208-311 Engineering Applications

The objective of this subject is to enable students to study at greater depth particular areas of engineering applications, and to develop students' ability to:

• describe an automated process control system and identify its components;

• describe the principles of PID control;

• identify the difference between process regulation and sequence control;

• operate an automated process control system;

• recommend a choice of control system;

• participate in the commissioning of a control system; and

• understand the principles of programming for PLCs.

Students will study, in depth, the following topics: Heat transfer applications, heat loads, cold rooms, insulation; pneumatics, membrane engineering; the physical and engineering principles used in the design, operation and control of each application; quantification of the operating parameters which determine function and application to industrial processes; current technology and developments; available literature on operation, design, equipment and current developments; design project covering fundamental aspects of a simple application and analysis of the functionality of an existing system; principles of automated process control: use of micro-processors for process control and instrumentation; definitions of feedback, feed-forward, cascade, PID control; hardware and software for process control: the nature of hardware components for process control, design, limitations, advantages; typical graphical interface software; programming languages; operation of an automated process control system; selected automated systems; graphical interface and keyboard; stand alone PID controllers; systems installation and maintenance - selection, installation and maintenance of a process control system; factors to be considered in selection of system hardware and software; training of operators; and advantages and disadvantages of automated systems.

Assignment of 3000 words (30%); two practical reports of 1500 words (15% each); 2-hour examination (40%).