FORMATIVE

CLASSIFICATION
GRADE:

Group No.
STUDENT ID 18024577
1q
MODULE CODE CHEE2022 Fundamentals of Process Control
MODULE CONVENOR Dr. Senthil Kumar Arumugasamy
ASSESSOR (if different from convenor) -

GROUPWORK: [ ] INDIVIDUAL: [ X ] IN-CLASS: [ ] HOMEWORK: [ X ]

DATE OF PRACTICAL SESSION
DATE OF MOODLE SUBMISSION 29.10.2018
DATE OF FORMATIVE or SUMMATIVE 29.11.2018
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PRACTICAL TITLE FPC CW-1: HYSYS, Fundamentals of Process control

MODULE LEARNING OUTCOMES

LO1: Demonstrate a working knowledge of computer programming and relevant software
package for engineering mathematical modelling, computations, analysis and visualization
particularly in performing steady-state and dynamic processes simulation
LO3: Gain an appreciation of the dynamics behaviour of processes, control strategies, control
algorithms and controller performance
UK PO’s
Different types of process, including continuous and batch; chemical processes and
bioprocesses.
 Understand the different dynamic behaviour of batch and continuous processes and
their impact on process control strategies.
Understand the principles of material and energy balances.
 Understanding on how energy and material balance can affect the process control
strategies in distillation columns.
EAC PO
PO5 Modern Tool Usage (A & D) -Create, select and apply appropriate techniques, resources,
and modern engineering and IT tools, including prediction and modelling, to complex
engineering activities, with an understanding of the limitations

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA (Yes/No)

Q1.Develop the correct HYSYS flow sheet
Q1. Give the molar flowrate and the mole fraction of the top and bottom streams
from the SEPARATOR and DISTILLATION COLUMN
Q2. Draw the (1) feedback control and (2) feedforward control for this process
mentioning all the basic components
Q3.Identify the suitable controller for i) Flow control (ii) Pressure control (iii) Level
Control (iv) Temperature Control
ALL Assessment Criteria met (Y/N):
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 CHEE2022FPC Fundamentals of Process Control (Autumn 2018-19)

Coursework 1
CHEE2022 FPC FUNDAMENTALS OF PROCESS CONTROL

NAME: STUDENT ID:

Submission
Write your answers on this handout. The hand out must be submitted via moodle
along with the HYSYS simulation file. Name the HYSYS file as 001234-
_StudentName.

*Replace 001234 with your student’s ID

Instruction:
Follow the instruction given in this handout, solve the modelling problem and answer
the questions. Save your work regularly

Question:
Benzene is produced by the hydrodealkylation of toluene at high temperature and
pressure according to the following reaction:

C7H8 + H2 C6H6 + CH4

The inlet feed to the process is largely composed of hydrogen and toluene, but with
traces of inert gases, as shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Feed Stream Specification

Parameter Value
o
Temperature ( C) 25
Pressure (atm) 1
Flow rate (kgmol/hr) 1000
Composition (mol %):
 Hydrogen 50.8
 Toluene 49
 Methane (inert) 0.1
 Argon (inert) 0.1

Additional specifications for the process are given as follow:

 Thermodynamic model: SRK

 Pressure drops in all units are neglected unless specified.
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 CHEE2022FPC Fundamentals of Process Control (Autumn 2018-19)

 Heat the inlet feed to 250°C and increase the pressure to the operating pressure
of the reactor (X psia) before sending the stream to reactor.
 The reactor can be approximated as a CONVERSION REACTOR, operated
isothermally at X°C and X psia, at a conversion of 65% (toluene is the limiting
reactant).
 To separate the gas products from liquid products, connect the relevant outlet
stream from the reactor to a flash unit, which modelled as SEPARATOR.
 Set the flash vessel temperature at X°C and pressure drop as 375 psi.
 To separate toluene from benzene, send the relevant outlet stream from the flash
unit to a distillation column in which C 6H6 will be recovered. Use short cut
distillation model. Set the condenser and reboiler pressures as 20 psia and 25
psia respectively. Design the overhead condenser as a partial condenser. Select
benzene and toluene as light key and heavy key respectively and set their mole
fraction as 0.01. Set the external reflux ratio as 2 times the minimum reflux ratio.

Note: “X”: refer to the excel sheet in moodle.

Task 1: Solve the material and energy balances for the abovementioned process.

Answer the following questions after completing Task 1:

1. Give the molar flowrate and the mole fraction of the top and bottom streams from
the SEPARATOR and DISTILLATION COLUMN:

Flash unit Top stream Flash unit Bottom stream

Flowrate (kgmol/h) 495.7 504.3
Composition (mole fraction):
 Hydrogen 0.38 0.0036
 Methane 0.61 0.037
 Argon 0.0019 0.000088
 Benzene 0.011 0.62
 Toluene 0.0021 0.34
[10 marks]

Distillation column Distillation column

Distillate stream Bottom stream
Flowrate (kgmol/h) 335.5 168.8
Composition (mole fraction):
 Hydrogen 0.0054 0
 Methane 0.056 0
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 CHEE2022FPC Fundamentals of Process Control (Autumn 2018-19)

 Argon 0.00013 0
 Benzene 0.93 0.001
 Toluene 0.001 0.99
[5 marks]

2. Consider a distillation column with the control valves shown in Fig 1. F is the feed
flow rate, Z is the feed composition, D is the distillate, B is the bottoms, R is the
reflux, xD is the measured mole fraction of the distillate, x B is the mole fraction of
bottoms and xDd is the desired mole fraction of the distillate. If x D the mole fraction
of the distillate is the controlled variable then identify the manipulated variable and
draw the (1) feedback control and (2) feedforward control for this process
mentioning all the basic components in these control strategies. Give a brief
description on your design. [15 marks]

Fig 1

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CHEE2022FPC Fundamentals of Process Control (Autumn 2018-19)

Feedback control

A
C
C
AT
C

Feedforward control

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 CHEE2022FPC Fundamentals of Process Control (Autumn 2018-19)

A
C
C

AT
C

Since the mole fraction of the distillate is the controlled variable in the system, the manipulated

variable of the system is the flow rate of the distillate column. For the feedback control of the

distillation, the mole fraction of the distillate can be controlled by placing a feedback control

which includes a composition controller (AC) and composition analyzer (AT) between distillate

stream and at the reflux valve. If the desired mole fraction of the distillate stream is not

achieved, the measuring element which is the composition analyzer (AT) in the controller will

sense the difference and send a signal to the composition controller (AC) to control the reflux

valve to release the desired flow rate to the distillate stream. The desired mole fraction of the

distillate can be achieved according to the set point by measuring the mole composition of the
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 CHEE2022FPC Fundamentals of Process Control (Autumn 2018-19)

distillate and controlling.

For feedforward control, feedforward controller is placed between the feed stream and reflux

valve. The composition analyzer (AT) will measure the composition of the feed stream and

sends signal to the composition controller (AC) which then controls the reflux valve. Thus the

desired composition of the distillate is achieved according to the set point by measuring the

measuring the feed stream and controlling the reflux valve of the distillate. Feedforward takes

corrective action before the disturbance occurs

3. (i) There are 3 different types of controllers namely P (proportional), PI (Proportional-Integral),

PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) controllers. Which controller among these 3 will you use
for (i) Flow control (ii) Pressure control (iii) Level Control (iv) Temperature Control. Justify your
answer. [10 marks]

For flow control, P controller can be used if the aim is to just open or close the valve. However if

the flow rate of the system varies a lot then PI controller is the better controller to be used. This is

because PI controller will help to control the flow according to the set point that is desired however

P controller will never tune the varying flow exactly to the set point. The measured value will be

equalled to the set point at some amount of time.

For pressure control, PID controller can be used to set the varying pressure to the set point. PI is

more suitable compared to PID controller because machines dealing with pressure will normally

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have noise. If PID controller is used, there will be more disturbance in the system because PID

controller are sensitive to sound and PID controller will amplify the sound.

For level control, PID controller can be used to adjust the level of a process since it has faster

response time to the disturbance. During the level control process, there is no noise so there will

be less disturbance. PID has fast warm up time which is suitable for level control.

For temperature control PID is the best controller because it provides more stable and accurate

control. PID can predict how the system’s temperature is going to behave. PID will rapidly react to

the temperature change in a system.

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