Understanding Transient Response Performance between Controllers for Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger System: Simulated Examination

Abstract

Technology advancement in process industries widely involves heat transferring using heat exchanger unit. Heat exchanger unit generally used in chemical processes related to energy consumption. Actual purpose of heat exchanger is transferring heat source from hotter fluid to cooler fluid. The main control system challenge for heat exchanger is controlling the temperature according to the control demand (setpoint). This is due to some disturbance phenomena such as leakage, temperature-dependent flow and contact resistance. Therefore, the performance of various control techniques such as feedback PID and feedback-plus-feedforward PID controller are proposed to regulate the temperature of outlet fluid of a shell and tube heat exchanger. Then, system performance is evaluated upon excitation of a unit step response. Overall heat exchanger system is modeled using first order principle and simulation result of two types of controller is compared. From the simulation results, it is found that the combination of feedback and feedforward controller provides significant increase performance of the overall heat exchanger system.