2001
Use ExperTune's new Time Line Analysis to help understand the
relationships between the time of each component in the control loop.
Each component should be at the appropriate time relative to other
components. Correcting deficiencies in the time line will improve
the performance of the loop.
For example, the sample interval should always be shorter than the
dead time in the loop. If the sample interval is close to the dead
time then shortening the sample interval will improve loop
performance.
The software appropriately scales and plots these items on the time line:
- Sample Interval
- Filter Time
- Derivative Time
- Dead Time
- Equivalent Dead Time
- Integral Time
- Relative Response Time
The software also performs time evaluations between items. A color
coded message bar is shown between each comparison. ExperTune evaluates the
following:
- Sample Interval compared to Dead Time
- PV Filter compared to Controller Derivative Time
- Controller Derivative compared to Controller Integral Time
- PV Filter compared to Dead Time or Equivalent Dead Time (if second order)
ExperTune creates a full report in Microsoft Word including the Time
Line plot, all the items on it, and the comparison ratios. The
report documents your loop for future records.
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PlantTriage identifies the areas in your plant where the greatest economic
gains are possible. It pinpoints areas to work on that will yield the
greatest economic return.
PlantTriage Assessor continually watches and analyzes the process for the
areas that will make the greatest economic impact. The Assessor monitors and
evaluates over 20 separate analytical measures for every loop in the plant.
All of these measures are archived for historical trending of each performance
measure. Any combination can be viewed if detailed analysis is desired. In
addition all the performance measures are made available via OPC - so they
can be made available to anyone, anytime, anywhere.
PlantTriage Notification reports via email with areas that will benefit the
most economically from improvement. Optionally, PlantTriage can send a
complete priority analysis report to have your plant watched from an
outsourced engineering house.
PlantTriage Optimization Analysis includes the complete optimization power
of the Advanced ExperTune PID Tuner/Analyzer so the user has the complete
range of analysis tools to help optimize areas pinpointed by the PlantTriage
Assessor.
PlantTriage Consultant, an expert system component of PlantTriage, the
Consultant is designed by world-renowned process control expert Greg Shinskey.
The Consultant diagnoses problems and recommends specific control strategies
for improvement.
PlantTriage Prioritized Tasks lists assessments for a unit operation or
pre-defined group in the order of greatest economic benefit.
PlantTriage Historian is a full featured data historian package specifically
designed to make pinpointing process improvement opportunities easy. All
process variables and performance measures are archived for detailed viewing
at any time in the future. PlantTriage obtains data from your process via OPC
or directly from an installed OSI Software PI system.
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ExperTune's loop summary table now includes a stability index column.
This lets you easily compare the relative stability of the PID tuning from
several different sets of test data along with PID values, process model
dead time, gain, lag time, RRT and Quality of fit.
The Relative Stability Index helps the user find the best test data based
on the conditions by comparing different stability indices. It also allows
for comparing test data from a series of tests done under similar conditions.
The results for every piece of test data is easily added as a row to the Loop
Summary table. The Loop Summary table summarizes all the results from each
test. Each row of the table lists the model found, optimal PID parameters,
quality of the data, response time of the loop, and now the relative stability
index. Comparison of the stability indexes of each row allows for better
choosing the row to use for PID tuning and loop modeling.
ExperTune's full suite of optimization tools make it easy to increase the
efficiency of your process. Use ExperTune software to analyze and tune PID
loops in any industrial controller. ExperTune includes powerful simulation,
modeling, robustness, linearization, valve wear analysis, pH linearizer, time
series analysis, multivariable, statistical, frequency response and loop tuning
tools.
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ExperTune Inc has released a series of on-line training videos available at no-charge on the
web. The videos are run using Microsoft's Media Player in your
browser, so no special software is required to get the training.
Simply click on the training you would like.
Topics covered are:
- Comparison of Industrial PID Controller Algorithms
- Ziegler-Nichols methods: Rules and Limitations
- Loop Stability - The Other Half of the PID Tuning Story
Comparison of Industrial PID Controller Algorithms explains the
differences in units and algorithms between different manufacturer's
controllers. Every industrial PID controller is different and tuned
differently. This video explains those differences.
Ziegler-Nichols methods gives the PID tuning rules developed by these
icons of process control. The video also explains the limitations of their rules.
Loop Stability explains the trade-off between fast tuning and
stability. Tune a control loop aggressively enough and it will
oscillate. Time response is one side of the story. Robustness plots
are the other.
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The greatest barrier to optimizing control loops is often getting
analysis software connected to the loop. Now, ExperTune has made
this easy for ANY controller.
Use ExperTune's optimization tools to increase the efficiency of your
process. Use ExperTune software to fully optimize control loops in
any industrial controller. ExperTune includes powerful valve testing
and wear analysis, statistical and variability analysis,
linearization for optimal production at all production rates, pH
linearizer, power spectral density to uncover hidden cycles, loop
simulation, modeling, robustness, multivariable, frequency response
and PID loop tuning tools.
ExperTune includes an extensive
list of setup wizards
to get you
connected to your controller. However, if there's not already a
connection wizard in the list for your controller, ExperTune software
automatically develops one for you the first time you connect to the
controller.
Your first time connecting, answer the Wizard's detailed questions.
When you have finished connecting your first loop, ExperTune will have
created a Wizard making it super-easy to connect to more loops.
The wizards connect to your controller using your DDE or OPC server.
DDE is Microsoft's Windows Dynamic Data Exchange built into 95,98, NT
and 2000. OPC is Ole for Process Control. There are DDE or OPC
servers for virtually all modern digital controllers.
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Siemens Moore to Distribute ExperTune Software (February 2001)
Siemens Moore Process Automation, Inc., announced that it has signed a
formal contract with ExperTune® to distribute its software. ExperTune,
an award-winning software package, is used to optimize process control
applications. Siemens Moore will integrate the ExperTune software into its
existing ProcessSuite® software offerings.
ExperTune consists of basic tools for analyzing and tuning PID loops, as well
as advanced tools to analyze loop performance and valve dynamic behavior.
"We are pleased to announce our relationship with ExperTune, the
industry's leading tuning software company. We strategically selected this
partnership with ExperTune due to their unique software which will allow our
customers to further optimize their process by reducing energy use and increasing
product consistency," stated Rich Dunbar, Vice President of the Siemens
Moore Global Systems Business. ExperTune software will:
- Reduce variability in product
- Increase control loop performance
- Provide preventive and predictive maintenance
- Minimize raw material energy usage
"We're thrilled that through this agreement and co-development work,
users will have easy access to powerful optimization tools, letting them get
the most out of each and every control loop," said John Gerry, President
of ExperTune, Inc.
ExperTune, located in Hartland, Wis., offers a full suite of optimization
tools that make it easy to increase the efficiency of your process.
ExperTune software analyzes and tunes PID loops in any industrial controller.
ExperTune includes powerful simulation, modeling, robustness, linearization,
valve wear analysis, pH linearizer, time series analysis, multivariable,
statistical and frequency response tools.
Headquartered in Spring House, Pa,, Siemens Moore Process Automation, Inc.,
is a global leader in providing innovative solutions to process automation
challenges and is the operational center of Siemens' process automation
business in North America. The company's solutions help increase plant safety
and productivity, reduce time-to-market and improve product quality in
industries such as chemical, pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, oil &
gas, pulp & paper and refining.
ExperTune home page |
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Dial-In Process Control Robustness (February 2001)
Everyone knows that adjusting PID tuning parameters adjusts the speed of
response. More aggressive tuning gives faster response, but also makes the
loop more sensitive to process changes. Now, with ExperTune, it's even easier
to get the best tradeoff between tight tuning and robust tuning. You simply
dial-in the sensitivity or robustness you want.
ExperTune's unique robustness plot shows the tradeoff between tuning and
sensitivity to the process changing. Using your plant's data, ExperTune
automatically generates the robustness plot for your industrial loop. The
plot shows how the combination of changing process gain, process dead time,
and PID tuning settings, effect the stability and robustness of your loop.
Drag the robustness line to set the sensitivity you want. ExperTune
automatically re-calculates the PID tuning parameters to achieve the
robustness you specify. ExperTune also simultaneously displays the loop's
time response to an upset or setpoint change. This gives you instant
feedback showing the tradeoff in loop performance to the robustness correction
you make.
ExperTune creates a full report in Microsoft Word including the resulting
robustness plot, compared to time response and all performance indices and
loop diagnosis. The report documents your loop for future records.
ExperTune's full suite of optimization tools make it easy to increase the
efficiency of your process. Use ExperTune software to analyze and tune PID
loops in any industrial controller. ExperTune includes powerful simulation,
modeling, robustness, linearization, valve wear analysis, pH linearizer, time
series analysis, multivariable, statistical, frequency response and loop
tuning tools.
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Optimizing control loops is a tradeoff between loop performance,
robustness and valve wear. Now the ExperTune Performance Summary lets you
see all these at a glance: performance increase, robustness increase,
valve travel, and valve reversal indices.
Each index is a comparison of the current PID parameters and
measurement filter compared to new values. The performance increase
shows you how much better the loop will respond to upsets. The
robustness increase compares the sensitivity to process changes.
Reducing valve travel and reversals will decrease wear and increase
the life of the valve.
ExperTune's Performance Summary lets you easily decide how to balance the
tradeoffs of performance, robustness, and valve wear.
ExperTune's full suite of optimization tools make it easy to increase
the efficiency of your process. Use ExperTune software to analyze
and tune PID loops in any industrial controller. ExperTune includes
powerful simulation, modeling, robustness, linearization, valve wear
analysis, pH linearizer, time series analysis, multivariable,
statistical and frequency response tools. ExperTune creates a full,
customizable, report of the analysis in Microsoft Word.
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