PROCESS CONTROL B2 PRCCHB2

TUTORIAL 1

27 JULY 2018

Question 1: Introduction to Process Control and Instrumentation

1. What is process control and why is there a need for process control in the chemical
industry?
2. List the two major classes of process variables and their sub categories
3. Draw a block diagram of a simple control system
4. Define the following process control terms ; Setpoint, Measured variable,
Manipulated variable. Load disturbance, Offset, Manual Control, Automatic Control,
Open Control loop, Closed Control Loop
5. What are the three task required in the control loop of a process
6. Differentiate between open-loop and closed-loop system using an oven.
7. List key instruments that are used in the measurement of temperature, pressure, flow
and level measurement
8. What temperature in oF corresponds to 435K?
9. What is the equivalent temperature of 63 oF in oC
10. Convert (a) 285K to oR (b) 538 oR to K
11. Draw a table that indicates water freezing point, boiling point and the absolute zero in
the four temperature scale
12. Explain the operating principle of the following:
a) Thermocouple;
b) Resistance temperature detectors;
c) Pyrometers;
d) Capacitive pressure transmitters;
e) Strain gauge transducer;
f) Magnetic flowmeters;
g) Dopplers flowmeters;
h) Ultrasonic level transmitters;
i) Capacitive level transmitter.

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 13. Explain how you measure the electromotive force in a thermocouple circuit using a
potentiometric circuit;
o
14. A thermocouple gives an output of 40 μV for each C difference in temperature
between the “hot” and “cold” junctions. State the output voltages expected for the
junction temperatures given below:

Cold Hot
o o
a. 0 C 50 C
o o
b. 20 C 70 C
o o
c. 50 C 50 C
o o
d. -20 C 60 C

15. A Platinum resistance thermometer has a resistance of 100 W at 00C and the value of
a is 0.00385. In operation the resistance is 105 W. Calculate the temperature

16. What is the resistance of platinum resistor at 480oC if its resistance at 16oC is 100
ohms in a RTD

17. Consider using a Wheatstone bridge in figure 1, having R1 = 200 Ω and R2 =2000 Ω
to measure a resistance Rm. The bridge is balanced by adjusting R3 until R3= 250 Ω.

Typically, R1 and R2 are fixed resistors and R3 is a variable resistor. Rx is the resistance that
is being measured. R3 is adjusted until the detector indicates that the bridge is balanced. What
is the value of Rx?

18. Consider using a Wheatstone bridge having R1 = 200 Ω and R2 = 2000Ω to measure a
resistance, Rx, of a temperature sensor. Suppose the resistance of the temperature
sensor, Rx in Ω, is related to the temperature T, in oC, by the equation:

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 𝑅x=1500+25𝑇
The bridge is balanced by adjusting R3 until R3 = 250Ω. What is the value of the
temperature?

19. The temperature of a process is measured using a platinum resistance probe giving a
linear resistance temperature with a slope of 0.5 ohms/ oC. The value for c is 100.

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑅 − 𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑎𝑠: 𝑅(𝑡) = 𝛼𝑡 + 𝑐

If the resistance is measured using a Wheatsbridge below where the galvanometer

reads oV and Rx represents the platiunm resisteance, determine the process
temperature.

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Question 2: Process flow diagram

2.1 Refer to the P&ID above and answer the following questions:

(a) List all major process equipment by their labels in the P&ID;

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(b) List and describe all temperature control loops in the P&ID, i.e. state which equipment
or line is controlled and what line is manipulated;
(c) List and describe all pressure control loops in the P&ID, i.e. state which equipment or
line is controlled and what line is manipulated;
(d) List and describe all flow control loops in the P&ID, i.e. state which equipment or line is
controlled and what line is manipulated.

2.2 Ethanol is feed to continuous reactor with presence of Acid Sulphuric catalyzer to produce
ethylene. Distillation process then will be applied to separate ethylene-H2O mixture. Ethylene
as a top product is then condensate with condenser to perform liquid ethylene. Hydrogenation
of ethylene applies in another reactor with presence of Nickel catalyzer to produce ethane as a
final product.

(a) What is/are the reactant/s and the final product/s?

(b) List all the major equipment
(c) Develop a BFD for these processes.

2.3 The figure below shows a Process Flow Diagram for the production of benzene via
hydrodealkyation of toluene.
(a) What is/are the reactant/s and the final product/s?
(b) List all the major equipment with their labels in the P&ID, around the product stream in
the benzene column only
(c) Draw a Block Flow Process Diagram for the P&ID

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