Control Systems

DESCRIPTION
Control systems are very present in our daily lives. The engineers of industrial areas must acquire, among others, the ability to use design and control techniques for industrial processes that allow them to properly perform the functions of operation and maintenance of automated facilities and the proposal of solutions for the automation and control of small and medium installations.

PRE-REQUISITES
Those competences developed in the subjects of Fundamentals of Physics: Mechanics, and those of Industrial Automation and Differential Equations, specifically in the following areas: Laplace transform and pneumatics technology.

CONTENTS
UNIT 1. BASIC CONCEPTS RELATED TO A CONTROL SYSTEM.

- Introduction to industrial process control.

- Classification of process control strategy.

- Elements of a feedback control loop.

- Laboratory session.

UNIT 2. INDUSTRIAL INSTRUMENTATION.

- General aspects of industrial instrumentation.

- Sensors, transmitters, and transducers.

- Final control elements.

- Laboratory session.

UNIT 3. MODELING OF INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES.

- Modeling of representative processes.

- Linearization of Nonlinear models.

- Transfer functions and block diagrams.

- Laboratory session.

UNIT 4. DYNAMICS OF INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES.

- Dynamic behaviour of first and second-order processes.

- Dynamic behaviour of higher-order processes.

- Block diagrams.

- Closed-loop transfer functions.

- Responses of closed-loop control systems.

- Stability.

- Laboratory session.

UNIT 5. PID CONTROLLERS.

- Introduction.

- Basic control modes.

- Features of PID controllers.

- Modifications of the standard PID algorithm.

- Laboratory session.

UNIT 6. PID CONTROLLERS TUNING.

- Performance criteria.

- Open-loop tuning methods.

- Closed-loop tuning methods.

- Other tuning methods.

- Automatic controller tuning.

- Laboratory session.

UNIT 7. ADVANCED CONTROL TECHNIQUES.

- Feedforward control.

- Ratio control.

- Cascade control.

- Selective control.

- Override control.

- Split range control.

- Inferential control.

- Dead-time compensation.

- Laboratory session.

 

METHODOLOGY
The methods and techniques used by the lecturer consist mainly of:

* Presentation: The lecturer complements the theoretical content and notes with explanations and examples about control devices, control systems and their integration into industrial equipment. The student will have notes of the subject. In addition, the student will have activities and complementary material in the Alud platform.

* Exercises and Problems: During the explanation of the contents, practical exercises will be done with the assistance of the lecturer. Numerical exercises will be also done.

* Lab: The laboratory practices are directly related to the theoretical content of the subject and should serve to experience and observe theoretical concepts by means of practical results with educational and industrial equipment. Each student will have the same statements, objectives, and instructions for completing the practical work. Students must make a report of each practice which will be collected by the lecturer and be evaluated. The student will attend to the Measurement Systems and Regulation Laboratory for practical and demonstration sessions.

 

ASSESSMENT
Ordinary assessment:

The evaluation system consists of continuous assessment activities (50%) and a final exam (50%):

The continuous evaluation activities consist of practical exercises and laboratory activities. Laboratory practices are compulsory.