Course Content
Unit I
Industrial processes: Definition, Industry classification, Application oriented
(Manufacturing and Utility industry), Operational (Continuous – discrete – batch),
Physical (Local and Distributed). Process automation systems: Definition, Process
without and with automation, Need and benefits of automation. Automation steps:
Information acquisition and analysis, Decision making, Control execution. Process
signals: Definition, Classifications, Input and output, Digital/discrete,
Analog/continuous, Pulse.
Unit-II
Automation system structure: Definition, Subsystems: Input Instrumentation
subsystem, Control subsystem, Human interface subsystem, Control subsystems.
Instrumentation: Structure and components, Physical signal conversion, Signal
interfacing standards, Signal conditioning, Process isolation and instrumentation
protection, Final control elements (pumps, motors, control valves and solenoid).
Human machine interface: Definition, need, hardware based, Software based, Operator
panels. Control system: Definition, need, Functions, Structure, Data acquisition and
control unit (DACU) Data acquisition unit (DAU), Functional Subsystem, Power
supply subsystem, Processor subsystem, Input/output subsystem, Communication
subsystem, Supporting subsystem.
Unit-III
Control strategies: Definition, need, Open loop control, Closed loop or feedback
control, Discrete control Sequential: control with interlocks Continuous control: Two
step and multi-step control, Analog loop control, Evolution of control systems:
Mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic based, relay based, solid-state based, micro-
processor based, Comparisons. Special purpose DACUs: Need, Programmable Logic
Controller (PLC), Loop controller, Controller, Remote Terminal Unit (RTU)
Automation strategies: Need, classification, architectures and protocols, Industrial data
communication, Centralized control systems, Distributed Control Systems (DCS),
Network Control Systems (NCS), Front-end processing, Supervisory Control and Data
Acquisition (SCADA) systems, DCS and NCS, Modern control centre.