Pros and Cons of Higher Order Models

By Control Guru | February 14, 2017

Modeling is a time-tested approach for decoding a process’ dynamic behavior. By understanding how a process responds to change it’s possible to apply an appropriate and timely counter measure. Two common applications of modeling are 1) PID controller tuning, and 2) process simulation.

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The Power of the FOPDT Model

By Control Guru | January 31, 2017

If you’re a parent, then chances are you’ve encountered this dilemma: It’s the day after your son or daughter’s birthday and you’re now faced with the job of assembling gifts provided by friends and family. You can either ‘wing it’ with the hope of constructing each toy quickly or you can hunker down and follow the manufacturer’s step-by-step instructions. While ignoring the instructions and following your intuition seems like the faster option, most experienced parents know that those instructions represent a speedier solution which ultimately results in a happier child.

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What Options Exist for Tuning Emerson DeltaV Controllers?

By Control Guru | December 22, 2016

Emerson’s DeltaV distributed control system (DCS) dominates much of North America’s process manufacturing market and beyond. For good reason engineers routinely rank it among the top supervisory control platforms globally. And while DeltaV has proven its capabilities as a comprehensive DCS platform other technologies have extended its overall application value in industrial arenas ranging from basic materials and chemicals to power and paper. It’s no surprise that some of those technologies come from innovative third parties.

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What Should I Look for in Performance Monitoring Software?

By Control Guru | August 10, 2016

You’ve probably heard it referred to as Control Loop Performance Monitoring, Loop Performance Monitoring, Controller Performance Monitoring, or even just Monitoring software.  The long list of names aside, the technology is relatively new and it addresses a need shared by most manufacturers.  That need is for improved awareness of issues negatively affecting a plant’s control loop performance.  The benefits of these monitoring tools range from increases in production output and quality to reductions in energy consumption and waste.  While more and more of PID controller monitoring technologies are popping up the question remains: What’s needed in Control Loop Performance Monitoring solution?

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Using Percent Time in Normal to Uncover Tuning Issues

By dennisnash | January 27, 2016

Even Simple Metrics Such as Percent Time in Normal Reveal Issues that Negatively Affect Performance and Signal the Need for Controller Tuning

It’s easy to get tripped up if a shoelace is untied. Just ask any child. While that’s a lesson most learn early in their lives each of us can occasionally slip up and find ourselves at risk.

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Using the Oscillation Metric to Uncover Tuning Issues

By dennisnash | November 23, 2015

There’s a wealth of information available in most every data historian. The data can be used to evaluate the performance of a plant’s regulatory control systems in general and to uncover PID controllers that require tuning in particular. Capitalizing on that resource can help manufacturers keep their processes within designated constraints and avoid out-of-spec production.

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