Version  1.0                          

 

Unit Name Automation, Measurement and Control
Unit Code BME302
Unit History Previously: BME209S Automation, Measurement and Control
Unit Duration 1 Semester
Award

Bachelor of Science (Engineering)

Duration 3 years    
Year Level Three
Unit Creator / Reviewer Dr Vinnu Madhav & Dr. Milind Siddhpura
Common/ Stream Stream
Pre/Co-requisites None
Credit Points

3

Total Course Credit Points 81 (27 x 3)
Mode of Delivery Online or on-campus. 
Unit Workload (Total student workload including “contact hours” = 10 hours per week)
Pre-recordings / Lecture – 1.5 hours
Tutorial – 1.5 hours
Guided labs / Group work / Assessments – 2 hours
Personal Study recommended – 5 hours

Unit Description and General Aims

The objective in presenting this unit is to provide students with a comprehensive overview of the principles of industrial automation, measurement, and control, and to enable them to effectively apply these concepts to automation projects.

The subject matter covered in this unit will include: the fundamentals of industrial automation and control systems; the function and application of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and related devices; Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA), Distributed Control System (DCS), and Industrial Data Communications Systems; process measurement and instrumentation concepts; the basics of loop tuning; and, control valve sizing and selection.

The topics are structured such that students will gain practical knowledge of each key concept/system individually, and then learn how these concepts/systems can be merged into an efficient control system. Students will also complete a project whereby they will be required to select and size a control valve for a given application, using standard sizing principles and equations.

The elements of an industrial control system form part of an interconnected web using Ethernet, field buses, and wireless technology. At the conclusion of this unit, students will have been imparted with the requisite knowledge to effectively navigate, harness, and synthesize the many interconnected and interdependent industrial automation technologies into an effective control environment.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Distinguish between different levels of industrial automation.
    Bloom's Level 4
  2. Utilise fundamental automation and control terminologies.
    Bloom's Level 3
  3. Examine the function and application of PLCs and related devices.
    Bloom's Level 4
  4. Analyse the attributes of SCADA, DCS, and Industrial Data Communications Systems.
    Bloom's Level 4
  5. Choose appropriate measuring instruments for a given application.
    Bloom's Level 5
  6. Examine the process measurement and instrumentation concepts.
    Bloom's Level 4
  7. Compile the information about the basics of loop tuning.
    Bloom's Level 6
  8. Recommend appropriate control valve type and size for a given application.
    Bloom's Level 5

Student assessment

Assessment Type When assessed Weighting (% of total unit marks) Learning Outcomes Assessed

Assessment 1

Type: Weekly Quizzes

Description: Students will need to complete multiple-choice quiz questions to demonstrate a good understanding of the fundamental concepts.

Topics covered: 2-11

 Weekly 10% All 

Assessment 2

Type: Test (Invigilated)

Description: Students will need to answer some short and/or long answer questions and/or solve some numerical problems.

Topics covered: 1-5

 After Topic 5 20% 3, 4

Assessment 3

Type: Practical (Report)

Description: Students will need to complete this practical project using software.

Topics covered: 1-9

 After Topic 9 25% 3, 6, 7

Assessment 4

Type: Exam (Invigilated)

Description: An examination with a mix of MCQs, theoretical short/detailed answer questions and some engineering problems.

Topics covered: All 

 Exam Week 40% 1 to 8

Tutorial Attendance & Participation

Description: Attendance, presentation, discussion, group work, exercises, self-assessment/reflection, case study analysis, application.

 Continuous 5% 1 to 8

 

Overall requirements: Students must achieve a result of 40% or above in the exam itself to pass the exam, and must pass the exam to be able to pass the unit. An overall final unit score of 50% or above must be achieved to pass the unit assessment. 

Prescribed and Recommended Readings

Required textbook

  • Fundamentals of Industrial Automation, IDC Technologies, Perth
  • Doebelin, EO 2019, Measurement Systems: Application and Design, 7th edn, McGraw Hill, ISBN-13: 9789353168711

References

  • Beckwith, TG, Marangoni, RD & Lienhard, JH 2008, Mechanical Measurements, 6th edn, Pearson Education, ISBN-13: 978-0136093763
  • Raghavendra, NV & Krishnamurthy, L 2013, Engineering Metrology and Measurements, 1st edn, Oxford University Press, ISBN-13: 978-0198085492

Journal, website:

Peer-reviewed journals and websites (advised during lectures)

Notes and Reference Texts:

Knovel library: http://app.knovel.com
IDC Technologies
Other material advised during the lectures

Unit Content

Topic 1

Introduction to Industrial Automation

  1. History of industrial automation
  2. Industrial automation basics
  3. Basic measurement and control concepts
  4. Instrumentation and transducer considerations
  5. P&ID symbols for instrumentation

Topic 2

Fundamentals of Control Systems

  1. Basic concepts and control terminology
  2. Modes of feedback control
  3. Reverse or direct acting controllers
  4. Open loop characterization of the process
  5. Dead zone
  6. The industrial process in practice

Topic 3

Introduction to PLCs

  1. PLC basics
  2. Components of the PLC system
  3. PLC and process interaction
  4. Programmable Automation Controllers (PACs)
  5. Soft PLCs
  6. Standard programming languages

Topic 4

SCADA and DCS

  1. Fundamental principles of modern SCADA systems
  2. SCADA hardware and software
  3. Remote terminal units
  4. Operator panels
  5. DCSs

Topic 5

Industrial Data Communications

  1. OSI model
  2. Serial communications (RS-232/RS-485)
  3. Industrial Ethernet and TCP/IP
  4. Field buses (DeviceNet, Profibus, Foundation Fieldbus H1)
  5. Industrial wireless
  6. Industrial network security
  7. OPC

Topic 6

Instrumentation – part 1

  1. Introduction to process measurement
  2. Pressure measurement
  3. Level measurement
  4. Temperature measurement
  5. Flow measurement

Topic 7

Instrumentation – part 2

  1. Process considerations
  2. System integration
  3. Conversion between analogue values and SCADA displayed values
  4. Effects of filtering
  5. Aliasing and too low scan rates

Topic 8

Process Control

  1. Basic definitions and terms used in process control
  2. Process dynamics and time constants
  3. PID control
  4. Cascade control
  5. Implementation of control
  6. Fundamentals of loop tuning
  7. Tuning rules
    1. Ziegler Nichols open loop tuning
    2. Ziegler Nichols closed loop tuning
    3. Trial & error tuning
  8. Tuning of valves
  9. Simple tuning of more complex systems

Topic 9

Business Systems

  1. Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
  2. S88 batch language
  3. System integration models and concepts
  4. S95 standard

Topic 10

Control Elements – part 1

  1. Control valve principles
  2. Different types of control valves
  3. Control valve characteristics
  4. Selecting right type of control valve for given application
  5. High pressure drop applications

Topic 11

Control Elements – part 2

  1. Actuators
  2. Positioners
  3. Materials
  4. Installation and maintenance
  5. Control valve sizing:
    1. Manually
    2. With software

Topic 12

Unit Review

In the final week, students will have an opportunity to review the contents covered so far. Opportunity will be provided for a review of student work and to clarify any outstanding issues. Instructors/facilitators may choose to cover a specialized topic if applicable to that cohort.

Software/Hardware Used

Software

  • Software: MATLAB, Automation Studio

  • Version: R2018b, E7.0

  • Instructions:  Refer the help section in the software

  • Additional resources or files: N/A

Hardware

  • N/A

Unit Changes Based on Student Feedback

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