Process Control for Pumps and Compressors

This book provides a summary of the essential knowledge and working processes involved with control of rotating equipment including:

• machine characteristics;
• overall control strategies;
• detailed design; and
• best practices.

Emphasis is placed on the role of pumps and compressors as part of the overall process flow rather than treating them in isolation as this tends to optimize energy efficiency.


Readers are made aware of the critical roles of rotating equipment and are given a good understanding of their dynamic behaviors, including surge/choke. The author imparts the practical know-how and skills involved in the design and implementation of capacity and anti-surge control and safe-guarding logic. Furthermore, the book discusses real-time monitoring of solutions based on operational requirements, dynamic models for control of supply and demand, cause-and-effect relationships, the use of online and offline data, and collaboration with other engineering disciplines. The text facilitates support for the day-to-day operation of in-house open-platform compressor control applications, encouraging the growth of analytic skills in troubleshooting and fixing common problems; it also inculcates a basic understanding of the principles of third-party proprietary technologies and supports decision-making between in-house and third-party solutions.


Process engineers working in the oil-and-gas, refining, petrochemical, and chemical industries who bear responsibility for designing control solutions involving pumps and compressors will find this book an invaluable source of practical advice. This book also helps engineers working on design and maintenance of rotating equipment to understand the perspectives and requirements of process control.





Steve Niu received his B.Sc. from Tsinghua University of China and his Ph.D. from the University of Alberta in Canada, both in Process Control. His 10-year academic research and 25+ years of industrial experience cover almost all aspects of process control, from research, and development, to applications; from project management and product management, to project execution; throughout his career, Steve has designed and implemented hundreds of control solutions in base-layer control, integrated compressor control, and advanced process control in many industries, for projects ranging from minor control improvements to multi-billion-dollar mega-projects. Steve's main research interests are in model identification and advanced control.