INSTRUMENTATION, AUTOMATION AND PROCESS CONTROL
This professional course on Instrumentation, automation and process contains the elaborated concepts on three engineering fields namely instrumentation engineering, automation engineering and process engineering. Instrumentation refers to the devices and instruments that are used in various processes. Automation refers to the automatic working of instruments. Process engineering refers to the study of processes that are carried out in any type of industry and industrial applications.
The fundamentals and selection criteria of measuring devices like pressure transducers, level transducers, temperature transducers and flow measurements are detailed. The Piping & instrument diagram and symbols for the instrumentation devices are listed and selection criteria are discussed. The process automation control and their types are incorporated with the process systems. The new technology oriented smart instruments and their data signals are further discussed.
SCADA SYSTEMS FOR INDUSTRY
SCADA has traditionally meant a window into the process of a plant or gathering of data from devices in the field, but now the focus is on integrating this process data into the actual business and using it in real time. The emphasis today is on using open standards such as communication protocols (e.g. OPC, MODBUS, and TCP/IP) and ‘off-the-shelf’ hardware, such as industrial Ethernet to keep the costs down. This course covers the essentials of SCADA systems.
The first few topics give an introduction to SCADA systems then focuses on the SCADA system hardware and software, including alarm management and Human Management Interface (HMI) issues. This is followed by a review of the RS-232/RS-485 interface standards and the MODBUS and DNP3 protocols.
The remainder of the topics give a review of industrial Ethernet, TCP/IP and MODBUS/TCP. The role of Open Process Control (OPC) in plant SCADA systems is also discussed. This is followed by discussion of network security, SCADA historians and troubleshooting issues.
Although the emphasis will be on practical industry topics highlighting recent developments using case studies and the latest application of SCADA technologies the fundamentals of SCADA systems will be covered. The course is aimed at those who want to be updated on the latest developments in SCADA systems and want to get a solid appreciation of the fundamentals of SCADA design, installation and troubleshooting.
PROGRAMMABLE LOGIC CONTROLLERS FOR AUTOMATION AND PROCESS CONTROL
This course is designed to benefit you with practical up-to-date information on the application of PLCs for the automation and process control of plants and factories. It is suitable for people who have little or no exposure to PLCs, but expect to become involved in some or all aspects of PLC installation. It aims to give practical advice from experts in the field, to assist you to correctly plan, program and install a PLC with a shorter learning curve and more confidence. The inventible question is which PLC is being used.
This online course will be focusing on the generic PLC and use the open programming IEC 61131-3 standard. The information contained in this course advances from the basics to challenge even the most experienced engineer in the industry today
COURSE OUTLINE
BASIC MEASUREMENT CONCEPTS
- Performance terms and specifications – sensitivity and range and span
- Accuracy
- Precision
- Repeatability
- Range of operation
- Difference bet analog and digital
ADVANCED MEASUREMENT
- Performance terms and specifications – linearity
- Hysteresis response
- Control loop components
- Measuring instruments and control valves as part of the overall control system
P&ID SYMBOLS
- Tag description
- P&ID symbols
- Instrumentation representation on flow diagrams
- Mix of instrument signals
- Letter codes and balloon symbols
- P&ID symbols for transducers and others
SELECTION CRITERIA
- Effects of selection criteria
- Instrument selection
- Flow applications
FUNDAMENTALS OF PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
- Principles
- Types- static pressure, dynamic pressure and total pressure
- Technical terms
PRESSURE TRANSDUCERS
- Mechanical – manometer
- Bourdon tube
- Diaphragm
PRESSURE SENSORS
- Electrical – strain gauge
- Piezoelectric
- Capacitance
- LVDT
- Optical
PRINCIPLES OF LEVEL MEASUREMENT
- Point source- by visual inspection
- Gauging rod method
- Buoyancy tape systems
- Field effect level detection
- Gravimetric
- Bubbler tube
- Pressure gauge to measure level
- Installation considerations
CONTINUOUS SOURCE
- Magnetic float
- Time of flight measurement
- Echo measurement
- Selection considerations
- Continuous - pressure head
- Capacitance/resistance
- Fiscal measurement
CONTACT TYPE DEVICES – THERMOCOUPLES
- Concepts
- Average of temperatures
- J type thermocouple
- Voltage curves
- RTDs
- Concept
- PT100 resistance table
THERMISTORS AND OTHER DEVICES
- Selection and sizing
- Typical packaging
- Filled devices
- Non-contact pyrometer type
FUNDAMENTALS OF FLOW MEASUREMENT
- Basic terms and concepts
- Flow parameters – velocity
- Volumetric flow and mass flow
- Flow types
- Importance of Reynolds number
- Differential pressure flow meters
- Bernoulli’s equations
ORIFICE PLATE
- Installation
- Concentric orifice
- Application limitations
OTHER MEASURING DEVICES
- Venturimeter
- Pitot tube
- Flow over a weir
- Rotameter
- Vortex meter
- Construction of swirl meter
- Turbine flow meter
- Magnetic flow meter
- Ultrasonic measurement,
- Positive displacement – rotating vane, rotating lobe meter
- Positive displacement meter
- Mass flow rate meter
- Coriolis meter construction
- Straight through meter
- Thermal mass flow meter
CONTROL VALVES
- Introduction Control valve, classification, principles, Application function – isolation, ON-OFF valves
- Flow control, directional control, protection, overpressure
- Sliding stem valves: Plug, Globe, Cage valves, Operating conditions
- Rotary valves: butterfly, ball valves, flow characteristics
- Noise and cavitations: sources of noise, principles of cavitations and its effects
CONTROL VALVES FLOW CHARACTERISTICS
- Selection and Sizing
- Effective pressure drop
- Control valve characteristics/trim
- Components of a process control loop
PRINCIPLE OF LOOP CONTROL SYSTEMS
- Block diagram for summation and gain
- Direct & reverse controllers
- Feed forward control loop
- Cascade control
DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROCESSES OF LOOP CONTROL
- First order process and response
- Second order process and response
CLOSED LOOP PID
- Control types
- Objectives of tuning
NEW SMART INSTRUMENT AND FIELD BUS
- Fundamental concepts
- Field bus to typical control system
HYBRID TECHNIQUE – HART
- Digital messages
- Sources of noise
- Earthling configurations
COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
- Data control and transfer protocol
- RS-423, RS-422, RS-432, RS-485
- Fibre optics
- Network topology - star, ring and bus
- Media access control methods
PLC SYSTEMS
- PLC block diagram and configuration
- Discrete DC/AC Input and Output module
- Analog input module
FUNDAMENTALS OF PLC
- PLC programming simulator
- Programming setup, languages and concept
- Function block diagram
- Instruction list
- Structured text language
- SCADA Systems for Industry
INTRODUCTION
- Communication architectures
- Communication philosophies
OVERVIEW OF SCADA SYSTEMS
- Hardware alternatives (RTU/PLC etc)
- Communication concentrators
- Communication alternatives
SCADA SYSTEM HARDWARE
- Hardware components
- Operation and selection issues
SCADA SYSTEM SOFTWARE
- SCADA software functions
- Response times
- Redundancy issues
- Specification and configuration issues
SCADA ALARM MANAGEMENT
- Alarm layout and organisation
- Alarm priorities
- Alarm processing and reporting
HUMAN MANAGEMENT INTERFACE (HMI)
- Ergonomic factors
- HMI organisation
- HMI screen design
COMMUNICATION PROTOCOLS
- RS-232/RS-485 interface standards
- MODBUS protocol
- DNP 3.0 protocol
INDUSTRIAL ETHERNET
- Fundamentals
- Redundancy
- TCP/IP
- Configuration
- Troubleshooting utilities
MODBUS TCP
OPEN PROCESS CONTROL (OPC)
SCADA NETWORK SECURITY
- Security issues
- SCADA firewall configuration
SCADA HISTORIAN
- Archiving plant data
- Data access
TROUBLESHOOTING ISSUES
- Testing methodology
- Noise issues
- Communications testing
- Programmable Logic Controllers for Automation and Process Control
INTRODUCTION TO THE PLC
- Introduction to PLCs
- A brief history of PLCs
- Alternative control systems – where do PLCs fit in?
- Why PLCs have become so widely accepted
- Lingering concerns about PLCs
INTRODUCTION TO IEC61131-3
- Concepts
- Common elements
- Programming languages: structured text
- Function block diagrams
- Ladder diagrams
- Instruction list
- Sequential function chart
OPC
- Introduction to OPC
- What is OPC?
- Architecture
SAFETY PROGRAMMABLE FEATURES
- Why regular PLCs should not be used for safety functions
- Programmable electronic logic solvers
- Safety certification
- Certified programming systems
- Application examples
- Growth of networked safety devices and certified networks
- Integrated safety systems
FUNDAMENTALS OF PLC HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE
- Block diagram of typical PLC
USING LADDERLOGIC FOR A SIMPLE DIGITAL FUNCTION
- The basic rules
- Comparison with relay ladder diagrams
- The concept of the “scan” and how to apply it
- Infinite fan-out
- Contact “normal” states
- Positive and negative logic
- Basic Boolean functions
- The usefulness of De Morgan’s law
PLC PROCESSOR MODULE MEMORY ORGANISATION
- Input/output section – module types
- Power supplies
- Methods of representing logic
- Boolean algebra
- Instruction code
- Graphical presentation: functional logic diagrams, ladder logic
- Fundamental ladder logic instruction set
- Comparison of different manufacturers
- Memory and data representation
- Instruction code
DATA COMMUNICATION
- Interface standards, RS-232, RS-422/423, RS-485
- Protocols, Modbus and DH+
- Local area networks, Ethernet and token bus
- Monitoring communication links and simple watchdog timers
USING REGISTER (WORDS)
- Number systems
- Types of register data
- Timers
- Counters
- Bit shift/rotate
- Table functions
- Register (matrix) logic functions
GOOD PROGRAMMING HABBITS
- Keeping track of addresses and data used
- Looking ahead – how will programs be maintained
- Practical methods to improve program quality
- Organisation of code
- Through documentation
- Simplifying changes
BATCH PROCESSES AND SEQUENTIAL CONTROL
- Remembering the program state
- Creating a “stepper”
- Step advance
- Fault detection and recovery
- Operator intervention
- Multiple recipes or alternate paths
- Sequential function charts
GOOD INSTALLATION PRACTICE
- Location of hardware
- Good wiring practice
- Cable spacing
- Power distribution
- Wire numbering
- Reducing noise and interference
- Screening and shielding
- Earthing and grounding
ADVANCED CONTROL WITH PLC
- The concept of reusable logic - examples: drive logic, alarm handling
- Use of advanced programming functions
- Matrix logic
- Table functions and indirect addressing
- Examples: simple display driver
PID CONTROL
- The importance of timing and scan time
- When PID is not always appropriate:
- Intermittent measurements
- Long transport delays
SYSTEM CHECKOUT AND TESTING
- Development and verification of code
- Factory acceptance testing
- Testing procedures
- Emulating missing hardware
- Emulating process responses
