I was recently sent a link to a YouTube video of a control demonstration by professor Raffaello D’Andrea, The Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control at ETH, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich. ETH is one of the world’s leading universities for technology and the natural sciences. I found the demonstration by Professor D’Andrea to …
Tag Archive: Control
Feb
03
WirelessHART – Monitoring and Control of On-Off Valves
A number of WirelessHART devices have been introduced over the last few years to monitor the status of on/off valves. For example, the TopWorx 4310 WirelessHART Valve Position Monitor can be used detect linear and rotary movement using non-contact technology with limit switch feedback. Such devices provide a low cost way to monitor the position …
Jan
27
WirelessHART – Level Switch
In many tank level control applications, a level switch is installed and used as an interlock to help prevent overfilling the tank. For example, in many existing installations you may find a vibrating fork liquid level switch wired as an input to the control system. However, today it is possible to reduce the cost of installing a …
Dec
09
Using Wireless Measurements In Control Applications
Wireless transmitters may be preferred in applications where new measurements are required since the cost may be lower than that associated with installing wired transmitters. However, there is a significant differences in the frequency and manner in which a new measurement value is updated by a wired transmitter vs. a wireless transmitter. Such differences must …
Nov
18
Raymond D. Molloy Award
In early October, 2013, Willy Wojsznis, Mark Nixon and I were notified by the ISA Publications Department that we were the recipients of the “Raymond D. Molloy Award”. The book we co-authored, Advanced Control Foundation: Tools, Techniques, and Applications, sold the most units of any new book published by ISA in 2012. The publication award’s …
Nov
04
Utilizing DeltaV Advanced Control Innovations
Several Meet the Expects workshops are schedule on the last day of Emerson Exchange. As part of this effort, Willy Wojsznis and I co-hosted a workshop this year titled Utilizing DeltaV Advanced Control Innovations to Improve Control Performance. In this workshop we explore and discuss innovative features of the DeltaV PID and embedded Advanced Control …
Oct
28
Process Education on Demand
In Emerson’s boot camp for new engineers, I teach the portion on process control based on our book Control Loop Foundation – Batch and Continuous Processes. Each student receives a copy of this book. Customer may receive the same process control training by attending a 4 ½ day class, Control Loop Foundation – 9025, offered …
Oct
21
ISA Automation Week – Nov 5-7
ISA Automation Week is one of the major conferences conducted each year in North American. This year the conference will be held November 5-7 at the Nashville Convention Center, Nashville, TN. The convention center is convenient to reach – just eight miles away from the Nashville International Airport. A number of standards groups conduct meetings …
Oct
14
Control Using Wireless Measurements
During the initial development of WirelessHart we began researching how to address control applications that use a wireless measurement and/or wireless actuator. To extend battery life a wireless transmitter may be setup to communication the measurement value much slower than the update rate of a wired installation. Also, when the transmitter supports Window communications (as …
Oct
07
Addressing Control in the Presence of Process and Measurement Noise
When a measurement used in a control application is characterized by a significant amount of process or measurement noise then to avoid taking control action on noise filtering may be applied in the transmitter or in the control system. However, when traditional filtering techniques are used it is necessary to increase the PID reset time …
