Advanced Process Control Techniques
2026-12-09 | Virtual Interactive
Learn the best practices and advanced process control techniques for strategies beyond PID control, as well as design, tuning, and common implementation pitfalls.
Prerequisite
PID Controller Tuning
Overview
This one-day course will cover advanced techniques for process control strategies beyond basic PID control. Topics included are cascade control, override control, gain scheduling, feedforward compensation, and model-based control.
Review applications that will require these more advanced strategies, along with common implementation pitfalls that often produce less than desirable results. Attendees will practice implementing each technique against a simulated process and will perform a what-if analysis for each example.
The class is comprised of both classroom instruction (PowerPoint presentations that are provided in hard copy to all attendees) and laboratory work using process simulation examples.
Students will receive copies of all the simulations used in class. Examples will range from basic flow, temperature, pressure and level control, to distillation control, furnace firing control, blending applications, pH control and extrusion control. This list is just a sample of the examples which will be covered during the training.
Course Agenda

Cascade Control
Benefits of cascade control; examples of typical applications; Common implementation issues; implementation of reset windup algorithms; simulation and examples.
Feedforward Control
Benefits of feedforward control; examples of typical applications; Implementation techniques; simulation and examples which demonstrate how feedforward control can minimize process disturbances.
Gain Scheduling and Multiple PID
Discussion and definition of process nonlinearity; How nonlinearity can affect your process; Implementation of gain scheduling; Demonstration of the benefits of gain scheduling.
Override Control
Discussion of override control for process safety; Implementation of override control; Discussion of the importance of controller tracking; Simulation.
Long Deadtime Processes
Discussion of other common control issues and their solutions; how to deal with deadtime created by process analyzers; how to use laboratory results in your controls.
Model-based Control
Definition of model-based control. Review of applications which require model-based control; examples and simulation of how model-based controllers can improve your process control.

Model-based Control
2026-12-10
Learn about model-based control theory and practice, including the design, tuning, and evaluation of applications best suited for model-based control.
Prerequisite
PID Controller Tuning & APC Techniques
Overview
This one-day course will cover model-based control theory and practice, including the design, tuning, and evaluation of applications best suited for model-based control.
Using the provided software, students will simulate and build control strategies for the following difficult applications: Long Deadtime Processes, Multi-OutputControl and Control of Interacting Processes The results can be seen and evaluated instantly.

Several advanced control loops will be simulated and demonstrated using software-based process simulations.
Hands-on simulations and exercises let you practice these techniques in real-time simulation.

Course Agenda

Model Based Control Overview
Smith Predictor
Internal Model Control (IMC)
Coordinated Control (CC)
Modular Multivariable Control (MMC)
Predictive Control
