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Process Control

Choose the Right Gas Sensor

September
2009
Instrumentation
Sandra Barnes
Selecting a sensor for continuous monitoring involves many considerations. This article discusses the types of sensors available, their applicability and limitations, and how to choose an appropriate sensor to protect people and equipment.

Save Energy Through Automation

January
2010
Instrumentation
Douglas C. White
Identifying the right automation investments — those with low costs and high impacts — can result in millions of dollars in energy savings for petrochemical plants. <br>

Optimize Control Room Communications

October
2001
Instrumentation
Brad A. Walker, James E. Lenhart, Karen D. Smith
Faced with more distractions than ever, operators need an environment that is conducive for dealing with abnormal, as well as normal, situations. Effective control room design can help.

Reduce Thermal Risk in Industrial Synthesis

October
2001
Safety
Richard C. Wedlich 
Knowing the safe operating conditions for a reaction allows us to select appropriate safety measures and thereby lower both the likelihood and the severity of a thermal runaway.

Using Automation to Produce Quality Pharmaceuticals

October
2011
Instrumentation
Joseph S. Alford, P.E.
Automation can pay large dividends in the form of reduced process cycle times, lower operational costs, and more-consistent processes for manufacturing high-quality pharmaceutical products.

The Chemical Industry Phoenix

June
2012
Process Automation Corner
Terry McMahon
Seven years ago, I wrote a column for another publica­ tion entitled “The U.S. Chemical Industry: R.I.P.” This pillar of American economic strength, which a few years earlier was the leading exporter among U.S. manufac­turing sectors (with net exports of $15–20 billion annually), was shriveling due in large part to policy blunders and regula­tory mistakes.

Optimize Process Regulation

December
2001
Instrumentation
Phillip D. Schnelle
Laboratory feedback proportional-integral control integrates statistical process control with automatic process control to minimize process variability.

Implement an Effective Loop Tuning Strategy

January
2013
Back To Basics
Norman Ito, Timothy Olsen
Use these loop tuning guidelines to improve process control and enhance product uniformity Many undergraduate chemical engineering programs teach the Ziegler-Nichols tuning methods, developed by John G. Ziegler and Nathaniel B. Nichols in the 1940s...

Tune Control Loops for Minimum Variability

January
2002
Instrumentation
Lanny A. Robbins
The Robbins tuning rules can reduce the variability of control loop response to about 60% of that observed with Ziegler-Nichols tuning rules.

Step into the Virtual Plant

February
2002
Instrumentation
Gregory K McMillan, Mark S Sowell III, Michael M Mansy
The ability to warehouse process and control system knowledge offers a vast potential for improved operations by sharing a common source of information and avoiding data duplication.

Tracing Process Problems

April
2002
Instrumentation
John E. Hoots
In water chemistry control, fluorescent tracing technology can quickly and effectively determine and deal with the root cause of a problem.

Fuels Blending Technology and Management

In-Company Training
In today’s highly competitive marketplace, the economic and efficient management of blending operations and automation can give you that critical edge over competitors. Join refinery offsite automation expert Suresh S. Agrawal for an overview of the principles of operation and decision-making involved in the management, operation, control, optimization and scheduling of gasoline, diesel, fuel oil products and crude oil.

Analyzing APC Performance

August
2002
Instrumentation
To reap the most benefit from an advanced process control (APC) system, users need to know how to analyze and monitor the APC's performance.

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