http://www.che.com Chemical Engineering en-us 2013 Wed, 22 May 2013 17:52:06 EDT The pursuit of manufacturing excellence is a strong theme across all of the chemical process industries (CPI). Improving operations by eliminating variability and waste, a cornerstone of the six sigma approach, is essential for competitive performance in the global marketplace. In addition, of course... http://www.che.com/software_automation_and_control/instrumentation_automation_and_control/advanced_process_control/8955.html Wed, 1 Feb 2012 0:00:00 EST There was a time, not long ago, when most groups responsible for industrial control systems (ICS) in the chemical process industries (CPI) were not much worried about security. They had their firewalls in place and their remote access servers, and overall that worked for them. Rarely, a virus would sneak in and usually do little damage. The affected computers would need to be shut down and cleaned out, but this could often be done without even scheduling a shutdown of the process. Now, however, malware has become much more sophisticated, and all users of industrial control systems need to be aware of the threats. A basic understanding of cybersecurity can be helpful in keeping control systems secure. This article describes concepts such as “defense-in-depth,” as well as emerging practices in this field.... http://www.che.com/software_automation_and_control/instrumentation_automation_and_control/advanced_process_control/8095.html Wed, 1 Jun 2011 0:00:00 EDT The DMCX1 model predictive control (MPC) software is a re-write of a 1990s-era dynamic matrix control (DMC) algorithm. The adjusted... http://www.che.com/software_automation_and_control/instrumentation_automation_and_control/advanced_process_control/7447.html Mon, 28 Mar 2011 0:00:00 EDT One of the best ways to realize value from your process data is to use those data — both real-time and historical — in a process simulator. The many applications for doing so are generally categorized into offline and online categories. Offline applications, where the simulator is not directly... http://www.che.com/software_automation_and_control/instrumentation_automation_and_control/advanced_process_control/6122.html Mon, 1 Nov 2010 0:00:00 EDT Improvements to the performance of basic, regulatory control systems have a great return on investment and are some of the least expensive control improvements to make [1]. Control valves have a major impact on control loop performance and, therefore, improvements in valve performance can have significant economic benefits. This article shows how poor control-valve performance can be identified and corrected to achieve these benefits. A plant example is used to demonstrate these methods.... http://www.che.com/software_automation_and_control/instrumentation_automation_and_control/advanced_process_control/6046.html Fri, 1 Oct 2010 0:00:00 EDT More and more, the chemical process industries (CPI) are seeking out the benefits of flexible production and maximizing energy and material recovery. Process units are becoming tightly integrated, and the failure of one unit can seriously degrade overall productivity. Meanwhile, with the influx of larger and... http://www.che.com/software_automation_and_control/instrumentation_automation_and_control/advanced_process_control/5027.html Tue, 1 Sep 2009 0:00:00 EDT Cutler Technology Corp. (San Antonio, Tex.; www.cutler-tech.com) has launched ADMC 64, its most-advanced model-predictive controller ( CE, November 2005, p. 15). With 64-bit resolution, the... http://www.che.com/software_automation_and_control/instrumentation_automation_and_control/advanced_process_control/4257.html Wed, 15 Oct 2008 0:00:00 EDT Process engineers understand how to harness the power of closed-loop multi-variable control in their plants. The evolution of digital control in the chemical process industries (CPI) has provided that power. Yet digital control represents just one facet of optimization and improvement within operations. With increased digitization, the universes of process control and information technology (IT) are colliding. In most plants, the different systems and applications that have been deployed around process control systems largely remain isolated in their silos and from business processes. ... http://www.che.com/software_automation_and_control/instrumentation_automation_and_control/advanced_process_control/4170.html Mon, 15 Sep 2008 0:00:00 EDT Today, companies in the chemical process industries (CPI) are faced with increased operating expenses, reductions in the number of qualified workers, strong competition and the need to do more with less. To meet these challenges, many companies are making use of advancements in instrumentation and control technologies to optimize plant performance. These advancements often lie in improved electronic components that provide higher accuracy of measurements and faster control algorithms, which in turn allow for increased throughput and greater yields of "on-spec" product.... http://www.che.com/software_automation_and_control/instrumentation_automation_and_control/advanced_process_control/4173.html Mon, 15 Sep 2008 0:00:00 EDT Although some CPI management may not realize it, PLCs (programmable logic controllers) are the brains behind many operations in the chemical process industries (CPI). A malfunctioning PLC can cause lines, plants and even operations such as city bridges and water stations to shut down. Thousands to millions... http://www.che.com/software_automation_and_control/instrumentation_automation_and_control/advanced_process_control/3498.html Thu, 15 Nov 2007 0:00:00 EST