Having control is defined as the power to influence or direct the course of events of a system. Therefore, when we want to control anything, we would use our influence to decide what to do and ensure that it happens. Controls engineering can be thought of as the channels we use to influence systems such as processes, techniques, and guidelines to accomplish our goals!
Process Controls – Keep Me in the Loop!
What is Controls Engineering?
Many of our manufacturing sites use computers and programs to manage our processes via process controls. In this edition, we will dive deeper into controls engineering, how it is documented, and examples of how controls engineering is applied in manufacturing and AbbVie!
Controls Engineering: The Breakdown
Controls Engineering Problems
As outlined above, the three main components in a control engineering problem are: the system, influence, and goal. Check out some examples below that you may encounter everyday!
Playing video games is a controls engineering problem! When you’d like to have control in a video game, for example, directing how your character (system), can move to ace any obstacle (goal), you use a controller (influence)! Similarly, you control your car to get to your destination by using the brakes, gas, and steering wheel.
These are all examples of manual control where an individual is directing the system. However, most of what we talk about in controls engineering—and most of what the theory is dedicated to solving— is automatic control.
Process Flow Diagrams
Flow diagrams are an important tool to capture the general steps of processes and how the controls influence outcomes.
Process Flow Diagrams (PFD): What a Process Does
These diagrams used in controls and chemical engineering to show the steps of a process, and the major equipment and piping involved.
Piping & Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID): How It Works
These diagrams are a much more detailed drawing including minor and major details, controls, sizes, and materials.
Controls Engineering at AbbVie
P&IDs are important tools to show our system, influence, and goals. These diagrams are created for different processes and used by engineers universally to understand how our processes work. Read below to learn more about the symbols of P&IDs and the different controls we have in place to ensure our process runs smoothly!
Piping & Instrumentation Diagram Symbols
P&IDs have standardized instrumentation symbols, which ensures a consistent, way to communicate the instrumentation, control, and automation aspects of a system.
These are a few examples of P&ID symbols:
Instruments are devices that control and measure different paramaeters like the pressure, angle, flow, and temperature.
Vessels are a container that is used to store fluid which includes tanks, cylinders, columns, bags, and other vessels.
Heat exchangers are equipment used to efficiently transfer heat.
Pumps use suction or pressure to raise, compress, or move fluids in and out of objects.
Valves regulate, direct, or control the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially constricting passageways in a piping system.
Basics of Bioreactors: Control Loops
Bioreactors are just one example of equipment in processes that require several controls loops. Fermenters are a living environment for organisms and controlling variables to ensure survival of cells is critical!
