A dual split-range control strategy for pressure

and flow processes

Maintaining setpoint for two-mode or wide-range operations can be much
easier when there are two control devices. Split-range control has been
widely used in industrial processes for controlling pressure, temperature,
and flow. See diagrams.

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Split-range control has been widely used in industrial processes for

controlling pressure, temperature, and flow, and it is normally used to
control a two-mode operation. For example, split-range control has
been used to maintain a vessel temperature where there are
both heating and cooling controls. When the temperature (a single
measured value) is below the desired temperature setpoint, first the
cooling valve is closed and then the heating valve will start to open.
When the temperature is above the setpoint, first the heating valve is
closed and then the cooling valve will start to open. Alternatively, split
range control is used to regulate two control valves to cover a wider
range of operation. One control valve controls through the lower
range and the second control valve controls the upper range. In both
applications we need a control valve in each of the individual process
lines.

Discussion and DESIGN below review of how a dual split-range

control can maintain the pressure or flow rate in a three-pipeline
process with two lines having control valves and the third line (flow
line) having no control valve, and how to coordinate between the
pressure split-range controller and the flow split-range controller.
P&ID for the example
The existing piping and instrumentation arrangement has the main
line with one control valve A, which branches into two lines as shown
in Figure 1. Valve A is used to maintain upstream process pressure
measured by PT2 with a standard PID controller P2. The two branch
lines have two control valves, B and C, to maintain downstream
pressure measured by PT1 using a pressure split-range controller P1
by opening and closing control valves B and C through PC1A and
PC1B. PT1 is a pressure transmitter to measure the downstream
pressure of valve A.
Wh

en upstream pressure PT2 is high, valve A will open more to reduce

the pressure. And when pressure at PT2 is low, valve A will reduce its
opening. In both situations, downstream valves B and C will follow
the changes in valve A to maintain pressure at PT1 by using split
range controller P1.

When pressure at PT1 is high, P1 will open valve B first to send gas
to plant 1. When valve B is fully opened and pressure is still high, P1
will open valve C to send gas to the flare header to control. On the
other hand, when pressure at PT1 is less than P1's setpoint, P1 will
close valve C and then valve B until pressure reaches P1's setpoint.
Changing the process
Due to changes in the process, gas from valve A is sometimes
required to flow to plant 2. However, the line to plant 2 has only a
solenoid valve D with two operational states, fully open or closed,
and has a flow transmitter FT2 as shown in Figure 2. FX2 is the
compensated flow with temperature and pressure, which are not
shown in the diagram.
The new process requires maintaining pressure at PT1 when valve D
is closed, and maintaining a certain flow rate at FT2 when valve D is
open. The existing pressure split-range control P1 has difficulty
meeting the two different control objectives. When valve D is open
and gas flows into plant 2, an operator manually adjusts pressure by
trial and error to achieve the required flow at FT2 to plant 2. This
results in delays and difficulty maintaining a steady flow to plant 2.
For example, when the inlet pressure in plant 2 changes, it will cause
flow variation even if the pressure at PT1 is maintained very well.
Thus, it needs continuous intervention by the operators to maintain
constant flow at FT2 if only the split range controller P1 is used to
control flow.

Therefore, the existing controlDESIGN

does not meet the

operators' expectation of having continuous automatic control of both

pressure at PT1 and flow at FT2.
Solving the challenge
In analyzing the challenge, it was clear that there were three main
objectives that would have to be fulfilled simultaneously:
Use the flow and pressure controls to maintain flow or pressure
based on input from the flow or pressure controller with the
new setup, but with no field control valves in the flow control
line
Smooth bump-less and procedure-less transfer between flow
and pressure controllers, and
Avoid flare and pressure upsets when the solenoid valve
suddenly closes in the third line.
Dual split-range control strategy
Th

e new dual (flow/pressure) split-range control scheme was configured

in the control systems with no additional field instrumentation or

valves, and is illustrated in Figure 3. F2A is a flow split-range

controller and PHS1 is a switch used for operators to select between
pressure split-range control or flow split-range control.
In the new control scheme, when valve D is closed, the pressure
split-range controller is used to maintain pressure at PT1 in the same
way as before. When the valve D is opened, the new flow split-range
controller F2A will maintain the flow to plant 2 as monitored by FT2.
When the flow is less than F2A's setpoint, F2A will first close valve C.
When valve C is fully closed, it will start to close valve B until the flow
reaches its setpoint. In normal operation, it is desirable to avoid
sending gas to the flare.
To achieve smooth transfer between the flow split-range controller
and pressure split-range controller, and to avoid a possible upsets or
flares when the solenoid valve is suddenly closed by the trip
functions, control logic is designed to set the pressure or flow
controller's opening initially. For example, when the control is
switched from flow split-range control to pressure split-range control
by an operator or by the trip logic, pressure controller P1 is set to its
initial opening value, which is defined in the following equation, and
then controller P1 is set to automatic control. P1's initial opening is
calculated thusly:
Initial P1.OP = 100 - [F2A.OP + (FT2.PV / Maximum Flow Rate)*100]
Here, FT2 is the flow in the third line, and the maximum flow rate is
defined as the flow in the first line when the controller P1 is fully
opened. ThisDESIGN
can avoid the upset caused by the

sudden closing of the solenoid valve D, which may cause flaring and
disturb the upstream operation.

Figure 4 shows the valve opening states of valves B, C, and D for the
cases of pressure split-range control and flow split-range control,
respectively.
Actual results
This new dual split-range control strategy is now in use for waste gas
processing in our company. Figure 5 shows the control performance
using the flow split-range control for flow FT2. The flow setpoint of
FT2A was first increased from 4 mscfd to 5.5 mscfd and then
reduced to 4.8 mscfd. It is clear that the flow at FT2 followed setpoint
changes well.

Figure 6 demonstrates the flow split-range control for the flow at FT2
at the beginning and for most part in the middle section, and with the
pressure split-range control for pressure PT1 at the end.
It can be seen that when the control is on flow, FT2 with the flow
setpoint rapidly changed from 4 mscfd to 2 mscfd, the flow FT2
tracked the flow setpoint very well, and the header pressure PT1
changed without any upset or pressure surge. When solenoid valve
D was suddenly closed, the DCS logic set a calculated initial opening
to control valve B through controller P1 and set a predefined setpoint
to controller P1 (15 psig), then switched the flow controller to the
pressure controller, which prevented a pressure upset and avoided
possible waste gas flaring.

The dual split-range control discussed here has been implemented at

Syncrude Canada Ltd. A properly DESIGNED
dual split-range

control strategy can maintain both pressure and flow rate for a
process that has three pipe lines, two lines with control valves and
the third with no control valve. The results of this industrial application
satisfied all the control performance criteria of the process.
Xi (Chris) Sun, PhD, PEng, is senior associate, Control, PC&A;
Ashish Shah, PEng, is team leader, Technical, PC&A; and Joseph
Amalraj, PEng, MBA, is senior technical leader, PC&A, for Syncrude
Canada Ltd.
Key concepts:
Some control problems require more sophisticated solutions
than traditional regulatory control.
Split-range control strategies are very well SUITED

for

specific applications.
Syncrude Canada was able to automate a difficult application
that had required a high level of manual intervention.

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For more information, visit:
www.syncrude.ca
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