I

I

rriculum development -

training in process asurements and rol engineering Amadi-Echendu and E. H. Higham

Process measurements) instrumentation and control is a multidisc&linavy subject area combining traditional disc$ines in science and engineering. Hitherto, measurements and instrumentation have been regarded as artisan in that the training required was provided in-house by employers. The complexities inherent in the new era ofintelligent systems and automation have made the subject area much broader and beyond the level ofartisan skill. With the current emphasis in business on the return on investment) as well as the need to enhance the availability and operational eficiency o f process plants, most companies are no longer able to provide the necessary training in- house. In addition, the technology base in the subject area is evolving and expanding rapidly, arguably more slowly than the rate at which previously acquired experience is lost due to downsizing, thh'us, leading to a shortage O f personnel who have the- accumulated experience and the right kind ofskills and training. This paper examines the issues involved in developing a university curriculum f o r this unique and demanding subject area, especially with a dwindling pool O f appropriate school leavers and the prevailing business climate f o r both vendors /manufdcturers and users ofprocess instrumentation and control systems.

Introduction

urrently sector, it shortage engineer

within the UK process industries is acknowledged that there is a of personnel at the technician, and manager level with the appro-

priate knowledge, slull and experience in industrial process measurement technologies and control engineering. The present business focus on return on investment and efficient udsation o f process plant is

largely due to rapid evolution in these dmiplines. However, it has also been responsible for downsizing, which has resulted in a loss of personnel who had previously accumulated broadly based knowledge and experience in the operation of process plants. Furthermore, opportunities for learning on-the-job are h s h n g as previously important slull and know-how are absorbed into more sophsticated and intelligent systems'.

To maintain higher productivity and to improve safety standards in the process industries, a properly trained workforce3 with expert s l d s in process instrumentation and control engineering is essential. Hitherto, dedicated training in these dsciplines and technologies has been provided by employers in-house, sometimes supplemented by specific training provided by academe and by vendors o f plant and equipment. Rapid changes in both the business climate and the technology base, as well as pressure withn industry to enhance the avdabhty and operational efficiency of process plants have meant that most employers are no longer able to provide any in-house training. Instead, they are seelung staff who have a good understanding of the basic principles and technologies involved in process measurements and control engineering, preferably combined with experience of the commercial environment.

There is evidence4 that the complexities inherent in the new era of automation and intelligent systems require a lxgher degree of skill than can be provided at the artisan level. Prospective employees need to have adequate training; and employees already on the job need supplementary and hrther training to bridge the growing gap between the s l d s needed to operate and maintain existing plants and those wklch are needed to exploit new and emerging technologies pertaining to the measurement and control industry. These include intehgent measurement systems, intelligent actuators, networks and other communication systems, as well as systems whch are now avdable to vahdate and optimise the control, supervision, maintenance and management of industrial plants and processes. From

ENGINEERING SCIENCE AND EDUCATION JOURNAL JUNE 1997

104

the ESPRIT* projects DIAS*, P R I M * , EIAMUG* and the proposed E I M T " , there is recognition of the need for a European Union co-ordinated programme of training for instructors, operators and trainees.

Whilst it is the responsibhty of the professional institutions to accredt training programmes, it is incumbent upon academic departments to collaborate with industry to develop and deliver appropriate courses. In respondmg to its extensive survey of the instrumentation and automation industries, the Inter- national Society of America (ISA) for Measurement and Control has developed a new curriculum of training with the specific objective of enabling technicians, engineers, managers and sales personnel to acquire specidsed skdl and knowledge in all aspects of process instrumentation and control.

At present, there are very few further and higher education programmes in the UK whch provide dedcated training in the basic slulls required for industrial process measurements and control. It is apparent that such programmes as do exist have been extensions of the curriculum for trahtional dsciplines in electrical, electronic or mechanical engineering, and consequently do not place adequate emphasis on the importance of physics and communications. Also there is regrettably, little or no input from industry in the delivery of any existing courses.

It is important for any academic training programme in measurement and control to be relevant to the industrial needs for an expert s u e d workforce. However, the greatest obstacles to developing an appropriate curriculum can be summarised as follows:

( U ) The modules must be designed to providc an appropriate mix of science, engineering and commerce, taking into account (i) improvements in the reliability and accuracy of process measure- ments, (ii) the apparent revolution in communica- tions, and (iii) the evolution of intelligent process instrumentation, control, system vahdation and integrated automation, whch leads to maintenance and supervisory procedures.

( b ) The courses have to attract caddates from the dwindhng pool of school leavers.

( c ) Employers must be persuaded to sponsor personnel and be supportive in the provision of equipment, facilities and site experience. Ths d undoubtedly be difficult in view of the reduced number of equipment manufacturers and the commercial constraints whch prevd throughout the process industries.

*ESPRIT = European Specific Programme for Research in Information Technology; DIAS = Distributed Intelligent Actuators and Sensors (ESPRIT I1 project 2172); P R I M = Prenormative Requirements for InteKgent Actuators and Measurements (ESPRIT I1 project 61 88); EIAMUG = European Intelligent Actuators and Measure- ments User Group (ESPRIT I1 project 8244); EIAMT = (Proposed) ESPKIT Accompanying Measure for IAM Training

Curriculum development issues

In dscussing curriculum development issues, it is pertinent to review the scope of and trends in process instrumentation and control; what the requirements of specific industrial sectors are; who is to be trained and to what level of qualifications; what the types of delivery and study modes are; as well as industrial input and tutor training for programme providers.

Scope of process instrumentation and control engineering The scope ofprocess instrumentation is such that up

to 90% of the measurements are made with transducers sensing either tcmpcraturc, pressure, flow, level or density. These arc all mature technologies with further evolution dependent on adjacent developments in materials science, microfabrication, finite-element modelhng and computational fluid dynamics. The remaining 10% of measurements are principally analytical, many being made with devices sensing variables such as steam quality pH and selective ions, humidity moisture content, viscosity dmolved oxygen, gas composition, conductivity and calorific value. The technologies associated with some of these devices are relatively mature but all are liable to evolution due to developments in adjacent areas.

About 85% of existing process control functions are either odoff, proportional (P), or proportional plus integral (PI). Derivative (D) action is mostly used when some form of PID tuning is desired in either cascade, batch, ratio or other combination control modes. The remaining functions involve statistical, multivariable, expert system, fuzzy logic and neural-network-based controllcrs, and these are mostly used in applications where the significance. of the process justifies investment in the associated cost and complexities.

Although the majority of processes and systems are nodnear, the principal objective should be to obtain a good understandmg of process control based on linear systems, leaving nodnear systems to those who need to make in-depth stuhes. The transduction of the signal from the transducer and sensor is invariably implemented electronically. Thus, another objective should be to obtain a good understanding of basic electronics, introductory-level digital signal processing, data acquisition methods and data communications principles.

The customary use of process instrumentation has been for process control, hence signal conditioners were designed to transmit a signal in the standard 4 to 20 mA drect currcnt range. By exploiting microprocessors, digital signal processing and communications, intelligent process instruments can now provide information beyond the customary req~iujrements for control. With the advent of the various forms of the fieldbus, it has become feasible to transmit measurement information in digital format for the purposes of vahdation, control, maintenance and management of plants and processes.

The majority of processes depend on electro-

ENGINEERING SCIENCE AND EDUCATION JOURNAL JUNE 1997

105

mechanical machnes, hence it is important to provide a basic knowledge of the relationshps between electrical and mechanical power. The scope must include principles of three-phase power supplies, power factor correction, starters and contactors, electric motors, and pumps. Almost a l l processes depend on thermodynamic and fluid transport phenomena, and process plants are primarily assemblies of mechanical components; thus it is necessary to obtain a good understanding of these concepts as well as materials science, engineering physics and mathe- matics. It is obvious that a broad scienthc and techca l knowledge is required to understand the varied disciplines involved in measurement and control.

Trainees, industyspec$c requirements and awards There are three main categories of trainees to be

considered-undergraduates, graduates and previously experienced personnel-who may or may not be in employment. The first problem here is to attract the undergraduates to the discipline. Undergraduates comprise young school-leavers and mature candidates. A remarkable number of young school-leavers going into hrther and hgher education have little perception of the vocation or career which they would &e to take up, whereas most mature candidates wish to take a second chance to pursue a more fd6lhng career. For this category of trafnees, the first requirement therefore is to present an interesting and lucid description of the curriculum &om an application viewpoint, coupled with an outline of the technologies involved.

For the potential undergraduate, it is important to show that a good understanhng of the basic tech- nologies can be acquired relatively quickly through practical examples. As &fficult as it may seem, it is also important to indcate that the study of measurement and control technologies d provide prospects for a challenging and rewarding career in a wide range of &sciplines. Perhaps one approach could be to emphasise that every aspect of our dady life is dependent on some form of measurement, control, maintenance and management. The undergraduate programme must comprise self-contained modules linked by a sequence of core learning outcomes and competencies necessary for a student to satisfy the academic requirements for an accredted award. For this category of trainees, the curriculum must include practical examples, case studies and projects whch may be focused in a specific industrial sector local to the programme provider.

The majority of graduates and previously experienced participants wdl be mature students. For this category, the need for addtional training wdl usually arise from involvement in an addtional management activity or a change of role. Alternatively, a candidate may have identified a particular area of technology in whch he wishes to enhance hs s l d and knowledge. The need could range fkom superficial appreciation of a broad range of topics and new technology to detded acquisition of knowledge to

satis@ specific training requirements. Thus, the curriculum should be vocational and flexible to enable participants to study at a pace suited to their indwidual dsposition. It must include a review of the funda- mental principles and practice, progress quickly to industrial methods, and be followed by in-depth study in speciahst areas of interest. A large number of optional modules should be included to address the specific operational and commercial needs of various industrial sectors ranging &om agriculture to water.

For undergraduate trainees, entry requirements, crehts, transfers and awards must be consistent with the standards existing in hrther and higher education. For mature trainees, entry should be based on written and/or oral interviews to establish suitabhty and level of previous experiential learning. Such applicants must be counselled on proper entry to the programme in order that they may have the best chance of achieving the intended award. For trainees in employment, credits and transfers should be based on a rationahsed Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme. All awards must be commensurate with those recopsed by accredting professional institutions and should satisfy the requirements for registration with the Engineering Council. Participation in a module should quahfy a canddate for the award of continuing professional development (CPD) points, hence the programme provider must be recognised as such.

Curriculum delivery and industrial input The undergraduate curriculum may be delivered in

either full-time, part-time or sandwich mode, as is standard with further and hgher education departments. However, for vocational trainees, the curriculum delivery should also be flexible to include short courses, independent and &stance learning, and delivery to staff on-site. Industrial provision of equip- ment, practical demonstrators and on-site experience is crucial. It is essential for academic instructors to have experience of industrial environment through various secondment schemes. It is also pertinent to involve staff in industry as guest lecturers or tutors and project supervisors. Participants should be encouraged to carry out projects related to their job functions, addressing real industrial need, as well as having the academic content needed to satisfy requirements for a post- graduate award.

Collaborative programme between the University of Greenwich and ISA

Based on the preceding curriculum development issues, the School of Engineering* at the University of Greenwich, in collaboration with the England Section of the ISA, is establishmg a programme of training in process measurements and control engineering. The programme has been designed to incorporate reference materials fkom the new ISA training curriculum whch *The School is recognised by the IEEas an approved provider of CPD.

ENGINEERING SCIENCE AND EDUCATION JOURNAL JUNE 1997

106

was established in April 1996. An outline of the ISA curriculum is presented followed by brief details of the School of Engineering programmes.

The new ISA training curriculum

The ISA curriculum comprises 48 measurement and control short courses organised into three programmes and designed to provide fundamental, technical and engineering SMS. The average period of a short course is 2 days.

Table 1: Outline of ISA training curriculum for measurement and control

There are four courses in the fundamental-skds training programme targeted at newcomers to the field, including technical sales and management professionals. The fundamentals form prerequisites to the technical s k d s and the engineering skdls training programmes. Training for technical s k d s involves participation in 13 core and 3 speciahsed courses focused on instrumentation maintenance and control systems. The technical skdls training leads to ISA’s Certified Control Systems Technician (CCST) award. The engineering slulls programme comprises 18 core and 10 specialised technology courses designed to provide in-depth coverage of measurement and control engineering, especially for those wishing to be considered for registration as a Control Systems Engineer (CSE). The ISA curriculum is summarised in Table 1.

The Greenwich/ISA yogrammes The ISAcurricdum is very much directed at

participants already in employment but needs to be made avadable to a wider audience in terms of the programme content, delivery and awards. Traditiondx the ISA has produced training materials widely accepted by industry but does not award degrees or diplomas. The University delivers courses to professionally accepted standards and internationally recognised awards. The collaboration between the University and the Society thus provides the opportunity to develop academic training programmes relevant to industrial needs and to deliver the courses to professionally accrehted awards.

There are two main programmes arising out of the GreenwichASA collaborative curriculum. The first is an undergraduate programme designed to attract

Fig. 1 Structure of BEng (Hons) degree course in Measurement and Control Engineering

ENGINEERING SCIENCE AND EDUCATION JOURNAL JUNE 1997

107

Table 2: Summary of postgraduate programme

Module Title Credits

1 Engineering Mathematics and Computing 10 2 Understanding Industrial Processes 10 3 Mechatronics 10 4 Intelligent Field Devices and Analysers 10 5 Control System Analysis and Design 10 6 Computer-based Process Control 10 7 Optimisat,on and Validation 10 8 Safety and Reliability 10

PgD project 10 9 Management of Process Automation Systems 10

MSc project 30

newcomers to the measurement and control vocation. Ths programme consists of self-contained U-level (undergraduate level) units (or modules) linked by a sequence of core learning outcomes and competencies leading to the award of Bachelor in Engineering (Hons) in Measurement and Control Engineering. The proposed BEng programme (whch is subject to internal validation procedures) is dustrated in Fig. 1, in the 4 + 4 unitised semester structure prevailing at the University

There are optional units whch may be chosen fiom a wide range of subject areas includmg languages, business, humanities, science or engineering. For instance, when a consistent set of three language units (e.g. French) has been studied, a student may apply to obtain a BEng with French award. The assignments and examination for most units in semesters 1, 2 and 3 contribute equally to the assessment for the module. The examination component for units in later semesters will contribute at least 60% of the assessment for a module.

The second programme, leahng to PgD (post- graduate hploma) and MSc awards in Industrial Measurement and Control, includes modules aimed at previously experienced personnel and graduates, providmg them the opportunity either to update s k d s in accordance with new and emerging technologies or to acquire slulls necessary for them to be effective in current or hture employment. This complements a n existing software-based MSc in Advanced Instrumentation and Control adrmnistered by the School of Engineering at the University. Entry to the programme is negotiable as participants can claim prior learning experience for up to 30 equivalent M-level (Masters level) crehts.

The postgraduate programme comprises nine modules together with a project. Each module is worth 10 cre&t points. Participants may study three to four modules per year and complete the requirements for an award in three to four years. To qualify for a PgD award, a participant must accumulate a total of 70 crehts &om six modules and the project. To q u & ~ for the MSc award, a participant must accumulate a total of 120 credits €-om nine modules and 30 crehts ofa substantial project work.

The concepts, applications and practical compo- nents of a module are delivered in short-course mode over a period of 3 days. A substantial assignment given

at the end of the short course is due 10 weeks later, followed by a 3-hour written or oral examination to conclude a module. Both assignment and examination contribute equally towards overall assessment of a module. The project work is carried out under joint supervision of academic and industrial supervisors and assessed via theses and viva. A summary of the programme is shown in Table 2.

Summary

In this paper, we have examined some of the major issues involved in developing appropriate programmes for training in Industrial Measurement and Control Engineering. Some of these issues include the impact of business focus on return on investment; pressures on efficient uthsation of plant; reluctance in industry to provide training in-house; shortage of personnel with experience, SUS and knowledge; few or no appropriate training programmes in further and hgher education; and the dwindhng pool from whch to attract school leavers to the vocation. We have also presented collaborative programmes between the School of Engineering and the England Section of the International Society for Measurement and Control. The programmes, whch lead to awards of Bachelor in Engineering, Postgraduate Diploma and Master of Science, have been designed to incorporate reference materials &om the ISA Training curriculum. A ‘holistic’ approach has been adopted in designing the University of Greenwich programmes in Industrial Measurement and Control Engineering.

Acknowledgments

We wish to acknowledge the support of ISA Training at Research Triangle Park USA, ISA England Section, especially the Committee members, Professor Alan Reed, Alan Reeve and Brian Tinham, for useful dwussions.

References

1 InTech focus on ‘Measurement & Control-The past, future

2 InTech focus on ISA Traming Institute, ISA Publication,

3 Memurement + Control, December 1995/January 1996, 28 4 IEE Colloquium Digest No. 96/127, ‘Sensors and instru-

mentation systems-What should we teach? How should we teach?’, June 1996

and the classic’, ISA Publication, June 1995.

April 1996

0 IEE: 1997

The authors are with the School ofEngineering, the University of Greenwich, Woolwich Campus, Wekngton Street, Woolwich, London SE18 6PF, UK.

Ths paper is an expanded version of a presentation given at the IEE Colloquium on ‘Sensors and instrumentation systems- What should we teach? How should we teach?’ held at the IEE, Savoy Place, London on 3rd June 1996.

ENGINEERING SCIENCE AND EDUCATION JOURNAL JUNE 1997

108