PID475: Batch Reactor Control

Duration: 1 Day Classroom or 8 hours Online
Audience: Process Control Engineers, Application Engineers, Boiler Technicians, DCS technicians, Instrument Engineers, and Supervisors.
Prerequisites: PID100, 2-year or 4-year degree in engineering or operations. A few months of plant/ engineering experience is desirable, but not required.
Course Material: Software Products used in Course – Pitops, Simcet, and Training Slides.

This comprehensive PID control training course offers in-depth instruction on PID tuning and optimization and batch reactor control strategies. Participants will master the PID control algorithm, process modeling through transfer function identification, and practical troubleshooting methods for industrial batch control systems.

The training program covers essential topics, including process control terminology, filter action for noisy signals, and when to use derivative control effectively. Students will learn to work with nonlinear processes, implement adaptive control strategies, and apply other control techniques such as cascade control, ratio control, and split-range control.

Through hands-on experience with industry-standard software tools (SIMCET and PITOPS), participants will gain practical skills in PID tuning for various process applications, including flow control, temperature control, level control, and pressure control. The course emphasizes real-world batch reactor control examples and provides extensive laboratory exercises to reinforce learning.

Special focus is given to understanding process dynamics, control valve issues, and how to optimize PID controllers for maximum plant capacity, minimal utility consumption, and improved safety and reliability.

At the end of the course, attendees will have comprehensive knowledge of industrial PID controllers and their optimization for various batch reactor applications. Participants will understand the complete PID control algorithm, including proportional, integral, and derivative actions, master traditional PID tuning rules and optimization software techniques, and learn when to use derivative action and filter action for noisy signals.

Students will be proficient in identifying process transfer functions including zero-order and first-order systems, and master system identification methods through step tests and closed-loop identification using PITOPS software. Attendees will gain expertise in implementing cascade PID control, ratio control systems, and split-range control for heating and cooling applications, along with adaptive control and gain scheduling for nonlinear batch processes.

Participants will master batch reactor temperature control strategies, including jacket temperature control, split-range control, product return systems, and reactor product purity control. Attendees will develop practical troubleshooting skills to diagnose cycling, persistent deviation, and sluggish control problems, and identify control valve issues, including stiction, hysteresis, and dead band. Students will gain proficiency in using the SIMCET simulator and PITOPS software for PID tuning optimization and closed-loop system identification.