Procesvariabele

Procesvariabele is a term used in industrial process control to refer to any measurable quantity that is important for the operation, control, and monitoring of a process. These variables can be physical properties such as temperature, pressure, flow rate, level, concentration, or chemical composition. They can also be derived quantities like viscosity or pH.

The primary purpose of measuring and controlling procesvariabelen is to ensure that a process operates safely, efficiently, and consistently produces a product that meets specified quality standards. By monitoring these variables, operators and automated control systems can detect deviations from desired setpoints and take corrective actions.

Common examples of procesvariabelen include temperature in a chemical reactor, pressure in a pipeline, flow rate of a liquid or gas, level of a substance in a tank, and the concentration of a reactant or product. The specific procesvariabelen that are critical depend entirely on the nature of the process being controlled.

Control systems, such as PID controllers, use the measured values of procesvariabelen to adjust other variables, known as manipulated variables. For instance, a temperature sensor (measuring a procesvariabele) might signal a controller to adjust a valve that controls the flow of steam (a manipulated variable) to maintain a desired temperature. Effective management of procesvariabelen is fundamental to modern industrial automation and optimization.