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November 19, 2014

CH E 4353
Process Control
Exam 3-Fall 2014

This is a closed book, closed note examination. You are permitted the following items.

programmable/graphing calculator
blank scratch paper
number 2 lead pencils
erasers
straight edge
one 8.5 x 11 page of equations, (1 side only)
Table 9.2 from the text. No extraneous marks.

No other materials are allowed.

There are 31 35 questions worth a total of 155 points; each question is equally weighted. Record
the answer which is most nearly correct on the Scantron sheets provided.
Five of these questions are extra credit. Those students who attended class on 11/4/14 will receive
credit for correct answers to questions 1 to 5.
You may take your copy of the test with you when finished.

1. For an electronic controller with I/O of 4-20

2. For a pneumatic controller with I/O of 3-15

mA, and a gain of 4, the proportional band is

Response No.

psig and a proportional band of 33.3%, the

gain is

Response

100%

Response No.

Response

16 mA

0.33

16%

0.33psig

25 mA

12

25%

12 psig

400 mA

15

400%

15 psig

5 mA

5%

3 psig

50%

5 psig

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Questions 3 to 8 refer to the step response of a second order system shown in Figure 1

Figure 1. A Step Response (vertical axis dimensionless)

3. The rise time for the response is (sec)

4. The overshoot for the response is

Response No.

Response No.

Response

Response

0.16

0.16

0.50

0.50

0.60

0.60

0.76

0.76

0.90

0.90

1.0

1.0

1.8

1.8

5.0

5.0

8.0

8.0

10

10

Students answering 0 or
1 will receive credit.

5. The decay ratio is

Response No.

0.35

Page 3 of 9

6. The oscillation period is (sec)

Response

Response No.

Response

0.16

0.16

0.50

0.50

0.60

0.60

0.76

0.76

0.90

0.90

1.0

1.0

1.8

1.8

5.0

5.0

8.0

8.0

10

10

7. The settling time is (sec)

8. The damping factor is

Response No.

Response No.

Response

Response

0.16

0.16

0.50

0.50

0.60

0.60

0.76

0.76

0.90

0.90

1.0

1.0

1.8

1.8

5.0

5.0

8.0

8.0

10

10

Page 4 of 9
Figure 2 depicts the flow control loop for coolant to an exothermic reactor. The final control element is a
pneumatic control valve on the coolant flow with negligible dynamics. The sensor, filter, and transducers
are all direct acting.

D2

Gd2

Gd

Yd2
Tsp

Ksp [mA/ F]

Gc

+-

KI/P

Tf

Kv

Ts

Gf

Q
+

Yd

Gp

Yp
+

Ks [mA/ F]

Figure 2. Flow Control of Reactor Coolant

The process transfer function may be accurately described by a FOPDT model relating the reactor
temperature T(s) to the coolant flow rate Q(s).

T s K pe p
Gp s

Q s ps 1

(1)

Please answer questions 9 to 12.

9. Kp is
Response No.
0
1
2
3
4
5

10. The control valve should

Response
negative
obviously critically damped
obviously overdamped
obviously underdamped
positive
none of the above

Response
No.

Response

be air-to-close

be fail-close

be quick-opening

have non-linear installed characteristics

rather be a variable speed pump

take of the total pressure drop

11. The controller action should be

12. The units of the controller gain should be

Response No.

Response No.

Response

Response

a pneumatic signal

gpm

analog

gpm/mA

direct

gpm/F

inverse

mA/gpm

P-only

mA/mA

reverse

F/gpm

through the manual mode

F/min

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In Figure 3 is shown a shell-and-tube
heat exchanger which preheats the
feed to a distillation column. The
transfer function relating tube-side
outlet temperature T(s) to steam flow
S(s) is

F 7.5min s

10
e
lbm

hr
Gp s
15.5 min s 1

600 psig steam header

FC

I/P
100

TIC
100
TT
100

Heated Reactor Feed

Reactor Feed

(2)

Condensate

Figure 3. Column Feed Preheater

Employing Cohen-Coon tuning rules, please answer questions 13 to 16.

14. The controller gain should be ( lbm F )

13. The controller action should be

hr

Response No.

Response

Response No.

Response

a pneumatic signal

-0.301

analog

-0.24

direct

-0.194

inverse

P-only

0.194

reverse

0.24

through the manual mode

0.301

a pneumatic signal

2.507

analog

12.63

direct

15.516

15. The integral time should be (min)

16. The derivative time should be (min)

Response No.

Response No.

Response

Response

-0.301

-0.301

-0.24

-0.24

-0.194

-0.194

0.194

0.194

0.24

0.24

0.301

0.301

2.507

2.507

12.63

12.63

15.516

15.516

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17. The Laplace transform F(s) of the

function in Figure 4 is
Response No.

Response

5 4e2 s e6 s

5S t 4S t 2 S t 6

1
5 4e2 s e6 s

5S t 4S t 2
1
5 4e2s
s
1
5 4e2 s
2
s

4
5
Figure 4.
Note: S(t) =unit step function
(t)=Dirac delta function

Figure 5 illustrates two tanks in

series whose liquid levels interact.
The transfer function relating the
level in Tank 1, h1, to the inflow to
Tank 1, qi, is given by equation (3).
The valves are linear, with
resistances R1 and R2. A1 and A2 are
the cross sectional areas of Tanks 1
and 2, respectively.

5t 4S t 2

5 t 4S t 2 S t 2

Figure 5. Two interacting tanks in series.

R1R2 A2

s 1
H1 s
R1 R2

2
Qi s R1R2 A1 A2 s R2 A2 R1 A1 R2 A1 s 1

R1 R2

(3)

The two tanks are each 2 m in diameter, and the valves are identical with resistances equal to 0.5
min/m2. If the inlet flow to Tank 1 increases suddenly by 1 m3/min at time zero, please answer
questions 18 to 23.

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18. The process gain is

19. The natural period is

Response No.

Response

Response No.

Response

-1.273 min-1

-1.273 min-1

0.785 min

0.785 min

1 min/m2

1 min/m2

1 min

1 min

1m

1m

1 m3/min

1 m3/min

1.5

1.5

1.571 min

1.571 min

21. The final level in Tank 1 is assuming it's initially empty

20. The damping factor is

Response No.

Response

-1.273 min

Response No.

Response

-1.273 min-1

0.785 min

0.785 min

1 min/m2

1 min/m2

1 min

1 min

1m

1m

1 m3/min

1 m3/min

1.5

1.5

1.571 min

1.571 min

-1

22. Qualitatively, the step response h1(t) is

Response No.

Response

23. Under what conditions will the level in Tank

1 oscillate?
Response
No.

Response

critically damped, inverse

overdamped, inverse

3A2R2>2(A22R22)1/2

underdamped, inverse

3A1R1>2(A22R22)1/2

critically damped,direct

overdamped, direct

R1 R2 A2
0
R1 R2

underdamped, inverse

R2 A2 R1 A1 R2 A1 <1

unstable, inverse

R1 R2 0

unstable, direct

response is always critically

damped

response is always overdamped

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Figure 6 depicts the block flow diagram of a nondimensionalized process. The setpoint to the process
stepped up by 1 unit at time=1. Please answer questions 24 to 27.
Ysp
+-

Kc

Figure 6.

24. The open loop response is stable for what values

of Kc?

25. The closed loop response exhibits stable, but

Response No.
0

Response
No.

Response
Kc 25
16 K p

25
Kc 1
16 K p
Kp

Response

Kc 25

25

16 K p

16 K p

Kc 1

Kp

5 Kc 20

20 Kc

5 Kc 20

The process is open-loop unstable

20 Kc

The process is closed-loop unstable

Kp

Kc

underdamped behavior for

26. The closed loop response is unstable for

Response No.
0
1

Response
Kc 25
16 K p

25
Kc 1
16 K p
Kp

Kc

27. The closed loop response exhibits stable,

overdamped behavior for
Response No.

Response
Kc 25
16 K p

0
1

25

16 K p

Kc 1

5 Kc 20

20 Kc

5 Kc 20

The closed loop response is

unconditionally stable

20 Kc

Kp

Kc

Kp

Kp

Kp

Kc

The process is closed-loop

unstable

Page 9 of 9
You have implemented the velocity
form of a digital PID controller on a
control loop. The strip chart of the
process appears in Figure 7, where the
setpoint to the controller (ysp), the
measured value of controlled variable
(ys), the error signal to the controller
(e), and the controller action (c) are
plotted. All signals are in mA. The
controller settings are given in Table 1.
Table 1. Controller Settings
Setting

Value

Kc

0.256

2.408 min

0.36 min

control
interval

1 min

Figure 7.

At 6 minutes, the error signal to the controller jumps +0.972 mA. Please answer questions 28 to 31

28. The controller action c at t=6 min is (mA)

Response No.

29. If proportional kick is eliminated, the controller

action c at t=6 min is (mA)

Response

Response No.

Response

0.088

0.18

0.088

0.436

0.18

0.588

0.436

0.618

0.588

0.936

0.618

5.18

0.936

5.18

30. If both proportional and derivative kick are

eliminated, the controller action c at t=6 min is

(mA)

Response No.

Response

0.088

0.18

0.436

0.588

0.618

0.936

5.18

31. The amount of integral windup at t=6 min is (mA)

Response No.

Response

0.088

0.18

0.436

0.588

0.618

0.936

5.18