Techniques such as dead time compensation, adaptive control and Kalman filtering have been around for some time, but as yet find little application in industry. This is due to several reasons, including: Articles in the literature usually assume that the reader is familiar with a specific topic and are therefore often difficult for the practicing control engineer to comprehend. Many practicing control engineers in the process industry have a chemical engineering background and did not receive a control engineering education. There is a wide gap between theory and practical implementation, since implementation is primarily concerned with robustness, and theory is not. The user therefore has to build an "expert shell" in order to achieve the desired robustness. Little is published on this issue, however. This book tries to promote the use of advanced control techniques by taking the reader from basic theory to practical implementation. It is therefore of interest to practicing control engineers in various types of industries, especially the process industry. Graduate and undergraduate students in control engineering will also find the book extremely useful since many practical details are given which are usually omitted in books on control engineering. Of special interest are the simulation examples, illustrating the application of various control techniques. The examples are available on a 5-1/4" floppy disk and can be used by anyone who has access to LOTUS 1-2-3. Chapter 1 is the introduction; Chapters 2 through 6 deal with distributed control system networks, computer system software, computer system selection, reliability and security, and batch and continuous control. Chapter 7 gives and introduction to advanced control. Chapters 8 through 11 deal with dead time compensation techniques and model identification. Chapters 12 through 14 discuss constraint control and design, and the adjustment and application of simple process models and optimization. Chapter 15 gives a thorough introduction to adaptive control, and the last two chapters deal with state and parameter estimation. This book is a valuable tool for everyone who realizes the importance of advanced control in achieving improved plant performance. It will take the reader from theory to practical implementation.

Examines some of the unforseen incidents which have occured in computer-controlled process plants, and suggests how the risk of such incidents happening again can be minimized. The text describes how Hazop studies can be used to detect hazards in computer-controlled systems.

The papers within this volume reflect the multidisciplinary approach taken by the workshop to the development and improvement of existing production control theories and practices as applied to the process industry. Subjects covered include production planning, quality control and assurance, operational control and maintenance strategy. The development of this area is seen by those at the workshop as only being achieved by various groups working together rather than in isolation, so that the overall aim of production control is not lost in too much detail. This volume will provide the reader with essential information on new initiatives in the process industry with regard to production control.

Traditionally, process design and control system design are performed sequentially. It is only recently displayed that a simultaneous approach to the design and control leads to significant economic benefits and improved dynamic performance during plant operation. Extensive research in issues such as 'interactions of design and control', 'analysis and design of plant wide control systems', 'integrated methods for design and control' has resulted in impressive advances and significant new technologies that have enriched the variety of instruments available for the design engineer in her endeavour to design and operate new processes. The field of integrated process design and control has reached a maturity level that mingles the best from process knowledge and understanding and control theory on one side, with the best from numerical analysis and optimisation on the other. Direct implementation of integrated methods should soon become the mainstream design procedure. Within this context 'The Integration of Process Design and Control', bringing together the developments in a variety of topics related to the integrated design and control, will be a real asset for design engineers, practitioners and researchers. Although the individual chapters reach a depth of analysis close to the frontier of current research status, the structure of the book and the autonomous nature of the chapters make the book suitable for a newcomer in the area. The book comprises four distinct parts: Part A: Process characterization and controllability analysisPart B: Integrated process design and control ⊣ MethodsPart C: Plant wide interactions of design and controlPart D: Integrated process design and control ⊣ Extensions By the end of the book, the reader will have developed a commanding comprehension of the main aspects of integrated design and control, the ability to critically assess the key characteristics and elements related to the interactions between design and control and the capacity to implement the new technology in practice. * This book brings together the latest developments in a variety of topics related to integrated design and control.* It is a valuable asset for design engineers, practitioners and researchers.* The structure of the book and the nature of its chapters also make it suitable for a newcomer to the field.

This book provides an introduction to statistical process control in automated manufacturing and suggests implementation strategies. It focuses on time series applications in statistical process control and explores the role of knowledge-based systems in process control.

This volume studies the advances of software for computers, their development, applications and management. Topics covered include software project management, real time languages and their uses, and computer aided design techniques. The book also discusses how far artificial intelligence is integrated with business and industry to give a complete overview of the role of computer systems today.

With the approach of the 21st century, and the current trends in manufacturing, the role of computer-controlled flexible manufacturing an integral part in the success of manufacturing enterprises. will take Manufacturing environments are changing to small batch (with batch sizes diminishing to a quantity of one), larger product variety, produc tion on demand with low lead times, with the ability to be 'agile.' This is in stark contrast to conventional manufacturing which has relied on economies of scale, and where change is viewed as a disruption and is therefore detrimental to production. Computer integrated manufac turing (CIM) and flexible manufacturing practices are a key component in the transition from conventional manufacturing to the 'new' manu facturing environment. While the use of computers in manufacturing, from controlling indi vidual machines (NC, Robots, AGVs etc.) to controlling flexible manu facturing systems (FMS) has advanced the flexibility of manufacturing environments, it is still far from reaching its full potential in the environment of the future. Great strides have been made in individual technologies and control of FMS has been the subject of considerable research, but computerized shop floor control is not nearly as flexible or integrated as hyped in industrial and academic literature. In fact, the integrated systems have lagged far behind what could be achieved with existing technology.