2.

38 Tuning by Computer

frequency response techniques. This section will discuss the

approach to a design problem using such methods.
The maintenance of control systems is equally important
as is a good workable design. Many good control schemes
fall into disuse because of a lack of proper fine-tuning, failure
to adapt to changing process requirements, or poor maintenance. As time progresses and the operating processes change
in the plant, some controllers might have to be detuned to
prevent cycling or switched to a manual mode of operation.
Good maintenance cannot be substituted by tuning. If equipment fails, the loop should not be re-tuned; the piece of
equipment should be repaired.
Computer-aided control analysis tools can be thought of
in two categories. First there are the techniques that are useful
in control system design. These are typically used in the
design of new plants or new control systems. The nature of
such tools is most often offline because that is the safest mode
for investigating new control methods.
Maintenance-related software is the second category of
the computer-aided tools of control analysis required in maintenance of existing systems. The nature of these techniques
is frequently online. They involve trying to identify the process dynamics while the plant is operating. They use step
testing techniques and/or recursive estimation methods for
adaptive tuning. After the process model is updated, these
techniques can be used to calculate new control system
parameters.
In addition to keeping the controllers tuned, other methods are available to improve the quality and reliability of
process measurements. Overall process balance calculations
and the use of predictor/estimator filters (i.e., Klmn filters)
can help to improve the quality of measurements. These
better-quality measurements are contributing to better control
performance, which will be discussed in more detail in the
following paragraphs.

447

PROCESS MODELING
A good control system can only be designed, if the process
is well understood, so that it can be mathematically modeled
(Sections 2.13 to 2.17). Some control systems are less sensitive to model errors than others. However, as the requirements
for improved control performance increase, so does the need
for model accuracy.
Process control engineers use many types of process
models. Each type of model is preferred for some group of
applications. Table 2.38a provides a list of some of these
computer models and of their typical applications.
Time and Frequency Domains
Software packages that are available to tune loops and to
optimize a process can use either time series or frequency
analysis techniques. To obtain the best PID tuning settings
and the best process model, frequency response methods have
several advantages over other methods. These are:

Frequency response methods require only one bump

to identify the dynamics of the process.
The bump can be made in manual mode or can be a
set-point change in the automatic mode.
The change can be a pulse, a step, or bumps of other
characteristics.
Frequency response methods do not require prior
knowledge of the dead time or time constant of the
process.
In contrast, when using time response methods, one
often needs an estimate of both the dead time and the
time constant.
In addition, when using time response methods, the
type of the process model has to be known.

TABLE 2.38a
Types of Computer Models Used in Various Control Applications
Computer Model Type

Typical Application

Large-scale nonlinear dynamic simulation

Used for offline investigation of process, process dynamics, and control application;
large effort required to generate models

Frequency response models, single-input single-output (SISO)

Used to investigate open-loop behavior and specify closed-loop feedback control

Frequency response models, multiple-input

multiple-output (MIMO)

MIMO models are used to study interaction; model typically generated from state
space models or plant testing

State space models, MIMO

Used for control system design with methods such as linear quadratic optimal and
pole placement control; used for estimate/predictor models; models typically
generated from linearization of simulation models or plant tests

Continuous and discrete linear models

Time series models, SISO
Difference equations

Used for adaptive control and state parameter estimation

Simple low order models

SISO continuous time

Used for quick time domain model fits to plant tests for control-loop tuning

2006 by Bla Liptk