The goals of the course are:

• Understanding in depth the dynamics of complex systems in the field of chemical engineering and deriving the equations that allow describing their evolution;
• Applying conventional control techniques to the above processes both at the “single process” and at a “plant-wide” level.
• Introduce the student to state-of-the-art strategies for advanced process control

In the case of successful completion of the exam, the student:

• Knows the conservation equations to model the dynamics of chemical processes and how to implement them in numerical tools (e.g. using Matlab)
• Knows the features and criticisms of a dynamic system
• Knows the fundamentals of process control
• Knows advantages and shortcomings of different control strategies and is able to choose appropriate control strategies for specific cases
• Is able to design effective controllers
• Is able to work with commercial software packages for process simulation and control (Matlab and Unisim)
• Is able to critically discuss about process dynamics and process control with an adequate technical language.

• Background on process control
• Development of a mathematical models:
  • Conservation equations and process variables for ideal reactors and unit operations
  • Kinetics, thermodynamics and transport equations
  • Input/output model and degrees of freedom of a process
• Static and dynamic behavior of processing systems
  • Linearization of non-linear systems
  • Laplace transforms
  • Transfer functions
  • Dynamics of first and second order systems
• Feedback control systems
  • P, PI and PID controllers
  • Dynamics of feedback controlled processes: effects of control actions
  • Stable/Unstable systems
  • Design of feedback controllers
• Advanced control systems
  • Multiple loop control
  • Feedforward control
  • Adaptive and inferential control
• Introduction to plant control: control systems for multivariable processes (MIMO)
  • Systems with interacting units
• Process Identification (black box models):
  • Pulse and step testing
  • Autotune variation
  • PRBS
  • Artificial Neural Networks
• Fundamentals of model predictive control

Together with lectures on theoretical aspects of process dynamics and control, computer laboratories will be devoted to the implementation and solution of mathematical models using Matlab and to the use of state-of-the-art process simulators (Unisim). 

Basic knowledge of conservation equations in ideal reactors and in unit operations (e.g. distillation) is required, together with fundamentals on industrial instrumentation and control.

The candidate will be evaluated in an oral examination to be held during the sessions of July, September and February. During the examination the discussion will comprehend every topic faced during both theoretical lectures and laboratories. Specifically, a detailed report of the computer laboratories will be used as the starting point of the examination.