Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Introduction to Control Systems in Process Facilities

• Understand the role of control systems in industrial process operations.
• Differentiate between manual, semi-automatic, and fully automated control systems.
• Learn about open-loop vs. closed-loop control systems.

2. Overview of Plant Control System Components

• Identify key components in industrial control systems:
• Sensors and transmitters (temperature, pressure, flow, level).
• Control valves and actuators.
• Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs).
• Distributed Control Systems (DCS).
• Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA).
• Understand signal transmission (4-20mA, fieldbus, wireless controls).

3. Process Equipment Monitoring and Control Strategies

• Learn control strategies for key process equipment:
• Pumps and compressors (flow and pressure regulation).
• Heat exchangers (temperature and energy efficiency control).
• Reactors (chemical process optimization).
• Distillation columns (temperature, reflux ratio, and product purity control).
• Boilers and fired heaters (flame safety, pressure control, and combustion efficiency).
• Implement alarm management and interlock systems for process safety.

4. Control System Operations and Troubleshooting

• Recognize common control system malfunctions (instrumentation failure, sensor drift, valve sticking, control loop instability).
• Use loop tuning techniques (PID control, cascade control, ratio control, and feedforward control).
• Apply root cause analysis (RCA) to process control failures.

5. Advanced Process Automation and Optimization

• Implement Advanced Process Control (APC) for improving efficiency.
• Learn about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in process automation.
• Optimize energy usage through automated control systems.

6. Safety and Regulatory Compliance in Control Systems

• Implement Emergency Shutdown Systems (ESD) and Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS).
• Follow industry standards (ISA, IEC 61511, API RP 554, NFPA, OSHA, IEC 61131-3 for PLC programming).
• Ensure compliance with cybersecurity best practices for industrial control systems (ICS).

7. Case Studies and Practical Applications

• Analyze real-world case studies on process control failures and optimizations.
• Participate in hands-on simulation exercises for process equipment control tuning.
• Develop a customized control system monitoring and improvement plan.

Target Audience

• Process and operations engineers
• Instrumentation and control engineers
• Plant operators and maintenance personnel
• Automation and SCADA specialists
• HSE and compliance officers