A PRACTICAL AND SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO TUNING

In this third edition, the authors aim has been to simplify and demystify the procedure of tuning control systems based on their successful tuning work in oil refineries.

A new chapter has been added on the use of auto-tuning software currently available in most current computer control systems. The authors have used this software whenever possible to carry out the dynamic testing of the process as it is less disruptive of operations than doing the tests manually. They have also used the tuning results to guide them but always using the principles presented in the book to evaluate them.

All of the example responses have been generated using simulation software to illustrate the tuning and show the differences between

• tuning controllable versus dead-time dominated loops
• averaging versus tight level control
• cascade control versus simple feedback control of a jacketed chemical reactor
• feedforward control versus simple feedback control
• decoupler control versus simple feedback control of a blender

Armando B. Corripio, Ph.D., P.E., Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University.

Michael Newell, Automation Designer, Polaris Engineering.