Aims

To learn the fundamentals of the control of various unit operations and to appreciate control law performance limitations.

Process control involves the selection and tailoring of methods for the efficient operation of chemical processes. Proper application of process control can improve the safety and profitability of processes. This course provides an overview of process control algorithms as well as the mathematical techniques that may be used to analyse process systems. The aim is to learn how to select appropriate control schemes and strategies for common unit operations encountered within the chemical industry.

Outline Of Syllabus

Data-based process modelling; The open loop step test; Review of Conventional Control; Multi-loop systems; Relative Gain analysis; Relative Disturbance Gain, Singular Value Decomposition; Decoupling control; Principles of distillation (separation and cut); Distillation control configurations, 2x2 composition schemes; Reactor stability; Reactor dynamics and operation.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures convey the mathematical concepts and theory of process control, practical classes support this through illustration and problem solving and therefore allow completion of assignment work.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The examination is an appropriate way to assess acquired knowledge and problem solving skills, this is supplemented by a written report on an assignment that allows more realistic engineering problems to be set and solved using software on a computer; it also develops the key skills listed above.