Process Control: Instrumentation, Troubleshooting and Problem Solving Course

Course Overview:

The course covers both theoretical and practical aspects of valves, actuators, and sensor-based automatic control systems as well as PID controllers design strategies.

Commissioning instrumentation such as strain gauges, pressure sensors, flow meters, temperature sensors and ultrasonic devices will be put into practice. Practical assignments consist of developing and illustrating control command strategies, PID tunning, and debugging auto control systems.

The participants will be helped to deepen their skills in advanced measurement and control application in their industry through optimizing system performance. 

This course is suited for engineers/measuring scientists and engineers/control systems in industries.

Course Objectives:

The main objectives of this course are:

• To give an understanding of the principles and practice of a range of sensors and transducers
• By using a hands-on approach, enable the delegate to investigate the operation of an instrumentation system through designing, building, and testing a typical sensor combined with appropriate signal conditioning circuits
• To allow the delegate to become familiar and confident with a range of measurement techniques
• To understand the concepts of Process Control and acquire the knowledge relating to the characteristics and properties of a process variable being measured
• To disseminate and share experience and knowledge with other delegates through open session discussions hence broadening the knowledge base of all
• To become familiar and knowledgeable with PID control and develop the ability to ‘tune’ a process control system using PID control
• To have the confidence and knowledge to apply the above techniques and principles to solve an unfamiliar and bespoke measurement situation in the workplace

Who Should Attend?

This course is suitable for and is designed to attract and be of benefit to a range of people who work in the instrumentation and process plant area. Typically but not exclusively this course will be of benefit to:

• Professionals involved in designing, selecting, sizing, specifying, installing, testing, operating, and maintaining process instrumentation and control systems
• Electronic Engineers and Technicians
• Chemical Engineers and Technicians
• Electrical Engineers and Technicians
• Design Engineers
• Instrumentation Engineers and Technicians
• Electricians
• Installation and Maintenance Technicians
• Instrument and Process Control Engineers and Technicians
• Instrument Fitters

Course Outlines:

Introduction to Sensors, Transducers, and Instrumentation Systems

• Course schedule and layout
• Introduction to Sensors, Transducers, and Instrumentation Systems
• Examples
• Terms and definitions associated with Instrumentation systems, including;
• Maximum error
• Hysteresis
• Repeatability
• Sensitivity
• Resolution
• Span
• Response time
• Examples
• Process Variables
• Mass flow
• Volumetric flow rate
• Pressure
• Viscosity
• Turbidity
• Examples

Strain, Pressure and Flow Measurement (also begin practical activities)

• Principle of Strain Measurement – tension, compression, stress, strain, Youngs modulus
• Principle of operation, application and installation considerations
• Gauge types – the principle of operation and configurations
• Examples
• Principles of Pressure measurement
• Devices; the principle of operation, application and installation considerations of:
• Diaphragms
• Bellows
• Capacitive devices
• Fibre Optic pressure measurement techniques
• Principles of flow measurement
• Reynolds number
• Devices; the principle of operation, application and installation considerations of Invasive types:
• Coriolis Flowmeter
• Differential Pressure type flowmeters
• Orifice plate
• Venturi tube
• Flow nozzle
• Dall flow tube
• Electromagnetic flowmeters
• Devices; the principle of operation, application and installation considerations of Non-invasive types:
• Practical activity 1 – Design and Calibrate liquid level process measurement system

Temperature, Level, and Non-Invasive Ultrasonic Measurement Techniques

• Temperature scales
• Devices; the principle of operation, application and installation considerations of:
• Resistance temperature detectors (RTD’s)
• Thermistors
• Thermocouples
• Radiation Pyrometers
• Examples
• Principle of single point and continuous level measurement techniques
• Direct and indirect level measurement techniques
• Devices; the principle of operation, application and installation considerations of:
• Ultrasonic techniques
• Capacitive techniques
• Pressure techniques
• Principles and applications of Ultrasonic techniques for non-invasive measurement
• Doppler shift and transit techniques
• Principle of operation, application, and installation considerations of Non-invasive flow measurement
• Ultrasonic flowmeters
• Practical activity 2 – Design and Calibrate liquid level process measurement system

Introduction to Process Control Engineering

• Control Strategies
• Block diagram representation
• Control components
• Servomechanisms and Regulators
• Open and closed-loop systems
• Negative Feedback (NFB)
• Transfer Functions
• 1st and 2nd order systems
• Examples – Transfer functions and Closed Loop systems
• ON/OFF control
• Two-step control action
• Proportional control
• Proportional band vs. proportional gain
• Proportional offset
• Reset
• Integral action
• Integral windup
• Derivative action
• PID control
• Practical activity 3 – Design and Calibrate (thermocouple) temperature measurement system

Tuning PID Controllers

• Stability
• System response
• Bode plot
• Nyquist plot
• Load disturbances and offset
• Empirical methods of setting Controllers
• Open-loop reaction curve method (Ziegler-Nichols)
• Default and typical settings
• Closed-loop continuous cycling method (Ziegler-Nichols)
• Fine-tuning
• Practical tuning a Control system using the Ziegler-Nichols methods
• Practical Investigation of Strain measurement techniques