How to Automatically Find a Model Of Your

Process
Part 13: How to Automatically Find a Model Of Your Process (see below)
Part 12: Safety Factor: The Most Important Tuning Parameter
Part 11: Eliminate Cycling In Your Plant
Part 10: Quickly Tune Slow Loops
Part 9: How to Linearize Your Process
Part 8: When Should You Use Derivative Action?
Part 7: Plant Data for PID Tuning & Modeling
Part 6: Choosing the Best Filter
Part 5: When to use Honeywell A,B,C,D, Real or Ideal Algorithms
Part 4: The Best Sample Interval for Process Control
Part 3: Loop Stability - The Other Half of the PID Tuning Story
Part 2: Ziegler-Nichols Tuning Rules & Limitations
Part 1: PID Algorithms and Units

How to Automatically Find a Model Of Your

Process
by John Gerry, P.E.
Click here to see the complete presentation in more detail as a web-cast.
Once you have a model of your process, you can do a lot of powerful analyses.
For example you can: easily tune the PID controller, simulate the loop, see the
tradeoff of response and closed loop robustness, do relative response time
comparisons, time line analysis etc.
If you can get the process model automatically from normal operating data, then
you get this power for "free" - without investing time and resources in plant tests.
To get the model, there must be normal operating data that includes set point
changes in automatic mode or controller output changes in manual mode. For
many loops this will be possible since often times operators will be making these
changes as part of operating the plant. For inner loops in cascades, set point
changes are just a normal part of operation.

Data from load upsets will not work.

Consider a process with a dead time of 5
seconds and load upset as shown in the
graph. In the graph we have shifted the
controller output by the dead time since
the controller output or CO only has an
effect on the process variable after the
dead time passes. This way the controller
output or CO is lined up with where it can
effect the process variable or PV. As you
can see in the picture, the process variable (or PV) moves quite a lot before the
controller output (or CO) could affect it. So you (or an algorithm) could conclude
the process has infinite gain - the PV moved without any change in CO. This is
just one of the challenges of trying to identify a process from load upset data.
To the right is the problem stated algebraically.
If you algebraically solve for an equation of the
process based on load upset stimulus, the solution
is the negative inverse of the controller, as shown
on the lower left. Load upset stimulus yields entirely
useless information for us. If you do similar algebra
using set point data, the solution is the process, as
shown in the lower right. So if the controller is in
automatic, the first step in getting a model of your
process is finding a time when a set point change occurs.
The next step is to zoom in on the most content rich data. This would be data
from either set point changes or manual output changes. Look for the following
attributes:
1. Data from the largest change
2. Data not at a limit (the controller output should be between 5 and 95% and
the process variable should never be at the lower or upper value of its
measurement.)
3. The smallest amount of data that starts settled and ends settled. "Plant
Data You Should Use for Modeling and PID Tuning" is the subject of
another presentation available from the articles page at expertune.com.
PlantTriage software from ExperTune automatically identifies the best data area
to use for model identification. For every loop, during every assessment,
PlantTriage chooses a data area that meets the requirements mentioned above.
To see the data section that PlantTriage has selected, bring up a trend of the loop
and select Trend Display | Show data for process model.

The last step in automatically finding a model is to apply a model identification

algorithm to the data. The algorithm should work from one bump and be able to
use either set point or manual output changes. The algorithm should be flexible
enough to allow for a variety of input data. It should allow step changes, pulses,
pseudo-random signals, ramps or a series of bumps. Finally the algorithm should
rate the quality of the identification, so you have an idea how good the model is.

Conclusions
The above steps to automatically find a process model are performed by
ExperTune's PlantTriage during every assessment period for every loop.
Following these steps, PlantTriage identifies a model of your process. The data
used for modeling can be from set point changes or manual controller output
changes. The data can be from pulses, steps, a series of bumps or set point
changes as in the inner loop of a cascade. PlantTriage also gives a quality
estimate of the model found. Having the model enables a host of powerful
analyses using ExperTune's software. With the model you can easily tune the
controller, simulate the loop, see the tradeoff of response and robustness, do
RRT analysis, time line analysis, etc.
Click here to see the complete presentation in more detail as a web-cast.
2003 ExperTune Inc.