CPB30004- Process Dynamics and Control

Experiment 1: Level Flow Cascade Process Control Page |1

1.0 INTRODUCTION

This model in the Experiment 1 of Level Flow Cascade Process Control used water to
stimulate liquid phase physical processes where the level and flow can be controlled with PID
controllers. When the system suffers from fluctuating inflow and a more precise control of level
was required, the single-loop PID controllers were not sufficient. Cascade controller must be
employed to smooth the fluctuating inflow by using a secondary or a slave loop. The level
controller became the main or primary controller and its control output remotely sets (cascades)
the set point of the secondary controller. The only one control valve was installed at the inflow.

1.1 Level Control System

Basically, the control of liquid levels applied in a process tank where it is an important
function. Typically, different types of level control systems are used in industry which is
covering a wide range of processes. The final control signals that will be used to operate pumps
or valves appropriate to the application are:

i. Float operated types

ii. Solid probe types
iii. Hydrostatic types
iv. Differential pressure types
v. Magnetic types
vi. Torsion types
vii. Steel rope capacitance types
viii. Ultrasonic types
ix. Microwave radar types

(Wikipedia, 2006).

1.1.1 Method of Achieving Level Control System

There are three main methods of achieving level control are:

i. Non-adjustable in/off level control

ii. Adjustable on/off level control
iii. Modulating level control

(Spiraxsarco, 2016).
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Experiment 1: Level Flow Cascade Process Control Page |2

1.2 Flow Control System

Feed-forward systems on boiler plant where the rate of steam flow from the boiler will influence
other control points. There are two types of processes occurred in flow control system which are
rehydration process and batch process. Rehydration process where it is known to measure
quantity of steam (water) was injected into a product which has been dried for transportation or
storage while batch processes where it is known to measure quantity of steam will produce the
desired result on the product (Spiraxsarco, 2016).

1.3 Cascade Control System

Feed flow rate must be adjusted to control liquid level to produce high performance
disturbance rejection. Feed flow rate increase by a precise amount because of header pressure
changes can affect the opening and closing of the valve (Control Guru, 2015).

Figure 1 showed the level flow cascade process control where an inner secondary sensor
measures the feed flow rate while an inner secondary controller receives this flow measurement
and adjusts the feed flow valve. The primary level controller called for a decreased liquid feed
flow rate rather than simply a decrease in valve opening if the liquid level was too high. The flow
controller decided whether this means opening or closing the valve and by how much.

Based on the cascade diagram in Figure 2, the level controller output signal (CO1) became
the set point for the flow controller (SP2). Any disruption caused by changing header pressure to
the benefit of the primary level control process could be minimized by the secondary flow
controller that quickly detected and addressed of the header pressure disturbances.
CPB30004- Process Dynamics and Control
Experiment 1: Level Flow Cascade Process Control Page |3

Figure 1 Flow diagram of level to flow cascade control (Douglas, 2007).

Figure 2 Block diagram of formal level to flow cascade structure (Douglas, 2007).
CPB30004- Process Dynamics and Control
Experiment 1: Level Flow Cascade Process Control Page |4

Figure 3 Process flow diagram of level flow cascade process control

RESULTS & CALCULATIONS

In this experiment, there were two sub-experiments that have been conducted in order to
achieve the objectives which are:
CPB30004- Process Dynamics and Control
Experiment 1: Level Flow Cascade Process Control Page |5

i. Open tank operation (Self regulating process)

ii. Level flow cascade of open tank (Self regulating control)

The experiment was started with the start-up procedures where it needs to be conducted
for PID trial value and the set point variable (SV) in always in Manual (M) mode. The red line
represented the level of water while the green line represented the flow of water.

Table 1 PID Trial Values

LIC31, PID1, Loop 1 FIC31, PID2, Loop 2

First (I) Second (II) First (I) Second (II)
Trial PID Trial PID Trial PID Trial PID
Set Point SV1 200-600 mm 200-600 mm Set Point SV2 0.9-2.4 m3/Hr 0.9-2.4 m3/Hr
PB1 30% 10% PB1 250% 100%
TI1 25 sec 15 sec TI1 10 sec 6 sec
TD1 0 sec 0 sec TD1 0 sec 0 sec
PH1 640 mm PL2 0.5 m3/Hr

Figure 4 System operated as an open tank and self-regulating process and First trials for Loop 1
and Loop 2
CPB30004- Process Dynamics and Control
Experiment 1: Level Flow Cascade Process Control Page |6

Open tank and self-regulating process

The graphs pattern showed when the system operates as an open tank and it was a self-
regulating process.

The red line showed that the water over flow constantly for a few minutes started from
First trial at Loop 1 at set point MV= 50 %, SV1= 280 mm, PB1= 30%, TI1= 25 sec, TD1= 0 sec
and PH1= 640 mm.

The green line was consistent at first but after a few seconds it fluctuated during First trial
at Loop 2 when MV= 50 %, SV2=0.9 m3/hr, PB2= 250 %, TI2= 10 sec, TD2= 0 sec and PL2=
0.5 m3/hr which shows that it was a self-regulating process.

Figur

e 5 showed the system was set for Second trials for Loop 1 and Loop 2

This graph shows that the system was set for Second trials for Loop 1 which had a slight
fluctuate for a few seconds at SV= 1.8 m3 /hr, PB1= 10 %, T11=15 sec, TD1= 0 sec and PH1=
640 mm. For Second trials for Loop 2 that had been set up at SV2= 1.8m3 /hr, PB2= 100 %, TI2=
6 s, TD2=0 s and 0.5 m3 /hr. This pattern was maintain by the controlling the PID.
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Experiment 1: Level Flow Cascade Process Control Page |7

Figure 6 showed the disturbance of the system in the auto mode and cascade mode

Then disturbance was applied by decreasing from SV2= 1.8 m3/hr to 1.5 m3/hr. This
changes can be seen on the graph where there was fluctuating on the red line which but the red
and the green line was able to maintain back to its original pattern. This was because both of the
control loops was set to cascade control during those disturbance is applied. Cascade control will
improved the respond performance of the process when disturbance occurred in a process. The
disturbance is related with the manipulated variable or the final control element. This is where
the secondary measurement point is located so that it detects the upset condition earlier than the
controlled variable.

Oscillatory in Figure 4 had more smooth compared to Figure 3 because PB2 value which
control the flow value was higher than the previous graph where PB2= 100% where the greater
the flow rate value, the smoother the oscillatory produced on the graph.
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Experiment 1: Level Flow Cascade Process Control Page |8

REFERENCES

1. Level control applications. (2016). Spiraxsarco. Retrieved from

http://www.spiraxsarco.com/Resources/Pages/Steam-Engineering-Tutorials/control-
applications/level-and-flow-control-applications.aspx
2. Level sensor. (2006). Wikipedia. Retrieved from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_sensor
3. The cascade control architecture. (2015). Control Guru. Retrieved from
http://controlguru.com/the-cascade-control-architecture/