Measurement

3 basic components

Decision - Controller

of Process Control

Action

VALVE
( Action)

Process Control Loop

Process control loop

Process

Sensor

Transmitter

Controller

Transducer

Control valve

Pressure
Flow
Level
Temperature
pH
dP cell
Capacitance
Radar, Sonic
Magnetic
Resistance
IR/Laser
4-20 mA
1-5 Vdc

PID
Fuzzy logic

4-20 mA
3-15 psig

Linear
Equal percentage

Abdul Aziz Ishak, Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia (2009)

I/P

Valve

Selection of action
Fail position
Capacity and sizing
Flow characteristic
Gain
Transfer function
Type of valve

Action (A)
Control valve
Most common final control elements
Adjusting the flow that affect the controlled
variables.
Act as a variable restriction in a process pipe.
The controller output signal positions the valve,
determining the valve position.
The controller output signal is the input to the
valve, and the flow is the output of the valve

Introduction
Purpose
to regulate flow of any phase (liquid, gas, fluid
and mixed phases) that could pass through it.
At the moment, solid phase (such as sand,
flour, sugar) is not possible.

Chemical process applications

>80% of final control element found in chem.
proc. ind.

Symbols
=

Construction

Actuator

Body

Seat

Plug

The control valve actuator

.

air pressure actuator is the most common to adjust the position of

control valves
The controller signal m(t) is in percent controller output (%CO), as
opposed to mA or psig
the actuator convert the controller output m(t), into the valve
position, vp(t)
The valve position usually expressed as a fraction varies between
zero and unity.

 When the valve position is zero the valve is closed and

the flow is zero
When the valve is unity the valve is fully opened and the
flow is maximum.
For full range valve actuator, a 1% change in controller
output results 0.01 change in fraction valve position.
Most control valves use a full range actuator

Control valve action

What do I want to do when energy supply fails?
When the safest position of the valve is the closed
position
specify a fail-closed (FC) valve
this valve required energy to open and is also called airto-open (ATO) valve

When the safest position of the valve is the

opened position
specify a fail-open (FO) valve
this valve required energy to close and is also called airto-close (ATC)

Selection Criteria
Valve action: ATO vs. ATC
Air-to-closed (ATC) or Fail open (FO).
Use to allow flow of fluid during loss of
pneumatic air supply. This action may
save overheating of temperature related
processes such as catalyst heating or
heating of polimerization process.

Air-to-open (ATO) or Fail closed (FC). Use to

prevent flow when no pneumatic air supply.
This action may prevent hazardous chemical or
flammable fluid from endangering lives.

compare

compare
compare
compare

What we want each valves to do if the

electrical or air supply were fail?
1-fail-closed prevent high steam flow
that could vaporize all the liquid and
overheat the coil
2 - fail-closed keep the liquid in the
tank

3- fail-open allow the vapor to flow

out and prevent the vapor pressurized
the tank

 The action of the valve determine the sign of the

gain of the valve
Air-to-open valve has a positive gain
Air to-closed valve has a negative gain
Formula relating valve position to the controller
output

Exercise
If 10 psig is sent to the control valve, what is the
valve position?
For air-to-close system
For air-to-open system