Process Control: A Practical Approach

So why another book on process control?

Process Control: A Practical Approach is a ground-breaking guide that provides everything needed to design and maintain process control applications.

The book follows the hierarchy from basic control, through advanced regulatory control, up to and including multivariable control. It addresses many process-specific applications including those on fired heaters, compressors and distillation columns.

Written with the practicing control engineer in mind, the book:

• Brings together proven design methods, many of which have never been published before
• Focuses on techniques that have an immediate practical application
• Minimizes the use of daunting mathematics – but for the more demanding reader, complex mathematical derivations are included at the end of each chapter 
• Covers the use of all the algorithms, common to most distributed control systems

This book raises the standard of what might be expected of even basic controls. In addition to the design methods it describes any shortcuts that can be taken and how to avoid common pitfalls. Proper application will result in significant improvements to process performance.

Myke King’s practical approach addresses the needs of the process industry, and will improve the working practices of many control engineers.

“This book would be of value to process control engineers in any country.” – Mr Andrew Ogden-Swift, Chairmain, Process Management and Control Subject Group, Institution of Chemical Engineers, UK

“This book should take the process-control world by storm.” – Edward Dilley, Lecturer in Process Control, ESD Simulation Training

Myke King is the founder and director of Whitehouse Consulting (whitehouse-consulting.com), an independent consulting organization specializing in process control. He has more than 35 years' experience working with over 100 clients from more than 30 countries. As part of his consulting activities, Myke has developed training courses covering all aspects of process control. To date, around 2,000 delegates have attended these courses. To support his consulting activities, he has developed a range of software to streamline the design of controllers and to simulate their use for learning exercises.

Myke graduated from Cambridge University in the UK with a Master's degree in chemical engineering. His course included process control taught as part of both mechanical engineering and chemical engineering. At the time he understood neither! On graduating he joined, by chance, the process control section at Exxon's refinery at Fawley in the UK. Fortunately, he quickly discovered that the practical application of process control bore little resemblance to the theory he had covered at university. He later became head of the process control section and then moved to operations department as a plant manager. This was followed by a short period running the IT section.

Myke left Exxon to co-found KBC Process Automation, a subsidiary of KBC Advanced Technology, later becoming its managing director. The company was sold to Honeywell where it became their European centre of excellence for process control. It was at this time Myke set up Whitehouse Consulting.

Myke is a Fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers in the UK. He lives on the Isle of Wight.