PROCESS CONTROL AND ADVANCED CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR CONTINUOUS DOSING

Continuous dosing is a critical operation in process industries, where precise and consistent addition of additives in liquid or powder form, is essential to maintaining product quality and process efficiency. This technique finds applications across various industries, from food processing, where flavours are added to snacks, cereals, and nuts. To beverages by adding additives in the wine, beer, juice, and soft drink industry. Used for the addition in animal feed post pellet of enzymes and fats, and for pet food coating of oils and flavours. Chemical, fertilizers, and many other sectors, where precise dosing of components is required. The demand for accuracy and repeatability in these processes needs the implementation of sophisticated control systems, capable of managing complex variables and ensuring consistent product output.

Key considerations in continuous dosing

To achieve the desired accuracy and repeatability in continuous dosing systems, several factors must be meticulously planned and executed:

1. Design of the process line: The design of the process line, including the Piping and Instrumentation Diagram (PI&D), is crucial to the successful operation of continuous dosing systems. The PI&D must be tailored to the specific application, considering the characteristics of the main product and the additive, the required capacity, and any backpressure in the system. For instance, the viscosity and flow characteristics of liquids such as oils or syrups must be considered, as per the corrosiveness and reactivity of some additives are critical factors.
2. Equipment selection: The selection of appropriate equipment is another fundamental aspect in continuous dosing systems. Several key factors must be considered:
   – Compatibility: Equipment such as pumps, meters, and feeders must be compatible with the materials being processed. This includes ensuring that the equipment can handle the physical and chemical properties of the materials, such as viscosity, temperature, corrosiveness, and reactivity.
   – Durability and ease of maintenance: In addition to compatibility, the durability of the equipment and ease of maintenance are crucial considerations to ensure the efficient and continuous operation of the system.
   

   Continuous liquid dosage system, complete with pumps and basket filters – PLP Systems

3. Control system implementation: Advanced control systems play the changing role in managing the continuous dosing process. Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control has been a staple in process industries due to its ability to maintain the desired setpoints by adjusting the process inputs in real-time. However, for more complex applications, especially where multiple variables interact, Model Predictive Control (MPC) offers significant advantages. MPC uses a model of the process to predict future outcomes and optimize control actions accordingly, enabling more precise control over dosing operations.
4. System integration and testing: Once the project has been developed, it must be integrated with the process line and tested under real operating conditions. This involves tuning and calibration of the control parameters to ensure optimal performance and validating the system’s ability to maintain the desired product quality and process efficiency.

Continuous powder dosing

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