Workshop on Practical PID Control & Loop Tuning

Program Overview:

This workshop provides instrumentation, automation, and process engineers and technicians with the basic theoretical and practical understanding of regulatory control systems and how this can be applied to optimize process control in terms of quality, safety, flexibility, and costs. Centered on the ISA-recommended PC-Control LAB simulator, participants will learn through active participation using exercises, questionnaires, and a series of 16 practical simulation sessions covering: process reaction; tuning methods; diagnostic tools; effect of different algorithms; surge tank level control; analysis of such problems as valve hysteresis, striation and non-linarites and the impact on controllability; and integral windup.

For Whom:

This program is designed specifically for Instrumentation, automation, and process engineers and technicians involved in specifying, installing, testing, tuning, operating, and maintaining regulatory PID control systems.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the program, participants will be able to:

• describe such terms as process lag, capacitance, and resistance;
• explain the significance of the process reaction curve Identify the effects of filtering on loop performance;
• distinguish the effect of span on the system performance;
• analyze such problems as valve hysteresis, stiction, and non-linearities;
• evaluate the effects of proportional, integral, and derivative control;
• correctly apply both open and closed Loop tuning according to ZieglerNichols;
• apply “as found” tuning;
• estimate the effects on loop tuning using a software-based loop analysis program;
• describe both cascade and feedforward control;
• explain split range control Identify and correct problems due to process dead time; and
• discuss the top 20 mistakes made in the field of process control.

Course Outline:

Day 1: Process Description

• Basic process considerations
• Process lag, capacitance, and resistance
• Process reaction curve
• Group Presentation/Case Studies

Day 2: Characteristics of Reactions

• 1st and 2nd order reactions
• Instrumentation cabling
• Filtering
• Group Presentation/Case Studies

Day 3: Specifications

• Aliasing
• Reaction masking
• Sensor placement
• Group Presentation/Case Studies

Day 4: Valve & Actuators

• Correct PV
• Effect of span Inherent and installed valve

characteristics

• Actuators
• Group Presentation/Case Studies

Day 5: Operations & Maintenance

• Valve positioners
• Testing procedures and analysis
• ON/OFF control
• Group Presentation/Case Studies

Training Methodology

Lectures, discussions, exercises, and case studies will be used to reinforce these teaching/learning methods.