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ChE 466: Process Dynamics and Control

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Course #: CHE 466 (3 credits)

Course Title: Process Dynamics and Control

Terms Offered: Fall

Prerequisites: CHE 343: Separation Processes, CHE 344: Reaction Engineering and Design

Textbooks/Required Materials: Process Dynamics and Control, 4th edition, D. Seborg, D. Mellichamp, T. Edgar, F. Doyle (Wiley, 2016) ISBN: 978-1-119-28595-3

Instructor: Allman

Cognizant Faculty: Allman, Lin, Singh, Nikolla, Tadd

Faculty Approval: 2022-08-24

CoE Bulletin Description:

Introduction to process control in chemical engineering.  Control architecture design, notation, and implementation.   Mathematical modeling and analysis of open-loop and closed-loop process dynamics.  Applications to the control of level, flow, heat exchangers, reactors, and elementary multivariable systems.  Optimization and model predictive control.

Course Topics: (number of hours in parentheses)

  1. P&ID (Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams), sensors and valves (4)
  2. Analysis of unsteady-state models of unit operations (12)
  3. Analysis and tuning of feedback control systems (8)
  4. Feed-forward, Cascade, Ratio, and multivariable control strategies (6)
  5. Optimization and model predictive control(6)
  6. Economic, environmental, social, and safety objectives (4)

Course Structure/Schedule: Lecture: 2 per week @ 1.5 hours

Course Objectives: Links shown in brackets are to course outcomes that satisfy these objectives. 

  1. Provide a conceptual and methodological framework for describing a process and its control system. [a-f]
  2. Provide a conceptual and methodological framework for quantitatively analyzing and evaluating automatic control systems for chemical processes [c-g]

Course Outcomes: Links shown in brackets are to ABET student outcomes 1-7.

A. Draw piping and instrumentation diagrams following accepted standards and using appropriate symbols [1,2].

B. Explain the operation of sensors and valves, including appropriate placement and linking [2].

C. Formulate unsteady state models for common unit operations, and solve the resulting differential equations using analytical and numerical methods [1].

D. Explain the operation of P, I, D, and PID controllers, and be able to simulate them and tune them using classical methods [1]

E. Explain and implement feedback, feed forward, ratio, and cascade control architectures [1].

F. Apply control strategies to address safety and environmental issues [2,4].

G. Formulate and solve optimization problems for model predictive control [1,2].

Assessment Tools: Links shown in brackets are to course outcomes.

  1. Homework and class problems [a-f]
  2. Biweekly quizzes [a-f]
  3. Final exam [a-g]
  4. End of semester project [c-g]