenly immersed into water at 100C. How long will it
take for the thermometer reading to reach 90C?
a. 19.5 sec
b. 10.5 sec
c. 15.9 sec
d. 25 sec

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Problems 15 & 16 are based on the following information:

A pneumatic proportional controller is used to control the temperature within the range of 60F to 100F. The controller is
adjusted so that the output pressure goes from 3 psi, with the valve fully open, to 15 psi with the valve fully closed, as the
measured temperature goes from 71F to 75F with the set point held constant.
15. The gain of the control element in psi per F is
a. 6
b. 3

c. 1/3

d. 10

16. The proportional band of the above controller is

a. 20%
b. 15%

c. 10%

d. 40%

17. A thermometer with a time constant of 0.2 min is placed in a temperature bath, and after the thermometer comes to
equilibrium with the bath, the temperature of the bath increased linearly with time at a rate of 1/min. The difference
between the indicated temperature and the bath temperature after 1.0 min is
a. 0.075
b. 1.0
c. 0.20
d. 0.5