Intended for science students (undergraduate) interested in process control strategies. Three modules (Basic Process Control, Basic Maths for Process Control, Advanced Process Control) provide a thorough background in feedback, cascade, ratio and feed-forward control. Bilingual course French & English.

Dates : 14.01. & 04.02.2008.

Basic control and regulatory control with many applications will be examined, including advanced control strategies (industrial applications).

Academic topics with an industrial approach will be treated. The course is held in French and English and is open both to French native speakers and foreign students.

A vocabulary list of technical expressions (in English and French) will be given to each student along with other course material (CDs, supplements).

Modules available for the Fundamentals of Process Control Programme

Module 1: Basic Process Control. QMC test. 

Module 2 : Basic Maths for Process Control. QMC test.

Module 3 : Advanced Process Control. QMC test. 

Each of these modules involves 18 hours of instruction over the course of three days.

SAMPLE OF MODULE CONTENTS 

Basic Process Control

I. Process dynamics

• Process control symbols and diagrams.
• System identification and process modelling methods.
• Transfer functions and input/output models.
• Elements of Laplace transforms.
• Convolution representation.
• Linear system and characterisation (model classification).                                    

II. Feedback and feed-forward control

• Feedback control loops.
• Loop stability analysis.
• Transfer functions: poles and zeros concept, Nyquist criterion, stability analysis.
• Tuning feedback control: Ziegler and Nichols, Cohen Coon methods.
• Measuring control quality (methods), quality analysis of the response of a system (process). 

III. Controllers (analogue controllers)

• Two-position controller.
• P.I.D. algorithm: many examples of feedback and feed-forward loops (flow, level, temperature, pressure, etc.) and furnace control example.

Basic Maths for Process Control

Complex number representation & Study of the variable complex representation :

• Laplace transforms and properties: inversion of Laplace transforms and applications.
• Analysis of process dynamics: time domain synthesis, Laplace domain synthesis and    frequency domain synthesis.
• Ordinary differential equations (O.D.E.) and application to process modelling.
• Frequential analysis.
• Sampled signals. Digital signal representation.
• Mathematical representation of sampling systems: Z transform transfer function in Z and application to control systems (data holds filters algorithms (analogue and digital).
• Digital controllers, algorithms and architectures. RST controller.
• State systems equations, relation between space state and transfer function, relation between state space and differential equations. Application to multivariable systems.
• Elements of matrix algebra and applications to control strategies (multivariable control).
• Elements of statistics control. Application to chemical engineering.

Advanced Process Control

Overview of advanced regulatory control justifying A.P.C.strategies.   

Advanced Control Strategies (Regulatory Control) :

• Cascade control, ratio control, override control, feed-forward control.
• Examples in industrial processes.
• Applications in furnaces, heat exchangers, boiler controls, compressor controls.

Module duration: 18 hours, 3 days (9 days for all three modules).  

Target group: The course is intended for undergraduate students in their 1^st or 2^nd year of university studies in control engineering, electrical engineering or chemical engineering.  

Course fee: 700 euros for each module, including tuition and all materials + 20 L general French.

Teacher: Mr Michel Chandevau

Senior control engineer and senior instrument and control engineer (retired from an international petrochemicals company ), Mr Chandevau has more than 35 years of industrial experience in electronic instrumentation, automation and control, including process control (chemical and petrochemical processes). He has been a leader in advanced control projects.

Mr Chandevau is a former lecturer at Paul Cezanne University / St Jerome (Marseille, France) in instrumentation, automation and control courses at both the bachelor's and master's level. Courses taught: basic and advanced control, including multivariable control).

Conferences on advanced control, especially in distillation applications (A.P.C.), compressor control (anti-surge control ) and on the benefits of advanced process control.           

Senior Member ISA http://www.isa-france.org/ - http://www.isaeur.org/