Instrument Engineers' Handbook, Fourth Edition, Volume Two: Process Control and Optimization (Hardcover)

by Bela G. Liptak (Editor)
Key Phrases: pressure drop ratio factor, process gain drops, pressure recovery factor, New York, Research Triangle Park, John Wiley (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
'Whether used as a text book by inexperienced engineers, or as a quick reference book for the experienced engineer - this book looks set to continue to be the main reference for the instrument engineer for the next decade - and at a realistic price which is better value today.'
Control & Instrumentation -- Review

...information provided from some 100 leading industry co-authors had been comprehensively updated to match new technology developments. The first volume focuses on measurement hardware, including flow, level, pressure, density, viscosity, weighing, analysis and safety devices. The second volume deals with process control, and covers transmitters, controllers, control valves, displays, DCSs, PLCs and computer based systems. The text aims to select the right instruments for a particular application. An orientation table is provided to help narrow the selection process, which can be followed up with analysis of cost, accuracy and other features to the application. Whether used as a textbook by inexperienced engineers, or as a quick reference for the experienced engineer - this book looks set to continue to be the main reference for the instrument engineer for the next decade - and at a realistic price which is better value today.(Control & Instrumentation (London). By Alan Reeve) Index -- Control and Instrumentation, London. By Alan Reeve

A concise rundown of the various instrument types covered in the section, pointing out the relative advantages and disadvantages of each for various services. These Application and Selection chapters are a new feature of the Handbook, and a welcome one. They are followed by the selection charts that were a feature of the first edition. Together, they save the engineer considerable time that would otherwise be wasted in wading through a lot of extraneous material. There are books available that give more-detailed information on a specific kind of instrument (e.g., flowmeters), but I have seen nothing with the scope of this handbook. Indeed, any chemical engineer having more than superficial involvement with instrumentation will find this book an important reference. -- Reviewed by Roy V. Hughson, Senior Associate Editor . Chem. Eng., Jan. 12, 1970, p. 159

Liptak began his engineering education at the Technical University of Budapest. After arriving in the U.S.; he earned master's degrees at Stevens Institute of Technology and City College of New York. His published works include more than 70 technical papers and 20 books on engineering. His singular achievement is the two volume Instrument Engineer's Handbook. The third edition was published in 1995. This latest edition comprises more than 3,000 pages between the two volumes. Each volume includes eight chapters with many sub-headings per chapter. The Flow Measurement and Analytical Instrumentation chapters were heavily revised for the 1995 edition of volume 1. Within each product-oriented sub-heading, in addition to extensive treatment of the applicable technology, a comprehensive listing of manufacturers and typical price ranges is provided. -- Terrence K. McMahon. March 1996 - Control

The updated edition covered 500 topics and is packed with 3,000 pages of useful information - information that ranges from basic to very advanced. This third edition's list of contributors, numbering 110, reads like the who is who of the process control field. Many of us, I am sure, would recognize them as experts in their various engineering disciplines, and more than likely be well aware of their contributions to the control industry. Once introduced to the INSTRUMENT ENGINEERS' Handbook, it is hard to imagine any instrument or control engineer, or, for that matter, anyone actively involved in the process control field not wanting easy access to this great work. -- Jack Hickey. Instruments & Control Systems

This third edition of the Instrument Engineers' Handbook, includes a variety of topics of interest to engineers. The first volume, Process Measurement and Analysis, presents instrument technology and performance. An appendix finishes the volume. The second volume, Process Control, discusses and reviews control theory; controllers, transmitters, converters, and relays; control centers, and panels and displays; control valves, on-off and throttling; regulators and other throttling devices; programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and other logic devices; distributed control systems; and process control systems. An appendix contains international units, conversion factors, chemical resistance of materials, composition of metallic and other materials, steam and water tables, friction in pipes, tank volumes, and a supplier list. This set should be available to every process control or instrumentation engineer, and it would be an excellent reference on the state of the art for every university researcher in this area of engineering. -- Burrelle's, Professor T.J. Williams, Purdue University --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
'Whether used as a text book by inexperienced engineers, or as a quick reference book for the experienced engineer - this book looks set to continue to be the main reference for the instrument engineer for the next decade - and at a realistic price which is better value today.'
Control & Instrumentation --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 2464 pages
• Publisher: CRC; 4 edition (September 29, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849310814
• ISBN-13: 978-0849310812
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 2.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #65,101 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is like the bible for process control, July 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Instrument Engineers' Handbook,Third Edition: Process Control (Hardcover)

The first edition was published in 1969, the second edition was released in 1982 (Volume 1) and 1985 (Volume 2). This latest edition comprises over 3000 pages between the 2 volumes. Each volume includes 8 chapters with many sub-headings per chapter.

The Flow Measurement (29 sub-headins) and Analytical Instrumentation (60 sub-headings) chapters were heavily revised for the 1995 edition of VOLUME 1. PLC's & Other Logic Devices (10 subheadings), DCS & Computer-based Systems (16 sub-headings) and Process Control Systems (27 sub-headings) were largely rewritten for the 1995 edition of VOLUME 2. Within each product-oriented sub-heading (eg. Magnetic Flowmeters, Infrared Analyzers, DCS Basic Packages), in addition to extensive treatment of the applicable technology, a comprehesive listing of manufacturers and typical price ranges is provided. Under Process Control Systems, a diverse group of applications (Airhandler Controls, Clean Room Controls, Distillation Advanced Controls, Compressor Controls, Reactor Control & Optimation and many others) is profiled. Throughout this handbook, process control is treated in the time-domain to minimize mathematical complications implicit in frequency-domain analysis. Its focus is the practicding engineer and explains most control phoenomena visually.

Over 250 contributing authors are listed, including many prestigious names immediately recognizable by process control professionals. Liptak personally authored a substantial number of revised and up-dated easlier contribution of pioneering practitioners. This opus is a tour de force.

Liptak is a long-time industrial consultant, teaches a graduate course in advanced process control at Yale and writes the widely-followed Lessons Learned feature in CONTROL magazine. He has also lectured at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and been published on the editorial pages of the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Before we can control a Process, first we must fully understand it and all of its components, July 24, 2006

By	David De Sousa "The Automation and Control Guy" - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Absolutely the Very Best Process Control Reference for the Process Control Engineer - Now Updated and Expanded !!. This is the second volume of the Instrument Engineer's Handbook, and. as its title suggests, it deals with Process control and Optimization, covering everything from Control Hardware, Control Theory, Control Strategies, and the Control and Optimization of Specific Unit Operations.

The Chapters on Control Hardware cover in detail transmitters, controllers, control valves, regulators and other types of final control elements, PLCs, and other logic devices, human interfaces and displays, including the design of control rooms.

The Chapters on Control Theory and Control Strategies covers everything from control basics and PID controllers, to tuning methods, stability, process characteristics, process modeling and simulation, model-based control, genetic and other evolutionary algorithms, fuzzy logic programming, neural networks and other advance control strategies.

The Chapters on Control and Optimization of Unit Operations provide both in-depth of both the theory of operation and control, and practical implementation for the control of pumping, distillation, chemical reaction, heat transfer and many other.

While evaluating and reviewing such sophisticated topics about Process Control, this handbook also tries and succeeds to provide and reinforce the reader with the most useful tool for the Automation and Control Engineer: Common Sense. In order to emphasize the importance of Common Sense, the Author gives some practical recommendations that include the following ones:

- Before we can control a process, one must fully understand it.
- Being progressive is good, but being a guinea pig is not. Therefore is the wrong control strategy is implemented, the performance of even the most advanced digital hardware will be unacceptable.
- And Instrumentation, Automation, and Process Control Engineer or Technician is doing a good and better job by telling plant management what they need to know, and not what they like to hear.
- If an instrument is worth installing, it should also be worth calibrating and maintaining. No device can outperform the reference against it was calibrated.
- Trust your common sense not the sales literature. Independent performance evaluation based on the recommendation of international and national users associations should be done before installation, and not after it.

I am an Industrial Practitioner of Process Measurement & Control. I have been working in the Process Industries for more than 16 years as an Automation, Instrumentation, Process Safety and Process Control Engineer. I consider this book to be the very best reference in the field for anyone and everyone working in these areas or in areas related with their Industrial applications. You will find this handbook useful, either if your work is related with the engineering, maintenance or operation of Process Control Systems.

If you are a beginner to Process Control, you may also want to consider "Process Dynamics, Modeling, and Control (Topics in Chemical Engineering)" by Babatunde A. Ogunnaike, which is an excelent introductory reference to Chemical Processes Dynamics and Control.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Authoritative book on Process Control, October 14, 2002

By	"spencestan" (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Instrument Engineers' Handbook,Third Edition: Process Control (Hardcover)

This book is a Must Have in your Engineering Library.
Liptak provides extensive detail for this to be your one-stop-shop for controls as well as a great introduction & encyclopedia for the rookies.
Hats off to Liptak and his team.
Just brace yourself for the 1,500 pages of information !! ;)