This subject, which is the only subject in automation and control taken by students, aims to provide them with the fundamentals, techniques and technologies necessary to be able to tackle the design of continuous industrial process control systems, combining the fundamentals of automatic control with a significant aspect of practical application, so that the student knows the main aspects to be taken into account in the implementation and operation of continuous industrial process control systems. To this end, the different phases involved in the design of chemical process control systems are taught: modelling, analysis and design of simple feedback loops, based on the classic PID controller and using empirical tuning methods. This is followed by the study of the different complex control structures, focusing on those most commonly used in the process industry and observing the improvement in system behaviour. On the other hand, part of the course is dedicated to control instrumentation.

The specific competences developed in this subject are:

- Knowledge of the fundamentals of automatisms and control methods.

- Basic knowledge for the integration of the different engineering elements in industrial installations.



Therefore, this subject aims to:

- Enable the student to develop in their professional future a series of simple activities in the field of control and instrumentation of chemical processes, such as correctly planning, designing and specifying simple control strategies and analysing and understanding more complex control strategies, as well as participating in the management of the acquisition of a control system (control equipment and strategies) for a medium or small plant.

- Consolidate a basic training from which the student, either by himself or by attending specialisation courses, can become a specialist in the subject.

This subject also intervenes in the attainment of other competences related to the degree.



The learning results obtained provide the student with the following:

- Ability to identify, model and analyse the different physico-chemical model systems.

- Ability to understand and analyse the dynamic and static behaviour of these systems.

- Ability to analyse, evaluate and diagnose the behaviour of physico-chemical systems subjected to different control strategies.

- Ability to analyse and interpret frequency behaviour diagrams of these systems.

- Ability to interpret in a basic way the documents of instrumentation and control schemes.

And of the:

- Ability to identify the necessary data characterising a problem.

- Ability to choose the most appropriate methodology for its resolution.

- Ability to critically analyse the solution reached.

- Ability to communicate and synthesise.

Topic 1

- Introduction. Introduction to chemical process control. Concepts and definitions.

- Open loop control and closed loop control. Identification of significant variables.

- Control loop elements.

- Instrumentation of chemical processes:

Sensors. Transmitters. Actuators. Temperature, pressure, level and flow meters. Final control elements. Automatic regulation valves.

Topic 2:

- Mathematical modelling of chemical processes.

- Non-linear models. Linearisation. Dead time systems.

- External description of a dynamic system: Differential equations and transfer functions. Mathematical tool. The Laplace transform. Representation by means of the impulse function. Relationship between the transfer function and the impulse function. Block's algebra: block diagrams.

- Experimental modelling, identification

Topic 3:

- Time domain analysis

Test signals Modes in the response from the zeros and poles of the transfer function. Study of the transient response of first, second and higher order systems. Identification of first, second and higher order models. Dead time processes. Dynamic systems with inverse response.

- Feedback systems. Stability.

- Frequency domain analysis

Transfer function-frequency response relationship. Graphical representations.

- Frequency domain stability.

Topic 4

- Design of simple loop control systems. PID controllers

Tuning methods.

- Introduction to advanced control systems: Cascade control. FeedForward control. Proportional control. Selective control. Split-range control. Design of cascade control structures. Design of feedforward-anticipative control structure.

- Control of processes with long delays: Smith's Predictor.

Master classes of 1 hour and 1.5 hours a week.

Seminars of 1.5 hours, to be given during the first 8 weeks.

Laboratories: 7 practicals of 1.5 hours will be carried out during 7 weeks, after the end of the seminars.

• Final Assessment System
• Tools and qualification percentages:
  • Written test to be taken (%): 70
  • Realization of Practical Work (exercises, cases or problems) (%): 10
  • Team projects (problem solving, project design)) (%): 10
  • Exhibition of works, readings ... (%): 10

Written exam to be developed. 70% of the mark

The remaining 30%:

- Completion of practical exercises (exercises, cases, and assumptions), 10%.

- Completion of an individual or team work, 10%.

To pass the course it is necessary to pass all three sections.



- Partial exam (week 9 of the course), 10%.

If a student renounces to the continuous assessment, he/she will take a final exam for 100% of the grade which may include subjects seen in the practicals or related to the work to be done during the course.

The marks for practical work (10%) and teamwork (10%) will be kept, and a written exam (80%) will be taken.

If a student renounces to the continuous assessment, he/she will take a final exam for 100% of the mark, which may include subjects seen in the practicals or related to the work to be done during the course.

Lecture notes

Basic bibliography

Control e Instrumentación de Procesos Químicos.

P. Ollero, E.F. Camacho.

Ed. Síntesis,



Ingeniería de Control Moderna (4ª Edición)

Katsuhiko Ogata

Pearson Prentice Hall (2003)



Sistemas de Control Moderno (10ª Edición)

Richard C. Dorf

Pearson Prentice Hall (2005)



Sistemas de Control Automático (7ª edición)

Benjamín C. Kuo

Pearson Prentice Hall (1996)



1997- Process Dynamics and Control.

D.E. Seborg, T.F. Edgar, D. A. Mellichamp.

Ed. John Wiley & Sons. 1989.

In-depth bibliography

Principles and Practice of automatic process control.
C.A. Smith, A.B. Corripio.
Ed. J. Wiley. 1997, 2ª Edic.-

The Art of Control Engineering.
K. Dutton, S. Thompson, B. Barraclough.
Addison-Wesley. 1997

Journals

Journal of Process Control

Web addresses

IFAC-International Federation of Automatic Control. http://www.ifac-control.org/
Comité Español de Automática. http://www.cea-ifac.es/