Study cases methodology in process dynamic and industrial plants control subject

• Published in: Computer applications in engineering education Vol. 28; no. 6; pp. 1434 - 1448
• Main Authors: Borreguero, Ana M., García‐Vargas, Jesus M., Sánchez‐Silva, Luz, Osa, Ana R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.11.2020
• Subjects: Chemical engineering; Colleges & universities; Control theory; Derivatives; dynamic analysis tool; Industrial plants; Integrals; Learning; master chemical engineering; Methodology; Parameters; Privacy; process control tuning; Simulation; sine wave disturbances; Sine waves; Students; study cases
• ISSN: 1061-3773; 1099-0542
• DOI: 10.1002/cae.22313

Dynamic simulation has been incorporated into Chemical Engineering Master at the University of Castilla‐La Mancha as a teaching tool together with working cases. Concretely, this study presents the activities, evaluating criteria and a set of case of studies performed by master students in the process dynamic and industrial plants control course. It is described in detail, the Aspen HYSYS® simulations carried out to study the influence of main tuning parameters of proportional, integral, and derivative controllers (gain, integral time, and derivative time) and other relevant parameters such dead‐time, amplitude, or period of sine wave disturbances. The dynamic simulation helps the students to understand the previously mentioned concepts, analyzing their effect in the realistic behavior and control of simple processes. Finally, anonymous online surveys were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed training activities and methodology. Students felt that Aspen HYSYS enhances the control theory understanding from a chemical engineering perceptive, eliminating the tediousness and time‐consuming aspect of process calculation. Thus, this learning methodology promotes a successful achievement of learning outcomes.