In this section I will show screenshots from a process loop simulation program illustrating the effectiveness…
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Much has been written about the benefits of robust PID control. Increased productivity, decreased equipment…
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In order for any PID controller to be practical, it must be able to do more than just implement the PID…
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The simplest form of 4-20 mA current loop is the type used to represent the output of a process controller,…
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Virtually any mass above absolute zero temperature emits electromagnetic radiation (photons, or light) as a…
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A 4 to 20 mA current signal represents some signal along a 0 to 100 percent scale. Usually, this scale is…
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These fortifications focus on human behavior rather than system design or component selection. In some ways…
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Self-balancing pneumatic instrument mechanisms are very similar to negative-feedback operational amplifier…
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Calculus has a reputation for being difficult to learn, and with good reason. The traditional approach to…
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While the term “probability” may evoke images of imprecision, probability is in fact an exact…
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In addition to Ohm’s Law, we have a set of rules describing how voltages, currents, and resistances…
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In contrast to quantitative tuning procedures where definite numerical values for P, I, and D controller…
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Modern DC and AC motor drives provide features useful when using electric motors as final control elements.…
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DC electric motors generate torque by a reaction between two magnetic fields: one field established by…
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Developed by the Modicon company (the original manufacturer of the Programmable Logic Controller, or PLC) in…
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In some process applications, it is important that the control valve be able to completely stop fluid flow…
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A bridge circuit is basically a pair of voltage dividers where the circuit output is taken as the difference…
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It is often useful to express the amplitude of an alternating quantity such as voltage or current in terms…
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The next level of detail is the Process and Instrument Diagram, or P&ID. Here, we see a “zooming…
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Suppose we wished to measure the rate of propane gas flow through a hose to a torch: Flowmeters appropriate…
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A special type flowmeter suited for powdered or granular solids is the weighfeeder. One of the most common…
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An interesting parallel to the “unity fraction” unit conversion technique is something referred to…
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Learning is not merely a process of information transfer. It is first and foremost a transformation of…
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The term “grid” refers to the conductors and equipment interconnecting power sources to power…
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Many liquid substances undergo a process whereby their constituent molecules split into positively and…
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A limitation inherent to pneumatic valve actuators is the amount of air flow required to or from the actuator…
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The transformer is one of the most important components in all of AC circuitry. Principally used to…
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The following animation shows how a radio-energy pulse travels down and then up the waveguide of a guided-wave…
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In the United States, the ANSI and IEEE organizations have standardized a set of numerical codes referring to…
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Three-phase AC is the dominant mode of electric power generation and distribution in modern societies.…
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A whole class of problem-solving techniques focuses on altering the given problem into a simpler form that is…
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Once while working as an instrument technician in an aluminum foundry, a mechanic asked me what it was that I…
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Another category of control strategies involves the use of signal relays or function blocks with the ability…
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Tube, like pipe, is a hollow structure designed to provide an enclosed pathway for fluids to flow. In the case…
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The key to understanding how three-phase electric motors work is to have an accurate mental picture of the…
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A Safety Instrumented Function, or SIF, is one or more components designed to execute a specific…
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To better understand the design and operation of self-balancing pneumatic mechanisms, it is helpful to examine…
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Many years ago, when I was first learning about electricity, I happened to discover a length of coaxial…
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The following animation shows a rotating phasor in three-dimensional form. The phasor rotates in a complex…
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Data-processing modules within FF systems are known as function blocks. Sometimes these blocks serve merely to…
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Some analyzers measure the composition of a process stream by directly immersing the sensing element in that…
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The three “elementary” particles of matter comprising all atoms are electrons, protons, and…
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Converting between disparate units of measurement is the bane of many science students. The problem is worse…
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