Postgraduate - UnitCHE5295 - Control of processes and quality

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Synopsis

This unit will equip students with the ability to evaluate the influence of process control equipment on biorefinery and pulp and paper processes, to identify requirements for improved performance from control equipment and mill wide systems, to analyse the value of new developments in process control, to evaluate energy and water management systems and their current performance, to critically assess quality control systems being used and to make recommendations for improvement and to design and analyse process trials. We will examine the fundamentals and practical aspects of process control in biomass conversion processes, digital automation systems, millwide control, statistical control, predictive systems and specific equipment and systems used in biorefineries and pulp and paper mills. We will study the evaluation of energy and water utilization and systems for their management , the fundamentals of statistics and their application to process evaluation and trials, and the various aspects of quality control in papermaking.

Outcomes

Learning objectives of this unit are that the student will:

1. Acquire an increased knowledge and understanding of:
• Process control fundamentals
• Digital automation systems
• Process control instrumentation for pulping and papermaking, and biorefineries
• Control of various pulp and papermaking operations
• Millwide control
• Energy management systems
• Systems for water management
• Elements of the measurement of paper quality
• Process/quality trials and the application of statistics

2. Develop the skills required to:
• Analyse the effects of process control systems on product quality
• Assess where improvements are required in process control systems
• Observe opportunities for improving process models

3. Demonstrate the ability to:
• Undertake in depth research of the literature on a specific aspect of process control, analyse the information obtained and produce a report which demonstrates understanding and insight
• Organise practical experiments, make detailed observations of experiments, analyse the results and produce an accurate and detailed report

Assessment

Assignments and reports: 40%
Test: 10%
Final Examination: 50%

Chief examiner(s)

Assoc Professor Karen Hapgood

Contact hours

28 hours lectures and 8 hours laboratory classes in a one week intensive, 115 hours private study