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Appendix E

Process Control Modules

APPENDIX CONTENTS

E.1 Introduction
E.2 Module Organization
E.3 Hardware and Software Requirements
E.4 Installation
E.5 Running the Software

E.1. INTRODUCTION • A convenient graphical interface for students that

The Process Control Modules (PCM), originally devel-
oped at the University of Delaware, have been designed
to address the key engineering educational challenge of
realistic problem solving within the constraints of a typi-
cal lecture course in process dynamics and control
(Doyle III et al., 1998; Doyle III, 2001). These modules
have been updated and adapted by Dr. Eyal Dassau at
the University of California Santa Barbara, to be used
in conjunction with the 3rd edition of Process Dynamics
and Control. The primary objectives in creating these
MATLAB® modules were to develop the following:
• Realistic computer simulation case studies, based
on physical properties that exhibited nonlinear,
high-order dynamic behavior in a rapid simulation
environment
allowed real-time interaction with the evolving vir-
tual experiment
• A set of challenging exercises that reinforce the
conventional lecture material through active learn-
ing and problem-based methods
E.2. MODULE ORGANIZATION
Eight distinct chemical and biological process applica-
tions, which range from simple single input-single output
(SISO) processes to more complex 2 ⫻ 2 control loops,
are formulated with a modular approach. The progres-
sion of the modules follows a typical undergraduate
process dynamics and control course, starting with low-
order dynamic system analysis and continuing through
multivariable controller synthesis.

Table E.1 Organization of Process Control Modules (PCM)

Module Modes

Furnace Operator Interface PID Feedforward Multivariable MPC

Distillation Operator Interface PID Feedforward Multivariable Decoupling MPC
Column
Bioreactor Operator Interface PID Feedforward Multivariable Decoupling
Four Tanks Operator Interface PID Feedforward Multivariable MPC
Fermentor Operator Interface PID
Diabetes Operator Interface PID MPC
First and First Order Second Order System System
Second Order System System Identification Identification
Systems #1 #2
Discrete Aliasing Model ID PID-Furnace PID-Column PID-Four Tanks IMC-Furnace IMC-Column

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502 Appendix E Process Control Modules

E.3. HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

REQUIREMENTS
The Process Control Modules are a set of MATLAB/
Simulink routines that require either a full license or the
Student Version of MATLAB and Simulink. The current
version of the modules has been tested with version
2007a of MATLAB and Simulink. The minimum recom-
mended system configuration is a Windows (XP or Vista)
PC with 1 GB RAM.

E.4. INSTALLATION
The Process Control Modules (PCM) software can be
downloaded from www.wiley.com/college/seborg onto
the user’s computer. Then double-click on the PCM
file, and follow the instructions on the installer to install
the software. Note that MATLAB should be installed
in order to use these modules. During the installation,
users can create a shortcut icon to the software on their
desktop (recommended).
Figure E.1 PCM main interface.
E.5. RUNNING THE SOFTWARE
There are two ways to execute the software: the first is to
double-click the PCM button on the desktop, which
launches MATLAB and the PCM interface (Figure H.1),
and the other way is to open MATLAB manually and to The Web site for this textbook contains a more
call the PCM software by pointing to the PCM installa- detailed tutorial on PCM, including case studies for the
tion folder and typing “PCM”, followed by the Enter key. furnace and distillation column modules.

REFERENCES
Doyle III, F. J., E. P. Gatzke, and R.S. Parker, Practical Case Studies Doyle III, F. J. Process Control Modules: A Software Laboratory for
for Undergraduate Process Dynamics and Control Using Process Control Design, Prentice Hall PTR, Upper Saddle River, NJ,
Control Modules, Comp. Appls. Eng. Educ., 6, 181 (1998). 2000.