Chemical Engineering
 

ChemE 480 - Process Dynamics and Control

Course Description

Credits: 4.  Dynamics of process units and systems; instrumentation and control system design and analysis. Includes weekly laboratory.  Majors only. Offered: W.

Designation

 Required.

Prerequisites

 CHEM E 435 (Transport Processes I); CHEM E 465 (Reactor Design)

Textbook

Process Dynamics and Control (2nd Ed.) by D. E. Seborg et al. (required).

Course Objectives
  1. Acquire and analyze data from dynamic processes.
  2. Develop mechanistic and empirical (data-based) models of such processes.  This includes the application of unsteady-state conservation equations.
  3. Design a process control system using feedback, feedforward, cascade, ratio, and other techniques.
  4. Evaluate stability and other characteristics relevant to process control.

Topics Covered
  1. Control system context:  safety, environmental concerns, product quality, economical operation.
  2. MATLAB tools for dynamic modeling, simulation, system analysis, and data acquisition.
  3. Modeling fundamentals:  Differential equation models, Laplace transforms, linearization, transfer functions.
  4. First order, second order, delay, and other dynamic elements.
  5. Instrumentation:  valves, sensors, transmitters, controllers.
  6. Stability analysis.
  7. Conventional feedback (PID) controller design and tuning.
  8. Feedforward, ratio control, and cascade controllers.
  9. Selectors and overrides.
  10. Nonlinear compensation.
  11. Plant-wide control including loop pairing and decoupling.
Class schedule:
 3 lectures per week (50 minutes each), 1 lab session per week (170 minutes).
Contributions of Course to meeting the Professional Component:

Engineering
Design content

Relationship of Course to Program Outcomes:

(a)   An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering to process dynamics and control .

(c) The graduate should have an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.

(e)   An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems.

(k)   An ability to use the techniques, skills and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.
Prepared by: N. L. Ricker , Date:  May 17, 2007