Designing Controls for the Process Industries

Offering a modern, process-oriented approach emphasizing process control scheme development instead of extended coverage of LaPlace space descriptions of process dynamics, this text focuses on aspects that are most important for process engineering in the 21st century. Instead of starting with the controller, the book starts with the process and moves on to how basic regulatory control schemes can be designed to achieve the process’ objectives while maintaining stable operations. In addition to continuous control concepts, process and control system dynamics are embedded into the text with each new concept presented. The book also includes sections on batch and semi-batch processes and safety automation within each concept area. It discusses the four most common process control loops―feedback, feedforward, ratio, and cascade―and discusses application of these techniques for process control schemes for the most common types of unit operations. It also discusses more advanced and less commonly used regulatory control options such as override, allocation, and split range controllers, includes an introduction to higher level automation functions, and provides guidance for ways to increase the overall safety, stability, and efficiency for many process applications. It introduces the theory behind the most common types of controllers used in the process industries and also provides various additional plant automation-related subjects.

Professor Wayne S. Seames is Distinguished Professor, Chemical Engineering, University of North Dakota (UND). He has been Director, The SUNRISE BioProducts Center of Excellence at UND since 2009 and Director, The Sustainable Energy Research Initiative and Supporting Education Research Supercluster at UND, since 2004. Before joining UND, Prof. Seames was an independent consultant at Seaway Consulting, Tucson, Arizona, and an instructor at University of Arizona. Prof Seames is also an expert in the field of Process Plant Automation. He has direct Project Management experience in the scope definition, design development, implementation, and maintenance of Process Control Systems, Integration Systems, Plant Automation, Process Control Systems, and Management Information Systems. He has also supervised the operation of an operational Refinery Management Information system and also has direct Plant Operations support experience in the Refining industry.

Prof. Seames was awarded The Fulbright Foundation's 2014/15 Distinguished Chair Scholar at the University of Leeds; 2013 UND Faculty Scholar Award for Excellence in Teaching, Research, and Service; 2012 UND Faculty Spirit of Achievement Award; 2011 UND Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor; 2007 UND Award for Excellence in Individual Research (University Researcher of the Year); 2006 UND School of Engineering and Mines Professor of the Year (Outstanding teacher); “Award for Excellence at the Student Interface” from the Univ. of Arizona College of Engineering and Mines, 1999 (Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award); and 2004-2005 Olson Professor for Excellence in Research and Scholarship, UND SEM. He has published 2 invited book chapters, 47 refereed journal publications, 20 additional papers, over 100 research reports, as well 4 teaching- related publications, and over 50 proprietary industrial publications.