A buffet of techniques that is free to boot (Texas Talk) is available as an E-Book at http://www.modelingandcontrol.com/controltechniques/

While the title is Continuous Control Techniques for Distributed Control Systems, the techniques are applicable to batch processes and in fact were based in some cases on batch loops. It follows in the foot steps of my first free E-Book A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Control Room. While I emphasize technical detail more than humor in the latest E-Book, I still tried to present and conceptualize the techniques in a friendly and interesting way.

If you are a mature adult (e.g. old person) like me, you probably remember the days of analog computing modules and the fun and games of scaling potentiometer for engineering units and sorting through a maze of wiring. I can't even talk about the days of pneumatic modules, bellows, links, and levers. Even with a broad line of computing modules such as lead-lags and signal characterizers besides the multiplier-dividers and summer-subtractors, you were "awfully limited". I was going to say "pretty limited" but there was nothing pretty about the installation. One of the many problems with a total hardware solution was the design had to be frozen in time because of footprint, wiring, delivery, and installation requirements. Continuous improvement was difficult at best.

I was lucky enough to part of a beta test of one of the first distributed control systems that had a powerful set of functions some of which I wish I had in newer systems today. I spent the next 10 years exploiting as much as possible these functions in a series of challenging applications many of which are documented in the 2 E-Books and on this web site. I could go straight from conceptualization to implementation. The only limit was my imagination.

My next E-Book will be Biochemical Measurement and Control! No way! Way!

Enjoy.