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Process Control Vision |
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Solutions to New Challenges for the Chemical
Process Control Industry
The DCS (distributed control
system) is now controlling almost each and every chemical plant
and refinery all over the world. The rapid growth and
modernization of industrial process control software and hardware
has generated an explosive growth in the field of advanced process
control. A rapidly increasing number of advanced applications are
getting rolled out in the control rooms. The new age is also
seeing many new and inexperienced process control engineers enter
the control rooms. Despite the modern curricula in colleges and
universities, fresh graduates are not fully equipped with all
tools and knowledge required for immediately becoming an effective
process control engineer in the control room environment.
Furthermore, after 1-5 years, many control engineers get moved or
promoted into other areas, management. As a result, new control
engineers continue to enter the process control field. There is a
growing need for fast and effective training for both new and
experienced process control engineers and DCS technicians in the
control room environment.
Advanced Process Control and Optimization Tools
Process controls tools can be broadly classified into the
following:
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- Online Real-time Optimizers
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- Multivariable Model-Predictive Controllers
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- Expert Systems, Knowledge-based Systems, Rule-based Systems –
Advisory Applications
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- DCS-resident Advanced Controllers
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To successfully implement these advanced control tools, the
primary DCS control platform must be properly designed and tuned.
Primary Process Control Tools
Primary process control refers to control schemes implemented
all inside the DCS using standard and custom control algorithms.
Important elements of primary process control include:
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- Slave and Cascade PID Controllers
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- Constraint Override PID Controllers
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- Model-based Controllers using regressed,
empirical or semi-empirical models
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- Model-based Controllers using rigorous models
fit to match real-plant data
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Important Elements of Primary Process Control
For the primary control schemes to work well, the following
elements are critical:
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- Setting the correct configuration options in
the DCS
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- Knowledge on when to use PID, multivariable controllers like
DMC or DCS-resident model-based control schemes
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- Use of transforms to linearize non-linear processes and
dynamics
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- Watching for process control performance
change with time because of various reasons
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Savings Potential because of Primary Process Control
The correct design of primary control schemes in the DCS and
the control system performance optimization can save annually:
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• US$50,000 to $300,000 in a small plant
• US$100,000 to $1000,000 in a medium sized plant
• US$1000,000 to $3000,000 in a large complex like an olefins
plant or a refinery
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These benefits are big, but most importantly, they are
recurring benefits each year (not just one time). Expensive and
more sophisticated advanced control and real-time optimizer
projects using complex systems can also provide comparable
monetary benefits as the ones listed above. The notable point is
that primary control improvements (all inside the DCS) can be
achieved far more quickly at a fractional cost and with high
monetary savings as compared to complex and expensive control
projects.
PiControl Suite of Chemical Process Control Tools
In the modern competitive times, budgets are limited and
process control engineers are busy with ongoing plant support
and new projects. PiControl Solutions company provides all
process control tools you will ever need in the chemical plant
control room environment at an attractive cost and requiring the
least amount of effort. PiControl suite of products are listed
below:
SimcetTM:
PID tuning training for testing, qualification and certification
of DCS technicians, operators and engineers.
Process Control CBT-PlusTM:
Computer-based training on PID control, primary and advanced
control for the control room engineer or DCS technician.
Pitops-PIDTM:
Primary and advanced process control simulator and optimizer.
Simulates PIDs, cascade-PIDs, feedforwards, model-based
controllers, dead time compensators with many features.
Pitops-TFITM:
Multivariable process dynamics identification with closed-loop
or open-loop data. Handles multi-input and multi-output (MIMO)
dynamics identification (not limited to SISO).
ApromonTM:
Online, real-time process control performance monitoring and
diagnostics.
TadpoleTM:
Online, real-time reliable detection of process instability and
hunting (oscillations)
ReciConTM:
Recipe-based Rule-based controller, excellent for Polymer
plants, Pharmaceutical plants and other processes undergoing
change in process conditions.
TurboMaxTM:
Powerful non-linear, constrained, multi-input online realtime
optimizer, capable of plant-wide or enterprise-wide online
optimization.
PiConXTM:
Advanced calculation platform capable of parallel calculations,
sequential calculations, adaptive control and operator messaging
and paging.
PiLIMSTM:
Powerful, OPC-based Laboratory Information Management System.
ChromatiqxTM:
OPC-based online analyzer data communications and signal
validation software.
PiBridgeTM:
OPC client software connecting any two OPC servers from any
vendor.
PiConectTM:
OPC-based two-way data communications bridge between Excel and
any DCS/PLC or any OPC server.
PiLoggerTM:
Fast data collection and monitoring software to troubleshoot
processes and debug/diagnose fast rotating equipment shutdowns
and problems.
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Click on Demos to download and
examine a full-blown demo for each of the products.
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