Feedback flow control

Another way of reducing flow noise with single-headed pumps is to use a rapid stroke rate (one model uses 23 strokes s-1) so that the detector cannot react rapidly enough to sense the flow changes. Many pumps also use feedback flow control, where the flow rate... 

A simple positive-displacement sampler system is shown in Figure 3. The basic system contains a battery and motor connected to a positive-displacement pump mechanism and provides an efficient means for moving air through the sampler. In order to provide feedback flow control the system must be expanded to include the means to monitor air flow through the pump to compensate for flow variations. 

Figure 4 shows a simple version of a feedback flow control sampler system. An orifice and pressure switch are used to monitor air flow. 

Thus it is shown that the feedback flow control system will act to correct for any condition that would cause flow variation. 

Figure 4. Feedback flow control sampler system...

Figure 7. Feedback flow control system for low-speed pump...

The following data illustrates the performance of feedback flow control samplers under test conditions which represent field conditions. Figure 11 shows the flow rate stability versus time for a sampler operated on its battery. The flow control system maintained a constant flow rate even though the battery was discharging(3). 

FEEDFORWARD AND FEEDBACK FLOW CONTROL. Q FEEDBACK CONSUMPTION CONTROL, A ... 

The parallel product flow configuration for a two-effect evaporative forced-circulation crystallizer is illustrated in Figure 9.16. The feed rate is maintained at a constant rate by feedback flow control. The level is controlled by varying the mother liquor return from downstream solid-liquid separation to the suction of a centrifugal pump. 

Continuous in-line measurements and control of the mass material balance in the process, with automatic feedback to the reactants dosing devices (performed either by computerized system or by traditional flow control loops). 

Modify your feedforward controller design of Prob. 11.10 so that it can handle both feed temperature and feed flow rale changes and uses a feedback temperature controller to trim up the steam flow. 

When processes are subject only to slow and small perturbations, conventional feedback PID controllers usually are adequate with set points and instrument characteristics fine-tuned in the field. As an example, two modes of control of a heat exchange process are shown in Figure 3.8 where the objective is to maintain constant outlet temperature by exchanging process heat with a heat transfer medium. Part (a) has a feedback controller which goes into action when a deviation from the preset temperature occurs and attempts to restore the set point. Inevitably some oscillation of the outlet temperature will be generated that will persist for some time and may never die down if perturbations of the inlet condition occur often enough. In the operation of the feedforward control of part (b), the flow rate and temperature of the process input are continually signalled to a computer which then finds the flow rate of heat transfer medium required to maintain constant process outlet temperature and adjusts the flow control valve appropriately. Temperature oscillation amplitude and duration will be much less in this mode. 

Except for continuous weighing, control of the flow of solids is less precise than that of fluids. Several devices used for control of feed rates are shown schematically in Figure 3.7. They all employ variable speed drives and are individually calibrated to relate speed and flow rate. Ordinarily these devices are in effect manually set, but if the solid material is being fed to a reactor, some property of the mixture could be used for feed back control. The continuous belt weigher is capable ordinarily of 1% accuracy and even 0.1% when necessary. For processes such as neutralizations with lime, addition of the solid to process in slurry form is acceptable. The slurry is prepared as a batch of definite concentration and charged with a pump under flow control, often with a diaphragm pump whose stroke can be put under feedback control. For some applications it is adequate or necessary to feed weighed amounts of solids to a process on a timed basis. 

Imperfections in feed-forward control can often be overcome by the addition of suitable feedback action. A typical design is shown in Fig. 7.70 where any variations in xd which occur bring the feedback control loop into action. The reflux flow is shown on flow control in cascade with the boiling temperature of the liquid at an appropriate point within the column. The inner (or slave) flow controller maintains... 

A. Flow Control without Feedback. Plow can be controlled by means of a needle valve if the pressure drop across the valve is constant. The pressure on the upstream side often can be held constant with a single- or two-stage mechanical diaphragm regulator (Section 10.1. B). If the stream of gas does not experience a variable constriction after the needle valve, the above combination provides a simple and convenient means of providing a steady flow. Often an arrangement such as this is used in conjunction with a rotameter or electronic mass flow meter (Fig. 7.14). 

In a feedback configuration the controlled variable (temperature) has to be upset before correction can take place. Feedforward is a mode of control that corrects for a disturbance before it can cause an upset. Figure 2.108 illustrates feedforward control of a steam heater. The feedforward portion of the loop detects the major load variables (the flow and temperature of the entering process fluid) and calculates the required steam flow (Ws) as a function of these variables. When the process flow increases, it is matched with an equal increase in the steam flow controller set point. Because instantaneous response is not possible, dynamic correction by a lead-lag element is provided. 

A feedback control loop is generally illustrated as shown in Figure 6. The Process refers to the chemical or physical process (the tank in the example earlier). The Measuring Device is used to measure the value of the variable that is to be controlled (the level indicator in the tank example or a thermometer in a shower). The Control Element (usually a flow control valve or the setting on a heater or cooler) changes the value of the manipulated variable. The manipulated variable is the variable used to change the controlled variable (in the tank example, the output flow rate is the manipulated variable used to change the level in the tank, which is the controlled variable). 

A discernible trend in modem pump design is towards the use of very small pistons (stroke volume around 100 pi). These tiny pistons have to be operated at very high driving speeds, to provide the flow rates required in analytical HPLC. However, when they are used in combination with electronic feedback pulse control mechanisms, as described above, they can provide extremely stable solvent delivery characteristics. Such is the efficacy of this approach that single piston pumps designed in this way are able to easily out-perform older dual piston pumps, and are consequently beginning to account for a major part of the LC pump market. 

There are different approaches to implementing the feedback concentration control for the direct design. Various schemes to implement the concentration control for direct design are described in the literature for cooling and antisolvent crystallizations. " The basic steps are as follows (i) the solution concentration is estimated from IR absorbances and temperature or solvent-antisolvent ratio using the calibration model that relates IR spectra to concentration and (ii) the temperature or antisolvent flow rate setpoint is calculated from the concentration, solubility curve, and the user-specified supersaturation setpoint. 

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