Distributed Control Systems

Emad Ali
Chemical Engineering Department
King SAUD University

Distributed Control Systems

Collection of hardware and instrumentation

necessary for implementing control systems

Provide the infrastructure (platform) for

implementing advanced control algorithms

History of Control Hardware

Pneumatic Implementation:

Transmission: the signals transmitted

pneumatically are slow responding and
susceptible to interference.

Calculation: Mechanical computation devices

must be relatively simple and tend to wear out
uic!ly.

History (cont.)

"lectron analog implementation:

Transmission: analog signals are susceptible to

noise# and signal uality degrades over long
transmission line.

Calculation: the type of computations possible

with electronic analog devices is still limited.

History (cont.)

$igital Implementation:

Transmission: $igital signals are far less sensitive

to noise.

Calculation: %he computational devices are digital

computers.

Advantages of Digital System

$igital computers are more fle&ible because they

are programmable and no limitation to the
comple&ity of the computations it can carry out.

$igital systems are more precise.

$igital system cost less to install and maintain

$igital data in electronic files can be printed out#

displayed on color terminals# stored in highly
compressed form.

Computer Control 'etwor!s
1. PC Control:

(ood for small

processes such as
laboratory prototype
or pilot plants# where
the number of
control loops is
relatively small
PROCESS
Final
control
element
Data
acquisition
Main
Computer
$isplay

Computer Control 'etwor!s
2. Programmable ogic Controllers!

speciali)ed for non*continuous systems such as

batch processes.

It can be used when interloc!s are reuired+ e.g.# a

flow control loop cannot be actuated unless a pump
has been turned on.

$uring startup or shutdown of continuous processes.

Computer Control 'etwor!s
Operator
Control
Panel
Main
Control
Computer
Operator
Control
Panel
Archival
Data
Storage
Supervisory (host)
Computer
PROCESS
ocal
Computer
ocal
Computer
ocal
Computer
ocal Display ocal Display
$ata highway
%o other Processes %o other Processes
,ocal data acuisition and
control computers
". DCS
-
#ost
com$re%ensive

DCS &lements'1

ocal Control (nit: %his unit can handle . to /0

individual PI$ loops.

Data Ac)uisition (nit: $igital (discrete) and analog I12

can be handle.

*atc% Se)uencing (nit: %his unit controls a timing

counters# arbitrary function generators# and internal
logic.

ocal Dis$lay: %his device provides analog display

stations# and video display for readout.

*ul+ #emory (nit! %his unit is used to store and recall

process data.

DCS &lements'2

,eneral Pur$ose Com$uter : %his unit is programmed

by a customer or third party to perform optimi)ation#
advance control# e&pert system# etc

Central -$erator Dis$lay: %his unit typically contain

several consoles for operator communication with the
system# and multiple video color graphics display units

Data Hig%way : 3 serial digital data transmission lin!

connecting all other components in the system. It allow
for redundant data highway to reduce the ris! of data loss

ocal area .etwor+ (LAN)

Advantages of DCS

3ccess a large amount of current information from the data

highway.

Monitoring trends of past process conditions.

4eadily install new on*line measurements together with local

computers.

3lternate uic!ly among standard control strategies and

read5ust controller parameters in software.

3 sight full engineer can use the fle&ibility of the framewor! to

implement his latest controller design ideas on the host
computer.

Modes of Computer control

6C
signals !rom "igital
computer
ocal P#D
controller
Supervisory Control mo"e

Direct "igital Control mo"e
valve setting
!rom computer
Flo$ measurement
to computer
/. Manual
7. 3utomatic
-
PI$ with local set point
8. 9upervisory
-
PI$ with remote set
point (supervisory)
:. 3dvanced

Additional Advantage

$igital $C9 systems are more fle&ible.

Control algorithms can be changed and
control configuration can be modified without
having rewiring the system.

Categories of process information
Type Example
% & Digital Relay' S$itch
Solenoi" valve
Motor "rive
( & )enerali*e"
"igital
Alphanumerical "isplays
+ & Pulse ,ur-ine !lo$ meter
Stepping motor
. & Analog ,hermocouple or strain gauge (mill volt)
Process instrumentation (./(0 am)
Other sensors (0/1 2olt)

/nterface between digital com$uter and
analog instruments

(31$) %ransducers convert analog signals to

digital signals. (9ensor Computer)

($13) %ransducers convert digital signals to

analog signals. (Computer ;alve)

Data resolution due to digiti0ation

3ccuracy depends on resolution.

4esolution depends on number of bits:

4esolution < signal range = /1(7
m
*/)
m < number of bits used by the digiti)er (31$)
to represent the analog data

Data 1esolution

9ignal < > * / ;olt# 8 bit digiti)er:

3inary
representation
Digital
Equivalent
Analog
equivalent
Analog range
covere"
0 0 0
0 0 %
0 % 0
0 % %
% 0 0
% 0 %
% % 0
% % %
0
%
(
+
.
1
4
5
0
%65
(65
+65
.65
165
465
%
0 to %6%.
%6%. to +6%.
+6%. to 16%.
16%. to 56%.
56%. to 76%.
76%. to %%6%.
%%6%. to %+6%.
%+6%. to %.6%.

Data 1esolution
> /1? 71? 81? :1? @1? 01? /
>
/
7
8
:
@
0
?
3nalog data
$
i
g
i
t
a
l

d
a
t
a

(tili0ation of DCS

$C9 vendor 5ob:

installation

Control "ngineer Aob:

Configuration

Built*in PI$ control:

Cow to %une the PI$ controlD

(tili0ation of DCS

Implementation of advanced control:

$eveloped software for control algorithms# $MC#

3spen# etc.

Control*oriented programming language supplied

by the $C9 vendors.

9elf*developed programs using high*level

programming languages (6ortran# CEE)

Advanced control topology

D
C
S
8or9station
P
r
o
c
e
s
s
%wo*ways
$ata Bus
Online: Real/time "ata
PI interface
P# inter!ace: C
;;
or Fortran
PI
system

DCS 2endors

Coneywell

6isher*4osemont

Baily

6o&boro

Fo!ogawa

9iemen

3%an+ 4ou