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Unit of study_

CHNG5001: Process Systems Engineering

Semester 2, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Whatever its purpose, any process requires some level of process monitoring and control to allow it to operate satisfactorily. Once a process is under control, the option exists to further improve performance via the implementation of some level of optimisation. This unit will develop skills in integrating process modelling, simulation, design, optimisation and control concepts. The aims of this unit are (i) to demonstrate that modelling, process control and optimisation are integral concepts in the overall consideration of industrial plants, (ii) to demonstrate that a unified approach allows a diversity of application fields to be readily handled, and (iii) to allow each student to achieve and demonstrate acceptable competency over the unit material through a range of individual and group-based activities.

Unit details and rules

Unit code CHNG5001
Academic unit Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

1000 level physics and mathematics (differential equations). Use of mathematical and/or computer-based modelling tools and techniques. Feedback control concepts and principles as taught in CHNG3802/CHNG9302 or similar courses. Students who are unsure about meeting these requirements should contact the unit coordinator for advice.

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Ali Abbas, ali.abbas@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Online task Presentation/seminar
Oral presentation
10% - 10 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO8
Assignment group assignment Assignment 1
Written report
20% Week 06 10 pages
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO6 LO7
Tutorial quiz Quiz
Quiz
20% Week 09 90 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3
Assignment group assignment Assignment 2
Written report
50% Week 11 15 pages
Outcomes assessed: LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7
group assignment = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

  • Project: The assessment is a semester-long group-based project with the final mark for this course being drawn from this project. You will treat your group as an engineering team that will work together to solve the required problem modelled on real life situations. Participation is highly encouraged, as your work skills will be enhanced. You will be allocated to a group at the commencement of the course. 

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

Note 1: A practical exercise forms part of Assessment task 2 (Assignment 2). However, if COVID situation does not permit the practical activity, then Assignment 2 will default to being practical simulation activity.

Note 2: Additional details of these assessments will be announced in lectures. It is your responsibility to keep up to date with these announcements. Announcements will also be placed on the Learning
Management System site. Further, it may eventuate that during this unit of study, we may ask you to submit additional items for evaluation – if this happens, announcements will be made in lectures well in
advance, and complete instructions will be given.


Note 3: There may be moderation and/or scaling of the raw marks in each assessment component when combining them to get the final mark in this unit of study.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 1, Administrative matters; 2. Unit of study outline; 3. Setting up of project group; 4. Introduce project; 5. Review of introductory feedback control notes Lecture (2 hr) LO1
Week 02 Review of introductory feedback control notes Lecture (1 hr) LO1
1. Feedback control using LoopPro software; 2. Introduce software and how to develop empirical FOPDT models; 3. Hands-on workshop in LoopPro software Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO7
Week 03 1. Introduction to feedback controller tuning methods; 2. Cohen-Coon method (Open loop); 3. Z-N method (closed loop) Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO7
1, Installing a feedback PID control loop in Simulink; 2. Stability analysis - introduce Matlab tools: rlocus command and sisotool Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO7
Week 04 1. Introduce integrating process in LoopPro; 2. Tuning methods for integrating process; 3. Report writing Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO2 LO6
Plotting techniques Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO6
Week 05 Group work on project initial report Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO6 LO7
Week 06 Group work on project initial report Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO6 LO7
Week 07 1. Cascade control; 2. Review of quiz Lecture (1 hr) LO2 LO3
Cascade control individual hands-on workshop using LoopPro Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO2 LO3 LO7
Week 08 Feedforward control Lecture (1 hr) LO2 LO3 LO7
Feedforward control individual hands-on workshop using LoopPro Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO6 LO7
Week 10 Decoupling control Lecture (1 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Decoupling control individual hands-on workshop using LoopPro Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7
Week 11 PC lab group work on project final report Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8
Week 12 PC lab group work on project final report Computer laboratory (2 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8

Attendance and class requirements

It is important to appreciate that content in this unit of study builds knowledge in a ladder manner. Each module introduces concepts linked or founded on its predecessor modules. As such, keeping up with the learning on a weekby-week basis is essential to ensuring you succeed in this unit of study overall, and specficially in being prepared for the mid-semester examination.


It follows that attendance in the class is essential and is an important point of contact with the lecturer and the tutors. You are highly encouraged to use class attendance to ask clarify concepts and ask questions. There will be a significant onus on individual students to carry ownership of learning of fundamentals and concepts. The lecturer and tutors will strictly not attend to students rushing in with requests for appointments in the days/week prior to individual mid-semester examination. Working in teams is a key requirement in this unit of study and your individual understanding of concepts is built through the group-based assignment work. Therefore it is essential you work as an individual but also as an effective contributor to your team.


Your individual time management in this semester is of the essence.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

  • J.A. Romagnoli and A. Palazoglu, Introduction to Process Control. CRC Press, 2005.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. design feedback control schemes or structures
  • LO2. explain key concepts used in process design analysis, feedback control design and disturbance rejection strategies
  • LO3. implement advanced controllers, namely: cascade, feed-forward, and decoupling strategies
  • LO4. conceptualise model-based control strategies
  • LO5. analyse control schemes considering multi-variable process interactions
  • LO6. undertake sensitivity analysis of a given process
  • LO7. use various control design software tools.
  • LO8. summarise and succinctly communicate the key elements of an engineering project in a short oral presentation

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Changed the delivery to 12 weeks. Changed Assignment 2 to include a laboratory component.

Please do not send communications by email to the Unit of Study Coordinator. All communication will be made inside teh Canvas site, using the Canvas email account, and using announcements. 

Work, health and safety

Please keep up to date with University COVID guidelines.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.