Decentralized control, grand scheme of things (2): designing easy-to-control processes in industry

Antonio Sala, UPV

Difficulty: *** ,       Relevance: ,      Duration: 17:35

*Enlace a Spanish version

Summary:

This video details the ideas under the concept of “designing easy-to-control processes” of the ’grand scheme of things’ in control of complex industrial systems, which we introduced in video [pidbigpic0EN].

Discussion which will continue in the videos [pidbigpic1BEN] and [pidbigpic2EN] discussing control structures, controller tuning, implementation and post-hoc data analysis.

Specifically, the meaning of optimizing the operating point is discussed (the cost per unit of product, variable cost, depends on the ’average’ resource consumption), and of sizing actuators (more powerful actuators require greater capital investment to be amortized as fixed cost). Reducing variance due to control enables setting an operation point (mean) closer to technological limits if the optimum benefit is achieved by hitting a constraint.

Later on, the convenience of selecting controlled variables and actuators with the appropriate technology so that the dynamics are fast and with high gain is discussed, the convenience of having as many sensors as possible, and the video ends by enumerating the possible design flaws in the project phase that would make control difficult at later stages.

*Link to my [ whole collection] of videos in English. Link to larger [ Colección completa] in Spanish.