EG55P7 - Tutorial 5

Signals and DCS programming

Problem 1.
A standard mass flow controller calculates the mass flow of a gas from the following orifice
equation:

𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀(𝑡𝑡)ℎ(𝑡𝑡)
𝑤𝑤(𝑡𝑡) = 𝐾𝐾0 �
𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅(𝑡𝑡)

where w(t) is the mass flow, K0 is the orifice coefficient, M is the molecular weight of gas, p(t) is the
absolute pressure, R the ideal gas constant, T(t) is the absolute temperature of the gas, and h(t) is
the differential pressure across the orifice. For this application assume that:

K0 = 45 (kg/h)/(kPa.kg/m3)0.5, M = 40 g/mol and R = 8.314 J mol-1 K-1

with transmitter ranges:

p(t) = 0 to 50 psig, T(t) = 35 to 95oC, h(t) = 0 to 25 kPa and w(t) = 0 to 600 kg/h.

(a) Develop the DCS program to implement the mass flow calculation.
(b) Determine if the transmitter for w(t) is properly selected.
(c) Determine the flow calculated by the program when all input transmitters are sending signals
equal to 30%.

Solutions
(a) The DCS program is given below, where unit conversions have already been accounted for:

1 P = AIN(1,0,50) ;reads in pressure in psig

2 T = AIN(2,35,60) ;reads in temperature in oC
3 h = AIN(3,0,25) ;reads in differential pressure in kPa
4 w = 45*(40*(P+14.7)*6.895*h/(8.314*(T+273.15)))^0.5

(b) It is not expected that all the measured variables will be at their maximum or minimum values at
the same time during normal operation of the mass flow controller. Nonetheless, we make this
simplifying assumption in order to calculate a maximum value for the range of the transmitter:

40 × 6.895 × (50 + 14.7) × 25

𝑤𝑤𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 = 45� = 593.8𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘/ℎ
8.314 × (35 + 273.15)

So, the transmitter for w(t) ranging up to 600 kg/h is properly selected, since it covers sufficiently the
entire range of expected values for mass flow even in the worst case.

(c) The following values are measured when all transmitters are sending signals equal to 30%:

p30 = 0+(50-0)×0.3=15 psig

 T30 = 35+(95-35)×0.3=53 oC

h30 = 0+(25-0)×0.3=7.5 kPa

So, the mass flow calculated by the program would be:

40 × 6.895 × (15 + 14.7) × 7.5

𝑤𝑤30 = 45� = 214.2𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘/ℎ
8.314 × (53 + 273.15)

Problem 2.
The heat exchanger shown below heats a process fluid by condensing steam. A control scheme calls
for controlling the heat transferred to the fluid. This heat transfer is calculated using the following
equation:

𝑄𝑄 = 𝐹𝐹𝜌𝜌𝐶𝐶𝑝𝑝 (𝑇𝑇 − 𝑇𝑇𝑖𝑖 )

The following information is known:

Variable Range Steady State

F 0 – 12 m3/h 7 m3/h
T 10 – 50 oC 25 oC
Ti -5 – 15 oC 10 oC
Q 0–? ?
The density (ρ = 560 kg/m3) and the heat capacity (Cp = 2.5 kJ/kg.oC) are assumed constant.

(a) Using “block-oriented” programming draw the control strategy to control the heat transfer rate
to the process fluid.
(b) Write the complete DCS program to implement this control.
Solutions
(a) The following block diagram shows the needed design to be able to control the heat transfer rate
to the process fluid:

The SUM block executes the T(t)-Ti(t) calculation, where T(t) and Ti(t) are obtained from the
respective transmitters TT-22 and TT-21, with ranges as indicated on the table above. The MUL block
executes the calculation F(t)×ρ×Cp×(T(t)-Ti(t)), where F(t) is obtained from transmitter FT-20 (range
also given above), while the heat capacity and density are both included in the multiplier as
constants.

QC-22 is a controller that accepts as measurement the output of the MUL block, which is the actual
heat transfer rate towards the fluid. To calculate an appropriate set point for this controller, the
steady state values of the related variables are considered:

𝑄𝑄𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 = 𝐹𝐹𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 × 𝜌𝜌 × 𝐶𝐶𝑝𝑝 × �𝑇𝑇𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 − 𝑇𝑇𝑖𝑖,𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 � = 7 × 560 × 2.5 × (25 − 10) = 147000𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘/ℎ

Similarly, to calculate a maximum value for the heat transfer rate the limits of the ranges of the
transmitters of all related variables are considered so that Q is maximised:

𝑄𝑄𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 = 𝐹𝐹𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 × 𝜌𝜌 × 𝐶𝐶𝑝𝑝 × �𝑇𝑇𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 − 𝑇𝑇𝑖𝑖,𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 � = 12 × 560 × 2.5 × �50 − (−5)� = 924000𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘/ℎ

Again, it is not expected that all variables would be at their limits at the same time, so probably the
range calculated this way is too wide. A range roughly twice the steady state value obtained above,
would probably be sufficient to cover normal operation.

(b) The DCS program implementing this control is shown below.

1 Ti= AIN(1,-5,20) ;reads in Ti in oC

2 T = AIN(2,10,40) ;reads in T in oC
3 F = AIN(3,0,12) ;reads in F in m3/h
4 Rho= 560 ;sets density in kg/m3
5 Cp = 2.5 ;sets heat capacity in kJ/kg.oC
6 Q = F*Den*Cp*(T-Ti) ;calculates Q based on measurements
7 Qset = 147000 ;sets Q set point from steady state values
8 QCO = PID(Q,Qset,0,924000) ;Q controller output in %
9 AOUT(1,QCO) ;outputs signal in % to steam valve

Problem 3.
The figure below shows the reflux to the top of a distillation column. The internal reflux LI controls
the separation in the column. The internal reflux cannot be directly manipulated, however the
external reflux LE can be. The “internal reflux computer” computes the set point 𝐿𝐿𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆
𝐸𝐸 of the external
𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆
reflux flow controller so as to maintain the internal reflux at some desired value 𝐿𝐿𝐼𝐼 . The internal
reflux is greater than the external reflux because of the condensation of vapours on the top tray,
which is required to bring the subcooled reflux at TL up to its bubble point TV. An energy balance on
the top tray yields the following working equation:

(𝐿𝐿𝐼𝐼 − 𝐿𝐿𝐸𝐸 )𝜆𝜆 = 𝐿𝐿𝐸𝐸 𝐶𝐶𝑃𝑃,𝐿𝐿 (𝑇𝑇𝑉𝑉 − 𝑇𝑇𝐿𝐿 )

For this process the heat capacity of the liquid and the latent heat can be assumed constants at
values of CP,L = 3.18 kJ/kg.oC and λ = 663 kJ/kg. Other design specifications are as follows:

Transmitter Range Normal value

FT102 (LE) 0 – 2300 kg/h 1400 kg/h
TT102 (TL) 35 – 150 oC 90 oC
TT101 (TV) 65 – 120 oC 95 oC

Develop the DCS program to implement this control.

Solutions
From the steady-state energy balance we can calculate the internal reflux, LI:

𝐿𝐿𝐸𝐸,𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 𝐶𝐶𝑃𝑃,𝐿𝐿 �𝑇𝑇𝑉𝑉,𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 − 𝑇𝑇𝐿𝐿,𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 � 1400 × 3.18 × (95 − 90)

𝐿𝐿𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆
𝐼𝐼 = 𝐿𝐿𝐸𝐸,𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 + = 1400 + = 1433.6𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘/ℎ
𝜆𝜆 663
This is the required internal reflux. However, we cannot measure this flow to control it, so what is
done is to manipulate the external reflux, LE, to maintain the internal reflux at its value. Solving for LE
from the energy balance gives the equation to implement:

𝐿𝐿𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆
𝐼𝐼 𝜆𝜆
𝐿𝐿𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆
𝐸𝐸 =
𝜆𝜆 + 𝐶𝐶𝑃𝑃.𝐿𝐿 (𝑇𝑇𝑉𝑉 − 𝑇𝑇𝐿𝐿 )

The figure below shows a schematic of this control scheme using block oriented programming:

+
SUM
-

SET
LI
DIV

In the figure above the SUM block executes the λ+CP.L(TV(t)-TL(t)) calculation, where TV(t) and TL(t)
are obtained from the respective transmitters TT-101, while CP,L and λ are included as constants. The
DIV block executes the calculation LIλ/(λ+CP.L(TV(t)-TL(t))), where LI is obtained from a user’s input,
while again λ is included as constant.

The DCS program implementing this control is shown below.

1 TV= AIN(1,65,55) ;reads in TV in oC

2 TL = AIN(2, 35,115) ;reads in TL in oC
3 LE= AIN(3,0,2300) ;reads in LE in kg/h
4 LI= 1433.6 ;sets internal reflux, LI, in kg/h
5 LEset = 663*LI/(663+3.18*(TV-TL)) ;sets LE set point
6 VPLE = PID(LE,LEset,0,2300) ;LE flow controller output in %
7 AOUT(1,VPLE) ;outputs signal in % to LE valve