Instrumentation Automation Systems Workshop

Introduction

Although the subject of many hundreds of articles, books, and courses, the basic elements of automatic process control are still widely misunderstood. Worse, the majority of control systems are misapplied. Research carried out by ISA and other bodies indicate that up to 75% of all loops will oscillate when operated in automatic.

Objectives

This workshop, Practical Process Control: Loop Tuning and Analysis, is designed to provide engineers and technicians with the basic theoretical and practical understanding of the process loop and how this can be applied to optimize process control in terms of quality, safety, flexibility, and costs. This workshop aims to enable participants to develop the following competencies:

• Understanding of the concepts of closed-loop control used in the field of process control
• Select and specify different types of control algorithms and the effect on loop tuning performance in different applications
• The experience of exchanging ideas, problems, and solutions with other delegates from different backgrounds and processes
• A renewed or refreshed ability to understand their process, plant, or operation and apply the appropriate instrumentation and control technology
• Understand the fundamentals of Process Control
• Define such terms as process lag, capacitance, and resistance
• Gain an insight into the process reaction curve
• Appreciate the effects of 1st and 2nd order reactions
• Avoid incorrect sensor placement
• Distinguish the effect of span on the system performance
• Appreciate the effects of different valve characteristics on the loop performance
• Analyze such problems as valve hysteresis, stiction, and non-linearities
• Fully appreciate the effects of proportional, integral, and derivative control
• Correctly apply both open and closed Loop Tuning according to Ziegler Nichols
• Apply Lambda Tuning
• Appreciate the effects on loop tuning using a software-based loop analysis program
• Understand the effects of aliasing
• Realize the effects of filtering on loop performance
• Understand cascade and feed-forward control
• Appreciate the rationale for using Ratio control and Adaptive control systems
• Identify and correct problems with process dead time 

Training Methodology

This is an interactive course. There will be open question and answer sessions, regular group exercises and activities, videos, case studies, and presentations on best practice. Participants will have the opportunity to share with the facilitator and other participants on what works well and not so well for them, as well as work on issues from their own organizations. The online course is conducted online using MS-Teams/ClickMeeting.

Who Should Attend?

Professionals involved in designing, selecting, sizing, specifying, installing, testing, operating, and maintaining process instrumentation and control systems.

• Automation Engineers
• Chemical Engineers
• Consulting Engineers
• Design Engineers
• Electrical Engineers
• Electricians
• Installation and Maintenance Technicians
• Instrument and Process Control Engineers and Technicians
• Instrument Fitters
• Maintenance Engineers
• Mechanical Engineers and Technicians
• Operations Engineers
• Process Engineers
• Process Operators
• Production Professionals
• Project Professionals
• System Integrators
• Professionals with little to moderate production facility design and/or operations background
• Other professionals who want a better understanding of the subject matter

Course Outline

Day 1: Basic process considerations

• Definition of terms
• Process lag, capacitance, and resistance
• Process reaction curve
• 1st and 2nd order reactions

Process measurement

• Instrumentation cabling
• Do’s and don’ts
• Filtering
  • Aliasing
  • Reaction masking
• Sensor placement
• Correct PV
• Effect of span

Day 2: Final control element

• Choked flow
• Pressure recovery
• Flashing and cavitation
• Valve construction
• Valve characteristics
  • Inherent
  • Profiling
  • Installed
  • Cavitation control
• Actuators
• Diaphragm
• Cylinder
• Electric
• Valve positioners
• Deadband and hysteresis
• Stick-slip
• Testing procedures and analysis
• Effect of valve performance on controllability

Day 3: Fundamentals of Process Control

• ON/OFF control
• Proportional control
• Proportional band vs. proportional gain
• Proportional offset
• Reset
• Integral action
• Integral windup
• Stability
• Bode plot
• Nyquist plot
• Derivative action
• PID control
• Control algorithms
• Load disturbances and offset
• Speed, stability, and robustness

Day 4: Fundamentals of Tuning

• Basic principles
• Open-loop reaction curve method (Ziegler-Nichols)
• Default and typical settings
• Closed-loop continuous cycling method (Ziegler-Nichols)
• Lambda tuning
• Fine-tuning
• Tuning for load rejection vs. set-point rejection
• Tuning according to Pessin
• Tuning for different applications
• Speed of response vs. robustness
• Surge tank level control

Day 5: Automated tuning systems

• Self-tuning loops
• Adaptive control

Advanced control algorithms

• Cascade systems
• Feedforward and combined systems
• Ratio control
• Adaptive control systems
• Deadtime compensation
• Fuzzy logic control