Process Dynamics and Control
CHEN 461-500
FALL - 2012
(Tentative Syllabus)
Catalog Data
Process Dynamics and Control- CHEN 461- 3 Credits
Analysis of process dynamics and methods for the design of automatic control systems for chemical
process plants
Pre-requisites: CHEN 320 (basic understanding of numerical analysis)
Classroom: 106 Jack E. Brown, Chem. Eng. Bldg.
Class hours: Monday-Wednesday-Friday 10:20-11:10 AM
Instructor Information:
Name: Jorge M. Seminario
URL: http://www.che.tamu.edu/seminario/
Research URL: http://research.che.tamu.edu/groups/Seminario/index-1.html
Office: 239 JEB
E-mail: seminario@tamu.edu
Office hours: 2:00-2:50, M-W-F. However, you are free to see me at any time; just make sure I see you if
I am with some else in my office. The only times I am asking you to avoid looking for me is before class.
I need to prepare it carefully.
Virtual office hours: 24 hours a day, seven days per week. Just send me your question by e-mail and I
will respond in a matter of seconds (through the web site) most of the times or in a few hours in case I am
away.
Class Make-ups, tutorials, etc.: Class make-ups, tutorials, problem solving, exams, etc.: when needed on
Tuesdays 7 PM-9:00 PM (room tba).
Course Goals
The purpose of this course is to provide students with the knowledge of process modeling & dynamics,
process control, and control system analysis and design.
Knowledge, abilities, and skills students should have entering this course:
1. Basic understanding of numerical analysis: CHEN 320
2. Perform macroscopic energy and mass balances for dynamic operations.
3. Solve analytically algebraic and ordinary differential equations.
4. Knowledge of complex variables and complex functions.
5. Some experience of process sensors and measurements.
6. Working knowledge of Matlab
By the end of the course, students should be able to do the following:
1. Develop fundamental and empirical models for dynamic processes.
2. Implement dynamic models and perform simulations using computational tools.
3. Analyze properties of dynamic models and processes
4. Analyze and tune controllers to achieve desired performance.
5. Understand how process dynamics and control are related to materials and systems of chemical
engineering
6. Work in teams on solving practical dynamics and control related problems.
Textbook:
Process Control: Designing Processes and Control Systems for Dynamic Performance by Thomas E.
Marlin, McGraw Hill, 2000, Second Edition, ISBN: 0070393621,
9780070393622
Textbook online learning center:
http://www.pc-education.mcmaster.ca/default.htm
If you are using other version of the book, make sure that your exams and
HW assignments correspond to the material in the official version. No credits
will be recovered or revisions accepted in HW and exams due to the use of
another version of the book.
Grading
Homework/class participation/quizzes/etc:
Exams (3, 15% each):
Special Assignment:
Final Exam:
15%
45%
10%
30%
Fairness is the most important feature of teaching. The same formula is used for everyone. No student
may obtain extra credit by special arrangement. If you need to get a specific grade, such a need cannot be
used to modify your grade. Final grades are assigned as indicated below. I am not committed to giving a
certain percentage of A’s, …or F’s. Notice that fairness has nothing to do with the easiness or
difficultness of the class.
The following table will give you a precise idea of your grade:
90-100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
60-69 D
Less than 60
F
For Exams, no laptops are permitted; you cannot communicate to any living being anywhere in the
universe. Cell phones should be turn off for the whole duration of the exam. Please use a pen during the
exams; pencils are not allowed.
You may be tested on any material from class discussion or from assigned reading from textbook
chapters, labs or special assignments, regardless of whether they were specifically covered in class or not.
You should be able to learn and master materials from HW and reading assignments. Test questions may
contain definitions and derivations as well as numerical calculations. And, I cannot tell you in advance
specifics of what will or won't be asked in the exams. I encourage you to check your HW problems, class
presentations, and assigned reading. The exams cover the full sections shown in the schedule (vide infra).
There are not parts more important than others are. Disregard any statement leading to the reduction of
material covered in the exams.
Computer simulations are central to process control and dynamics; homework assignments and the
special assignment will include Simulink runs.
Remember that the HW in this class is not focused on the exams problems as is the case in math or other
courses. The HW covers relatively difficult problems, similar to those you will find in real life. For such
problems, you will need more time than whatever is possible to assign in an exam. Make an effort to
solve the HW for yourself, never give up; otherwise, you are not forcing yourself enough and thus you are
not becoming an engineer, which is mostly, a state of mind.
Only homework (HW) submitted on the due date at the beginning of class will be able to receive credit.
If you have other plans for that time, please submit the HW at least one day before is due to Paola in JEB
435. (Drop it under her door if she is not there; she is there most of the afternoons and evenings.).
Finally, do not submit HW to me. If you have an emergency that do not allow you to submit the HW
please follow the same guidelines for the exams (see Make-up Policy).
Homework should be written clearly and professionally; it will be graded by the TA and graders incharge. Please consider the following:
1. Make sure you are using the same book edition for the assigned HW.
2. Work out 1 or 2 problems max per page
3. Preferable use engineering paper
4. Make sure you do not forget units and show your work
5. Preferable use a pen instead of a pencil (pen will be required for the exams).
6. It will help you to write down the problem questions before solving them, list all the data available in
mathematical language, and list the unknowns that you need to find. Be systematic in your procedure.
From time to time, in order to motivate learning, quizzes will be taken or assigned in addition to the HW.
A quiz will be graded with a 100, if it is correct or with a “blank grade” otherwise. A blank grade does
not affect your HW average. A graded quiz has the same weight as a HW.
Graders and Teaching Assistant (TA):
Dahiyana Cristancho will be our TA, JEB 415, office hours TBA{5 hours a week}, you can contact her at
dahiyana@tamu.edu. Also, Paola Leon, a researcher in my group, will help me with the logistics; you
can contact her at paola.leon@neo.tamu.edu after 2 PM (room 435 JEB).
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Policy Statement
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides
comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation
requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for
reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an
accommodation, please contact the Department of Student Life, Services for Students with Disabilities
Cain Hall, Room B118, or call 845-1637. For additional information visit http://disability.tamu.edu
The Texas A&M University Academic Integrity Statement
“An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do”
The Aggie Honor Code provides a standard of conduct in which each student promises not to lie, cheat, or
steal and not to tolerate violations by others. I support the Aggie code and I assume the students do also.
Remember that the honor system can be effective only if everyone supports it! For further information,
please see the Academic Integrity Task Force, 2004 at http://aggiehonor.tamu.edu. In summary, do not
cheat on exams, test, quizzes, or homework. Please spare me the difficulty of seeing those sorts of cases
through the prosecution system.
Make-Up Policy
There are NOT make-up exams; if you have a proved emergency (properly documented and submitted to
me as soon it is possible, i.e., the next class you are able to attend after the emergency) that does not allow
you to attend the exam, your final exam score will be used instead for the exam you missed. If the
emergency does not allow you to take the final exam and if you have a valid reason you will be given an
incomplete. If you do not have a valid emergency, you will get a zero in the final exam. There are few
situations in which a make-up final exam has to be done; if so, please provide the needed information as
soon as you can.
Consistent with University Student Rules, students are required to notify the instructor and provide
supporting information if they have a problem to attend the exams. If no documentation is presented after
one week of the end of the emergency, you will receive a zero. If the absence is planned, you will need to
provide the documentation in advance.
There are no make-up arrangements or substitutions for optional quizzes, questions, tests. This is because
they do not affect your grade if you do not take them
The same rules also apply for other cases (planned absences) not explicitly considered as emergencies
such as, jury duty, job interviews, or presentations of your research work in meetings.
Please send me an e-mail if you have further questions.
Attendance: Attendance is strongly suggested though not enforced. Please come on time.
Instructor Commitment You can expect me to be courteous, punctual, well organized, and prepared for
lecture and other class activities; to answer questions clearly and in a non-negative fashion; to be
available for questions remotely through the e-mail and the course web site or in my office; and to ensure
uniform and consistent grading according to the posted guidelines.
Good luck to all!!!
Class and Assignment Schedule
Always read in advance the class material
Date
TOPIC
I
Chapter Sections
Dynamic Modelling
1
Aug 27
Mon
Control Concepts
CH 1 & Simulink
2
Aug 29
Wed
Control Objectives and Benefits
CH 2
3
Aug 31
Fri
Dynamic Modeling
CH 3.1-3.3
4
Sep 3
Mon
Dynamic Modeling
CH 3.1-3.3
Sep 12
Wed
Dynamic Modeling
CH 3.1-3.3
Sep 14
Fri
Linearized Models
CH 3.4-3.7(Except Ex. 3.7)
CH 3.4-3.7(Except Ex. 3.7)
5
6
7
Sep 17
Mon
Linearized Models
8
Sep 19
Wed
Laplace Transforms
CH 4.1-4.2
9
Sep 21
Fri
Laplace Transforms
CH 4.1-4.2
CH 4.3,Fig 4.11
10
Sep 24
Mon
Laplace Transforms
11
Sep 26
Wed
Combining Models
CH 4.4
12
Sep 28
Fri
Qualitative Characteristics
CH 5.1-5.3, 5.7
CH 5.1-5.3, 5.7
CH 5.1-5.3, 5.7
13
Oct 1
Mon
Qualitative Characteristics
14
Oct 3
Wed
Qualitative Characteristics
15
Oct 5
Fri
Exam 1:
2
3
4
Feedback Control
II
Oct 8
Mon
Control Objectives
CH 7
17
Oct 10
Wed
Control Objectives
CH 7
18
Oct 12
Fri
PID Modes
CH 8
19
Oct 15
Mon
PID Modes
CH 8
20
Oct 17
Wed
PID Tuning
CH 9
21
Oct 19
Fri
PID Fine Tuning
CH 9
CH 13.4-13.6
22
Oct 22
Mon
Control Performance
23
Oct 24
Wed
Digital Control
CH 11
24
Oct 26
Fri
CH 11
25
Oct 29
Mon
Digital Control
Classical Control and
Enhancements
Cascade control
26
Oct 31
Wed
Cascade Control
CH 14
27
Nov 2
Fri
Feedforward control
CH 15
CH 15
CH 18
III
28
Nov 5
Mon
Feedforward control
29
Nov 7
Wed
Level control
30
Nov 9
Fri
Exam 2:
Mon
Multiloop control
6
7
8
CH 14
9
10
Process Control Design
IV
Nov 12
1
5
16
31
HW #
CH 20.1-20.3, 20.6 (to Ex 20.9)
HW
problems
Date
TOPIC
Chapter Sections
32
Nov 14
Wed
Multiloop control
CH 20.1-20.3, 20.6 (to Ex 20.9)
33
Nov 16
Fri
Multiloop control
CH 20.1-20.3, 20.6 (to Ex 20.9)
CH 20.1-20.3, 20.6 (to Ex 20.9)
CH 20.1-20.3, 20.6 (to Ex 20.9)
34
Nov 19
Mon
Multiloop control
35
Nov 21
Wed
Multiloop control
36
Nov 23
Fri
Thanksgiving Holiday
37
Nov 26
Mon
Exam 3
38
Nov 28
Wed
Project Presentations
39
Nov 30
Fri
Project Presentations
40
Dec 3
Mon
Project Presentations
41
Dec 5
Wed
Reading Day (No Classes)
42
Dec 11
Tue
FINAL EXAM 8-10 am
HW #
11
12
HW
problems
CHEN 461 Process Dynamics and Control
Course outcomes and ChE program outcomes
Course Outcomes
ChE Program
Outcomes
1. Develop fundamental and empirical models for dynamic processes
1, 5
2. Implement dynamic models and perform simulations using
computational tools.
5, 11
3. Analyze properties of dynamic models and processes
5
4. Analyze and tune controllers to achieve desired performance.
3, 5
5. Understand how process dynamics and control are related to
materials and systems of chemical engineering
6. Work in teams on solving practical dynamics and control related
problems.
3,5
4, 7