Laboratory Exercise No.

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Basic Concepts of Process Dynamics and Control
1. Objective:
The activity aims to understand the basic concepts of process dynamics and control.
2. Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs):
The students shall be able to:
2.1 Determine the input and output in the different chemical processes.
2.2 Provide instrumentation requirements for a chemical process.
2.3 Identify the different process variables in a chemical process.
2.4 Specifiy the controlled variables (CVs), manipulated variables (MVs) and disturbance variables (DVs)
from the different chemical processes.
3. Discussion:
Most chemical processing plants were run essentially manually prior to the 1940s. Only the most elementary
types of controllers were used. Many operators were needed to keep watch on the many variables in the
plant. Large tanks were employed to act as buffers or surge capacities between various units in the plant.
These tanks, although sometimes quite expensive, served the function of filtering out some of the dynamic
disturbances by isolating one part of the process from upsets occurring in another part.

With increasing labor and equipment costs and with the development of more severe, higher-capacity, higher-
performance equipment and processes in the 1940s and early 195Os, it became uneconomical and often
impossible to run plants without automatic control devices. At this stage feedback controllers were added to
the plants with little real consideration of or appreciation for the dynamics of the process itself. Rule-of-thumb
guides and experience were the only design techniques.

In the 1960s chemical engineers began to apply dynamic analysis and control theory to chemical engineering
processes. Most of the techniques were adapted from the work in the aerospace and electrical engineering
fields. In addition to designing better control systems, processes and plants were developed or modified so
that they were easier to control. The concept of examining the many parts of a complex plant together as a
single unit, with all the interactions included, and devising ways to control the entire plant is called systems
engineering. The current popular “buzz” words artificial intelligence and expert systems
are being applied to these types of studies.

The rapid rise in energy prices in the 1970s provided additional needs for effective control systems. The
design and redesign of many plants to reduce energy consumption resulted in more complex, integrated
plants that were much more interacting. So the challenges to the process control engineer have continued to
grow over the years. This makes the study of dynamics and control even more vital in the chemical
engineering curriculum than it was 30 years ago.

Feedback control. The traditional way to control a process is to measure the variable that is to be
controlled, compare its value with the desired value (the set-point to the controller) and feed the difference
(the error) into a feedback controller that will change a manipulated variable to drive the controlled variable
back to the desired value. Information is thus “fed back” from the controlled variable to a manipulated
variable, as sketched in the figure below.

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Feed-forward control. The basic idea is shown in the figure below .

The disturbance is detected as it enters the process and an appropriate change is made in the manipulated
variable such that the controlled variable is held constant. Thus we begin to take corrective action as soon
as a disturbance entering the system is detected instead of waiting (as we do with feedback control) for the
disturbance to propagate all the way through the process before a correction is made.

4. Resources:
Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes
Process Modeling, Simulation and Control for Chemical Engineers
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5. Procedure:
1. Explain each of the chemical processes that chemical engineers usually encounter in chemical
plants with a corresponding block diagram noting what enters into it and what comes out. Tabulate
your answers in Table 1.

2. Consider the heat exchanger as shown below:

An oil stream passes through the tube side of a tube-in-shell heat exchanger and is heated by condensing
steam on the shell side. The steam condensate leaves through a steam trap ( a device that only liquid to pass
through, thus preventing “blow through” of the steam vapor). To control the temperature of the oil leaving in
the heat exchanger, a thermocouple is inserted in a thermowell in the exit oil pipe. The thermocouple wires
are connected to a “temperature transmitter”, an electronic device that converts the millivolt thermocouple
output into a 4- to20-milliampere “control signal.” The current signal is sent into a temperature controller, an
electronic or digital or pneumatic device that compares the desired temperature (the “setpoint”) with the actual
temperature, and sends out a signal to a control valve. The temperature controller opens the steam valve
more if the temperature is too low and closes it a little if the temperature is too high.

In order to provide automatic control of some variable in a process, in the above case temperature, determine
the requirements/instrumentation that must be installed in the system. Also, provide explanation of its role in
the automation. Tabulate your answers in Table 2.

3. Consider the simple schematic sketch of the process configuration and its control system, as
shown below:

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Two liquid feeds are pumped into a reactor in which they react to form products. The reaction is exothermic,
and therefore heat must be removed from the reactor. This is accomplished by adding cooling water to a
jacket surrounding the reactor. Reactor effluent is pumped through a pre-heater into a distillation column
that splits it into two product streams.

Identify the different process variables that must be controlled and provide available instrumentation for
each process variable. Tabulate your answers in Table 3.
4. For the heat exchanger in Procedure 2, determine the type of the different variables in the system
as Manipulated Variables (MV), Controlled Variables (CV), Uncontrolled Variables (UV) and Load
Disturbances (LD) or Disturbance Variables (DV). Tabulate your answers in Table 4.

5. For the distillation column in Procedure 3, determine the type of the different variables in the
system as Manipulated Variables (MV), Controlled Variables (CV), Uncontrolled Variables (UV) and
Load Disturbances (LD). Tabulate your answers in Table 4.

6. Consider the schematic diagram of a heat exchanger as shown below:

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A process fluid on the tube side is cooled by cooling water on the shell side, determine the type of the
different variables in the system as Manipulated Variables (MV), Controlled Variables (CV), Uncontrolled
Variables (UV) and Load Disturbances (LD). Tabulate your answers in Table 6.
7. Consider the schematic diagram of continuous-stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) as shown below:

If the reaction is highly exothermic, it is necessary to control the reactor temperature by manipulating the flow
rate of coolant in a jacket or cooling coil. Determine the type of the different variables in the system as
Manipulated Variables (MV), Controlled Variables (CV), Uncontrolled Variables (UV) and Load Disturbances
(LD). Tabulate your answers in Table 7.
8. Consider the thermal cracking furnace as shown below:

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Crude oil is broken down (“cracked”) into a number of lighter petroleum fractions by the heat transferred
from a burning fuel/air mixture. Determine the type of the different variables in the system as Manipulated
Variables (MV), Controlled Variables (CV), Uncontrolled Variables (UV) and Load Disturbances (LD).
Tabulate your answers a Table 8.
9. Consider the schematic diagram of a batch or semi-batch reactor as shown below:

An initial charge of reactants is brought up to reaction conditions, and the reactions are allowed to proceed
for a specified period of time or until a specified conversion is obtained. Batch and semi-batch reactors are
used routinely in specialty chemical plants, polymerization plants ( where a reaction by-product typically is
removed during the reaction), and in pharmaceutical and other bio-processing facilities (where a feed
stream, e.g. glucose, is fed into the reactor during a portion of the cycle to feed a living organism, such as a
yeast or protein). Determine the type of the different variables in the system as Manipulated Variables
(MV), Controlled Variables (CV), Uncontrolled Variables (UV) and Load Disturbances (LD). Tabulate your
answers in Table 9.

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 10. Consider a schematic diagram of a batch digester in a pulp mill as shown below:

Both continuous and semi-batch digesters are used in paper manufacturing to break down wood chips in
order to extract the cellulosic fibers. The end-point of the chemical reaction is indicated by the kappa
number, a measure of lignin content. Determine the type of the different variables in the system as
Manipulated Variables (MV), Controlled Variables (CV), Uncontrolled Variables (UV) and Load
Disturbances (LD). Tabulate your answers in Table 10.

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Course: ECE 006 Laboratory Exercise No.: 1
Group No.: Section: CH42FB2
Group Members: Date Performed: June 22, 2019
Date Submitted: June 22, 2019
Instructor:

6. Data and Results:

1.
Table 1. Different Chemical Processes, Its Block Diagram and Explanation

Chemical Process Block Diagram

1 Absorption

Explanation:

Desolvation by evaporating the solvent present in the

sample and leaves the sample completely dry.
Vaporising the evaporated solid sample into the gas or
vapour. Voltalisation by breaking the vaporised sample
into the free atoms.

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2 Condensation

Explanation: The steam condenser receives the exhaust steam

from one end and comes in contact with the cooling water
circulated within it form the cooling tower. As the low pressure
steam comes in contact with the cooling water, it condenses
and converts into water. It is connected to the air extraction
pump and condensate extraction pump. After the
condensation of steam, the condensate is pumped to the hot
well with the help of condensate extraction pump. The air
extraction pump extracts the air from the condenser and
creates the vacuum inside it. The vacuum created helps in
the circulation of cooling water and flow of condensate
downward.

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3 Crystallization

Explanation:

Crude product is cooled in scraped surface crystallizers. These may

be exchanger type or vessel type crystallizers depending on the
specific application. The crystallizer produces pure product crystals
and thus concentrates the impurities in the remaining liquid mother
liquor. The crystals are then separated from the impurity rich mother
liquor producing a pure product stream and a reject stream. The
reject contains the concentrated impurities but also valuable product
which may be recovered depending on the specific application.

Each individual crystal is suspended in the mother liquor and is

allowed to grow free flowing in the liquid. With billions of crystals per
cubic meter the growth surface can reach 5,000 to 10,000 m² per m³
of volume. This massive growth surface allows near ideal growth
rates that result in the characteristic pure crystals expected from the
eutectic crystallization process.

Since all of the impurities are now in the mother liquor it is most
important to remove all of this liquid from the outside of the crystals.
The crystallizer suspension is pumped into a wash column where the
pure crystals are separated and then washed to remove any
remaining mother liquor. The efficient washing action provided in the
wash column is unmatched by any other solid/liquid separation
device. The pure product crystals are then melted and discharged
from the system.
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 Suspension based crystallizers produce pure crystals. Wash
columns can effectively remove all of the mother liquor and thereby
produce ultra high purity product.

4 Distillation

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 Explanation:

To illustrate the design procedure, consider the distillation column

shown in the figure which is used to separate a binary mixture. The
symbols B, D, and F denote molar flow rates, whereas x, y, and z are
the mole fractions of the more volatile component. The objective is to
control the distillation composition, y, despite measurable
disturbances in feed flow rate F and feed composition z, by adjusting
distillate flow rate, D.

5 Drying

Explanation: Wet material is dispersed into a stream of heated air

(or gas) which conveys it through a drying duct. Using the heat
from the airstream, the material dries as it is conveyed. Product is
separated using cyclones, and/or bag filters. Typically, cyclones are
followed by scrubbers or bag filters for final cleaning of the exhaust
gases to meet current emission requirements.

For even greater thermal efficiency and where inertization is

required, recycling of exhaust gases can be used. This partial gas
recycle (PGR) configuration can be implemented on all our
airstream drying systems as well as retrofitted on customer's
existing drying operations.

Flash dryers have been used to dry products in many industries

including agrifood, chemical, mineral. A broad range of feed
materials including powders, cakes, granules, flakes, pastes, gels,
and slurries can be processed. For slurries, pastes, or sticky
materials, backmixing of the wet feed with a portion of dry product
to produce a suitable conditioned material is required.

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6 Evaporation

Explanation: The feed enters at Tf. Saturated steam at Ts enters the

heat exchange section. Condensed steam leaves as condensate or
drips. The solution in the evaporator is assumed to be completely
mixed. Hence, the concentrated product and the solution in the
evaporator have the same composition.

7 Extraction

Explanation: A carbonaceous feedstock, such as crushed coal, is

blended with an aprotic dipolar solvent such as N-methyl pyrrolidone
(NMP) in a Continuously Stirred Tank Reactor (CSTR). A typical
protocol calls for 10 kg of raw coal in 100 liters of solution at 200C.
The resultant slurry must be pumped to a centrifuge which separates
the dissolved portion from undissolved coal solids. The byproduct
coal solids are suitable for gasification, or could possibly be

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 incorporated in a product such as asphalt. The soluble portion of the
coal is typically about 70% or 7 kg of the feed material, depending
on the type of coal selected. The soluble portion of the coal, solvent
extracted coal ore (SECO), is obtained by evaporating the solvent in
a Ross mixer, a heated planetary mixing system. The evaporated
solvent The evaporated solvent is then condensed and retained for
use in subsequent batches.

8 Filtration

Explanation:

In the RO flow diagram here, it shows a 5 stage RO water purifier.

What is meant by stages in a RO water purifier is the number of
water purification steps the water undergoes in a water purifier. In
this diagram the first stage is the sediment filter of 20 microns, the
second stage the fine filter of 5 microns, the third stage is the
activated carbon filter, the fourth stage is the RO membrane and the
fifth stage is the UV water purifier. Some RO water purifiers come

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 with 6 or even 7 stages of water purification. The additional stage
may be a second activated carbon filter containing a block activated
carbon or Granular activated carbon. There could also be a
remineralisation filter or taste enhancer stage at the end after the RO
membrane.

9 Flash Vaporization

Explanation:

Saturated liquid stream undergoes a reduction in pressure by

passing through a throttling valve or other throttling device. This
process is one of the simplest unit operations. If the throttling valve
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 or device is located at the entry into a pressure vessel so that the
flash evaporation occurs within the vessel, then the vessel is often
referred to as a flash drum.[1][2]

If the saturated liquid is a single-component liquid (for example, liquid

propane or liquid ammonia), a part of the liquid immediately "flashes"
into vapor. Both the vapor and the residual liquid are cooled to the
saturation temperature of the liquid at the reduced pressure. This is
often referred to as "auto-refrigeration" and is the basis of most
conventional vapor compression refrigeration systems.

If the saturated liquid is a multi-component liquid (for example, a

mixture of propane, isobutane and normal butane), the flashed vapor
is richer in the more volatile components than is the remaining liquid.

Uncontrolled flash evaporation can result in a boiling liquid

expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE).

10 Heat Exchange/ing

Explanation:

Two fluids, of different starting temperatures, flow through the heat

exchanger. One flows through the tubes (the tube side) and the other
flows outside the tubes but inside the shell (the shell side). Heat is
transferred from one fluid to the other through the tube walls, either
from tube side to shell side or vice versa. The fluids can be either
liquids or gases on either the shell or the tube side. In order to
transfer heat efficiently, a large heat transfer area should be used,

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 leading to the use of many tubes. In this way, waste heat can be put
to use. This is an efficient way to conserve energy.

Heat exchangers with only one phase (liquid or gas) on each side
can be called one-phase or single-phase heat exchangers. Two-
phase heat exchangers can be used to heat a liquid to boil it into a
gas (vapor), sometimes called boilers, or cool a vapor to condense it
into a liquid (called condensers), with the phase change usually
occurring on the shell side. Boilers in steam engine locomotives are
typically large, usually cylindrically-shaped shell-and-tube heat
exchangers. In large power plants with steam-driven turbines, shell-
and-tube surface condensers are used to condense the exhaust
steam exiting the turbine into condensate water which is recycled
back to be turned into steam in the steam generator.

11 Stripping

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 Explanation:

Either the packed or trayed air stripper involves the downward flow of
a volatile-containing liquid (most often, water) and the upward flow of
air. The liquid and air are intimately contacted by the packing or the
trays in the stripper. The volatile components in the liquid are
transferred into the air stream by the series of intimate contacts
occurring at each tray as the air flows upward through the stripper.

A properly designed and operated air stripper can remove up to

99.9+ percent of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from
groundwaters and wastewaters.

There are many different types of trays, including bubble-cap trays,

valve trays and sieve trays.[6] Sieve trays are the most commonly
used type in air strippers because they are very simple, less
expensive than the other types and adequately efficient for use in air
strippers. There are also many types of packing available for packed
bed strippers, either randomly packed or structurally packed material
as shown in the adjacent photographs.

The stripped liquid leaving the bottom of the stripper is essentially

free of volatiles. The air stream leaving the top of the stripper
contains the volatiles removed from the liquid and may require some
type of emissions mitigation to comply with applicable environmental
regulatory limits such as the National Emissions Standards for
Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP) as set by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.

2.
Table 2. Different Instrumentation Requirements and Its Explanation

Requirements/Instrumentation Explanation

thermocouple This senses the temperature of the oil in

the exit pipe of the hear exchanger

temperature transmitter It is connected to the thermocouple. It

converts the output of the thermocouple to
a control signal

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 Temperature controller This receives the signal of the transmitter
then compare it to the set point.

Steam Valve This is is connected with the controller. It

opens when the signal from the transmitter
is lower and closes if it is higher

3.
Table 3. Different Process Variables and Its Instrumentation

Process Variable Instrumentation

Velocity Flow control Loop

Temperature Temperature control Loop

Pressure Pressure Control Loop

Level Level Control Loop

4.
Table 4. Types of the different process variables for a heat exchanger

Process Variable MV/CV/UV/LD

oil feed flow rate F LD

oil inlet temperature TO LD

steam flow rate F MV

oil exit temperature T CV

5.
Table 5. Types of the different process variables for a distillation column

Process Variable MV/CV/UV/LD

feed flow rate LD

feed composition LD

Reflux MV

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 steam CV

cooling water CV

distillate CV

bottoms flow rates MV

distillate product composition CV

bottoms product composition CV

column pressure UV

base liquid level CV

reflux drum liquid level MV

compositions on all the trays CV

temperatures on all the trays CV

6.
Table 6. Types of the different process variables for a heat exchanger

Process Variable MV/CV/UV/LD

Exit temperature of the process fluid CV

Cooling water flow rate MV

Variation in inlet temperature LD

Process fluid flow rate LD

7.
Table 7. Types of the different process variables for a continuous-stirred-tank reactor (CSTR)

Process Variable MV/CV/UV/LD

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 Feed composition LD/MV

Feed flow rate LD/MV

Feed temperature LD/MV

8.
Table 8. Types of the different process variables for a thermal cracking furnace
Process Variable MV/CV/UV/LD

Furnace temperature CV

Amount of excess air in the flue gas CV

Fuel flow rate MV

Fuel/air ratio MV

Crude oil composition LD

Heating quality of the fuel LD

9.
Table 9. Types of the different process variables for a batch or semi-batch reactor
Process Variable MV/CV/UV/LD

Reactor temperature CV

Coolant flow rate MV

End-point (final) concentration of the batch CV

Desired temperature MV

Flow of reactants (for semi-batch MV

operation)

Cycle time MV

10.
Table 10. Types of the different process variables for a batch digester in a pulp mill

Process Variable MV/CV/UV/LD

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 End-point (final) concentration of the batch CV

Digester temperature MV

Digester pressure MV

Cycle time MV

7.Conclusion:

I therefore conclude that there are process variables that are needed to be controlled to get the optimum
output.

8. Further Readings:
Seborg Dale E., Edgar, Thomas F., and Mellichamp Duncan A. (2004). Process Dynamics and
Control. Singapore: Wiley.
Wiley.
Knopf, F. C. (2012). Modeling, analysis and optimization of process and energy systems.Hoboken,
New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.
Velten, K. (2009). Mathematical modeling and simulation: introduction for scientists and engineers.
Singapore: Wiley-VCH.

9. Assessment (Rubric for Laboratory Performance):

TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES
RUBRIC FOR MODERN TOOL USAGE
(Engineering Programs)
Student Outcome (e): Use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering
practice in complex engineering activities.
Program: Chemical Engineering Course: CHE 506 Section: _______ ____Sem SY ________
Performance Unsatisfactory Developing Satisfactory Very Satisfactory Score
Indicators 1 2 3 4
1. Apply Fails to identify Identifies Identifies modern Recognizes the
appropriate any modern modern techniques and is benefits and
techniques, techniques to techniques but able to apply constraints of
skills, and perform fails to apply these in modern
modern discipline- these in performing engineering tools
tools to specific performing discipline-specific and shows
perform a engineering discipline- engineering task. intention to apply
discipline- task. specific them for

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 specific engineering engineering
engineering task. practice.
task.
2. Demonstrate Fails to apply Attempts to Shows ability to Shows ability to
skills in any modern apply modern apply fundamental apply the most
applying tools to solve tools but has procedures in appropriate and
different engineering difficulties to using modern effective modern
techniques problems. solve tools when solving tools to solve
and modern engineering engineering engineering
tools to problems. problems. problems.
solve
engineering
problems.
3. Recognize Does not Recognizes Recognizes the Recognizes the
the benefits recognize the some benefits benefits and need for benefits
and benefits and and constraints of and constraints of
constraints constraints of constraints of modern modern
of modern modern modern engineering tools engineering tools
engineering engineering engineering and shows and makes good
tools. tools. tools. intention to apply use of them for
them for engineering
engineering practice.
practice.
Total Score
Mean Score = (Total Score / 3)
Percentage Rating = (Total Score / 12) x 100%
Evaluated by: Engr. Crispulo G. Maranan June 17, 2017
Printed Name and Signature of Faculty Member Date

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