IBG
Michael Brown Control Engineering

34 Cederberg Village, Willows Estate, Kelland, Randburg

cell:  
+27 82 440 7790
email:  
[email protected]
url:  
www.controlloop.co.za

Core business offering: Training and consulting in process control loop optimisation.


Brown, M.L.
Chief Executive
Techmation Protuner
(Sole Agency)
Section - Maintenance, Reliability & Asset Optimisation
-Consulting
- Technical
-Education & training
- Instructor-led
- Onsite
-Performance monitoring
- Process/production
-Education & training
- Simulation for training
-Optimisation & efficiency
- Asset optimisation
- Maintenance optimisation
- Process/production modelling
- Simulation for optimisation
Section - Services & Systems
-System integration/consulting
- Other
- Process control
-Training (excluding supplier/product specific training)
Section - Test, Measurement & Calibration
-Loop optimisation analysers & software
News from Michael Brown Control Engineering:
Case History 195: Unstable reboiler steam flow
November 2024, Editor's Choice, Michael Brown Control Engineering

A high-pressure steam flow control in a reboiler on a column in a petrochemical refinery continually cycled when placed in automatic. Several attempts had been made to tune the controller, but these had been unsuccessful.

Loop signature 25: Tuning part 3 - Results of tuning a particular simple self-regulating process by several different methods.
October 2024, Editor's Choice, Michael Brown Control Engineering

A couple of SWAG methods of tuning were given in the previous Loop Signature article. I have tuned a simple self-regulating process using those methods, and two other tuning methods, one of them being the sophisticated Protuner tuning package, which is the system I employ. The tests were performed on a very accurate and powerful simulation package, and the results are compared below.

Case history 194: Boiler level control problem.
September 2024, Fieldbus & Industrial Networking, Editor's Choice, Michael Brown Control Engineering

A boiler level control in a petrochemical refinery was causing problems, as the level was cycling badly and taking a long time to recover from sudden load changes. In addition, there were frequent high-level alarms.

Case History 193: The big dipper.
I&C July 2024, Editor's Choice, Michael Brown Control Engineering

This article gives an example of an important flow control system for flare gas in a petrochemical refinery. The control was suffering from serious problems, often cycling severely, and at other times the flow process variable (PV) would suddenly move quite a lot away from the setpoint (SP).

Loop signature 23: Tuning part 1.
June 2024, Editor's Choice, Michael Brown Control Engineering

This is the first of several articles dealing with the subject of tuning. I have found that many people think that optimisation consists solely of tuning. I would stress once again that tuning is the last thing one should do when optimising regulatory controls.

Case History 192: Drum pressure cycling.
May 2024, Editor's Choice, Michael Brown Control Engineering

I was asked to investigate a problem of a drum pressure control that was cycling badly in a distillation column in a petrochemical refinery. The control team had spent a lot of time trying to stop the cycle by playing with the controller tuning. All to no avail.

Loop signature 22: How cyclical disturbances affect a control loop
April 2024, Editor's Choice, Michael Brown Control Engineering

When tuning noisy loops, we recommend in our courses that one should eliminate the noise by editing it out, so the tuning will be done only on the true process response, free of any noise. The controller is controlling the process, and is not controlling the noise.

Case History 191: The weakest link.
March 2024, Valves, Actuators & Pump Control, Michael Brown Control Engineering

Which is the weakest link in a control loop? The answer, without any doubt is that, in most cases, the final control element is the weakest link.

Reminiscences of a life in control
February 2024, SAIMC, Michael Brown Control Engineering

Reminiscences from Michael Brown on a long and rich journey in the world of automation together with SAIMC.

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