CONTROL OF CHEMICAL PROCESSES

Academic Year 2018/2019 - 2° Year
Teaching Staff: Mattia FRASCA
Credit Value: 9
Taught classes: 42 hours
Exercise: 45 hours
Term / Semester:

Learning Objectives

Knowledge of fundamentals physical or empirical modeling

Knowledge of fundamentals on dynamical behavior and stability

Understanding and design techniques of a PID controller

Knowledge of the fundamentals of MATLAB as a numerical tool for the theoretical topics studied


Course Structure

Lectures and class exercises


Detailed Course Content

1. INTRODUCTION TO PROCESS CONTROL

Introductory considerations on control. Control objectives and benefits.

2. MODELLING OF CHEMICAL PROCESSES

Mathematical modelling principles. Balancing equations, procedures and examples. Linearization.

3. PROCESS DYNAMICS

The Laplace Transform. Input-output models. Transfer functions. Block diagrams. Response to canonical inputs. Response to arbitrary signals. Frequency response

4. DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR OF TYPICAL PROCESS SYSTEMS

Dynamic behavior of first order systems. Dynamic behaviour of second order systems. Dynamic behaviour of first order systems with dead time. Pole dominance

5. STABILITY

The concept of stability. Stability and location of poles. Criteria for analysis of stability. Routh test. Bode criterion.

6. EMPIRICAL MODEL IDENTIFICATION

Introduction. Empirical Model building procedure. The process reaction curve. Statistical model identification.

7. PID CONTROLLERS

The feedback loop. The PID algorithm. Proportional, integral and derivative mode. The PID controller. Methods for PID tuning: PID controller tuning for dynamic performance. Methods for PID tuning: the Ziegler-Nichols closed-loop method. Digital implementation of PIDs. Practical issues of PID application.

8. ENHANCEMENTS TO SINGLE-LOOP PID FEEDBACK CONTROL

General principles. Cascade control. Feedforward control.

MATLAB EXERCISES

Matlab excercises for the topics covered by theory.


Textbook Information

1. T. E. Marlin, Process Control, McGraw Hill, 2nd Ed.

2 J. J. D’Azzo, C. H. Houpis, Linear control system analysis and design, McGraw Hill, 4th Ed.