10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is the ONLY chemical engineering book that I like, March 15, 1999
By A Customer
Four years of chemical engineering education and finally, a book worth remembering. Seborg leaves nothing out. From the simplest principles to the weirdest homework problems, the book does a great job of TEACHING, not just INFORMING. As a reference, it might not be too great, but for pure teaching effect, this is the absolute best choice.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Introductory Book - So Clear that is Suitable for Self-Study, July 30, 2006
This review is from: Process Dynamics and Control (Hardcover)
This book is an introductory course that provides an appropriate balance between process control theory and practice. In particular it emphasizes on dynamic behavior, physical and empirical modeling, computer simulation, measurement and control technology, basic control concepts, and advanced control strategies.
The mathematical level of the book is oriented toward a junior or senior student who has taken at least one course in differential equations. Additional mathematical tools required for the analysis of control systems are introduced along the book as needed. The book emphasizes process control techniques that are used in practice and provides detailed mathematical analysis only when it is essential for understanding the material. Key theoretical concepts are illustrated with examples.
The book is divided in four parts. Part I (chapters 1 to 2) provides an introduction to process control and an in-depth discussion on process modeling. The development of dynamic models for representative processes, like a stirred-tank blending system are used as illustrative examples throughout the book.
Part II (chapters 3 to 7) is concerned with the analysis of the dynamic behavior of processes. A key issue is the determination of the transient response that occurs after a process disturbance occur, a grade change is initiated, or a process is started up or shut-down. Important analysis toll are introduced, the Laplace transform and the transfer function. For many practical control applications, it is not feasible to develop a physically based, dynamic model. For this the important topic of empirical models and their development from plant and process data are presented. Both continuous-time and discrete-time models are considered here.
Part III (chapters 8 to 15) addresses the fundamental concepts of feedback and feedforward control. The topics included the PID controller and an overview of the process instrumentation and control hardware and software that are necessary to implement process control, The important relationship between process design and process control is emphasized, and a whole section is dedicated to process safety. The design and analysis of feedback control systems, as well as new methods for controller design, tuning, and troubleshooting receive considerable attention. This part concludes with a chapter on feedforward and ratio control.
Part IV (chapters 16 to 24) is concerned with advanced process control techniques. The topics include digital control, multivariable control and enhancements of PID control, such as cascade control, selective control, and gain scheduling. Powerful techniques like real time optimization and model predictive control (MPC) that have had significant impact on industrial practice are covered on dedicated and separated chapters. Also process monitoring, batch processes control, and plant-wide control are also developed on individual chapters. Illustrative case studies are included in this part of the book.
Even though the book is designed for Chemical Engineering students, I truly believe that this text would also be suitable for industrial practitioners and students in mechanical, industrial, and electrical engineering. I am an Industrial Practitioner of Process Measurement & Control who has been working in the Process Industries for more than 16 years as an Automation, Instrumentation, Process Safety and Process Control Engineer. My academic background is in electrical and electronics engineering (I am an Electronic Engineer), not in chemical engineering as might be the case of the usual reader of this book, but working in the Oil & Gas Industry all this time, I have been dealing with Chemical-Process Control issues in a day-to-day basics. I found this book to be a very useful reference and refresher to gain a better understanding of Modern Process Control Applications.
The book is organized in reasonable short chapters what makes it more readable and modular, which makes it also suitable for self-study by engineers in industry.
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