A Methodology and Algebra for Documenting Continuous Process Control Systems

This paper extends the concept of the control idiom as defined in papers by Bristol, McAvoy, and Prassinos. The idioms are categorized in terms of the different classes of control goals and combinations of goals to define higher level goa Primary idiom define the steady-state condition the plant, whereas secondary idioms define requirements for improved control strategy. The primary idioms can be combined and projected algebraically in various ways, reflecting a hierarchical control system organization. Work with the resulting algebra has made it clear that further methodology is needed to integrate the control goals implied by the idioms into the processing goals not apparent from the control system. A significant aspect of such a description is the generation of a matrix nomenclature base which allows the plant variables and control elements to be defined consistently and remembered easily. The resulting experimental documentation discipline will be demonstrated by an implemented complex control system description.