Only through proper troubleshooting and then solving the underlying problems can control loop performance be improved. Process design certainly plays a role in control loop performance, but experience ...

Plant engineers and technicians are frequently asked to tune the controller when a control loop’s process value has prolonged or significant excursions from the set point. But in many instances, no ...

Power plants–especially coal-fired boilers–pose a set of process control problems unparalleled in other industries. Rapid load ramps, continuous unit demand changes, variable fuel quality and process ...

Spare a moment’s pity for the process engineer, whose job it is to keep industrial automation running no matter what. These poor souls seem to be forever on call, fielding panicked requests to come to ...

PID loops are a central component of modulating boiler control systems with applications ranging from basic steam header pressure control to cascading 3-element drum level control. A modern ...

At the core of any modern industrial process is a control system guaranteeing precision, stability, and efficiency. Perhaps the most commonly used are PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) ...

Oscillation detection in process control systems remains of paramount importance in ensuring operational efficiency and maintaining product quality. The ability to accurately identify and characterise ...

I recently surveyed the on-site development of the control system for a large concentrated solar power station. This “first of a kind” facility offered many control challenges, such as balancing heat ...

In process flow control, there are many factors affecting variability, but the greatest contributor is the control valve’s performance. Issues associated with control valves, such as dead band, ...