Articles

Bumpless switching of most open valves

Process control authority Bela Liptak brings answers a reader's question about how to control variable speed feedwater pumps.
Post Date: 02/17/2006
Author:

Five rules for helping a middle-aged engineer

Control Talk columnists McMillan and Weiner provide their unique brand of commentary on the handling of cascade loops, then offer up some humor with the Top 10 reasons you should migrate to a new DCS.
Post Date: 01/16/2006
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Are you grounded in reality?

Control Talk columnists McMillan and Weiner get an insightful reply as to why a plant instrument engineer said the control schemes and instruments successfully used at other locations won't work in his plant.
Post Date: 12/23/2005
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Model-predictive control can solve valve problem

CONTROL columnist Greg McMillan addresses the use of fine adjustment valves to reduce process variability and suggests that now is a fine time to break away from old valve problems and into model-predictive control.
Post Date: 11/09/2005
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Daytime talk is a hoot and a holler

McMillan and Weiner imagine a transcript of a control engineer on a daytime talk show and offer up the Top 10 reasons why you won’t find a model-based control text book anywhere in today’s college classroom.
Post Date: 11/06/2005
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Expanded flow diagnostics cast a wider net

Here’s how to use several methods, such as element status checking, to improve flowmeter availability, increase consistency, and reduce costs in many applications and environments.
Post Date: 10/17/2005
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Split range control methods

Process control authority Bela Liptak brings in specialists from his cadre of co-authors to answer a reader's question. Find out which books and online courses they recommend for continued education. Find out what the difference is in strength between a heating valve and cooling valve for split range control
Post Date: 09/21/2005
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Cleaning common fluid lines

Process control authority Bela Liptak answers a reader's question regarding how to clean out common lines without a whole bunch of solvents and/or pigging systems.
Post Date: 08/30/2005
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Product Roundup of valves, actuators and positioners

This Product Roundup of control valve technology shows that valve devices and components continue to get smarter, wired and more networked.
Post Date: 07/11/2005
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The next generation of smarter valves – Part 2

Much improvement and change is expected in the design of smart and self-diagnosing control valves, with potential advantages outweighing the required investment of time and money.
Post Date: 07/10/2005
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The next generation of smarter valves

In the next decade, much improvement and change is expected in the design of smart and self-diagnosing control valves, with potential advantages outweighing the required investment of time and money.
Post Date: 05/10/2005
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The case for valves: Not just open and shut

<EM>Actionable Items </EM>columnist Steve Kuehn notes that precision flow control is ensured with well-specified, precisely controlled valves, but for the sake of your process, a penny saved may not be a penny earned.
Post Date: 03/15/2005
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Bumpless pump sequencing

Process control authority Bela Liptak brings in specialists from his cadre of co-authors to answer a reader's question regarding problems with the control scheme for two variable speed pumps.
Post Date: 03/08/2005
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The hard road to our competitive edge, Part II

In Part II of his <EM>Lessons Learned </EM>column, Béla Lipták describes one of the many small steps process control professionals should take on the difficult, but necessary road to recapturing our competitive edge.
Post Date: 01/03/2005
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Once upon a time in Iraq

This month's installment of <EM>Tales From the Front </EM>takes us to Iraq, circa 1962, where a control engineer had to solve an instrumentation cabling problem that was somewhat less easy to do in practice.
Post Date: 12/01/2004
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The hard road to our competitive edge, Part I

<EM>Lessons Learned </EM>columnist Béla Lipták describes one of the many small steps process control professionals should take on the difficult, but necessary road to recapturing our competitive edge.
Post Date: 11/17/2004
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Should valves be integrated?

CONTROL Senior Technical Editor Dan Hebert, PE, ponders integrated valves and wonders whether end users would prefer to pay a cost premium for a complete and assembled valve system.
Post Date: 11/12/2004
Author: Dan Hebert, PE, Senior Technical Editor

Banging and rapping

<EM>Control Talk </EM>columnists McMillan and Weiner maintain there are better ways for bangers and rappers to take readings other than hitting large case instruments with channel-locks.
Post Date: 10/21/2004
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Duplex Steel Toughens Gate Valve

48-in. knife gate valve from Stainless Valve
Post Date: 10/06/2003
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Butterflies Are Free

<P>Why boosters spread the butterfly's wings, more Purple Reign, and a new puzzler: The Tripping Furnace</P>
Post Date: 08/22/2003
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