Logo

Practical Process Control and Tuning of Industrial Control Loops

Introduction

Practical Process Control and Tuning of Industrial Control Loops

Course Objectives:

By completing this training course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the fundamentals of Process Control
• Know the fundamentals of tuning loops - both open and closed-loop
• Get the best PID settings right first time
• Know where to troubleshoot to achieve optimally tuned control loops
• Be able to apply step-by-step descriptions of the best field-proven tuning procedures
• Know the typical procedures for troubleshooting tuning problems
• Tune more control loops in less time with consistently excellent results
• Be able to apply the practical rules of thumb for tuning systems
• Be proficient at tuning with a detailed knowledge of Open Loop Tuning and Closed Loop Tuning (including such classics as Ziegler Nichols Tuning and Lambda Tuning)
• Be able to determine the minimum settling time for a control loop
• Know the optimum amount of filtering or dampening to apply to the measurement
• Know why and how to size valves for best control loop performance
• Be able to handle problems such as valve hysteresis, stiction, and non-linearities
• Be able to tune complex loops ranging from cascade to feedforward
• Know when to use derivative control for the best-tuned loop
• Understand cascade loops and feedforward control
• Be able to identify and correct problems with dead time in the process
• Apply the fundamentals of Process Control
• Set up efficient Process Control systems
• Set up cascade and feedforward systems
• Tune loops effectively
• Apply open and closed-loop tuning rules
• Deal with stiction, hysteresis, and non-linearities
• Correct problems with dead time
• Troubleshoot tuning problems

Who Should Attend?

This course is intended for all Instrumentation & Control Engineers, Process Control Engineers, Mechanical Engineers & Technicians, System Integrators, Consultants, Operators Monitoring & Controlling Processes, Installation & Maintenance Technicians as well as Energy Management Consultants, Electrical Engineers, Electricians, and Automation Engineers.

Course Outlines:

Introduction & BASIC CONTROL CONCEPTS

• Typical Manual Control
• Feedback and Feedforward Control
• Block Diagrams

INTRODUCTION TO INSTRUMENTATION

• Selection and Specification of devices
• Pressure Measurement
• Flow Measurement
• Level Measurement
• Temperature Measurement

Introduction to Control Valves

• Basic Principles
• Rotary Control Valves
• Ball Valves
• Characteristics and Specifications

FUNDAMENTALS OF PROCESS CONTROL

• Processes, controllers, and tuning
• PID controllers - P, I and D modes of operation
• Load disturbances and offset
• Speed, stability, and robustness
• Gain, dead time and time constants
• Process noise
• Feedback controllers
• How to select feedback controller modes
• Practical Session

Fundamentals of Tuning

• Open-loop characterization of process dynamics
• Default and typical settings
• General-purpose closed-loop tuning method
• Quick and easy-open loop method
• Fine-tuning for different process types
• Simplified lambda tuning
• Practical Session

THE DIFFERENT TUNING RULES

• Ten different rules compared
• Tables of typical tuning settings
• When to use them/when not to use them
• Rules of thumb in tuning
• Practical Session

TUNING OF VALVES

• Hysteresis
• Stiction
• Practical Session

AUTOMATED TUNING

• Self-tuning loops
• Adaptive control
• Practical Session

TUNING OF MORE COMPLEX SYSTEMS

• Cascade systems - tuning of them
• Feedforward, ratio, multivariable systems
• Interactive loops tuning
• Deadtime compensation
• Practical limitations
• Practical Session

GOOD PRACTICE

• Good practice for common loop problems
• Flow control loop characteristics