CONTROL and INSTRUMENTATION

COURSE 500: 5 DAYS: Max 8 Candidates

This course covers the key aspects of current instrumentation and process control technology and is designed to
enable maintenance personnel to carry out commissioning, calibration and maintenance of the typical devices used
for measurement and control in industrial systems.

PARTICIPANTS

The course is ideal for those who presently possess some electrical knowledge, work in a maintenance
environment and seek to expand their activities to include process control and instrumentation systems. This
course is a combination of Course 510 and Course 515.

COURSE PRESENTATION

The course is extensively ‘hands on’, giving participants considerable practical experience of the devices typically
found in industry. Comprehensive course notes are provided.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

On completion of the course, participants will be able to

• understand the health and safety implications of working with closed-loop control systems
• identify the various methods of signal transmission
• correctly connect electrical and air-powered devices
• understand the equipment used in temperature, pressure, level and flow measurement
• understand current loops and recognise the common output devices
• correctly use a range of industrial calibration equipment
• correctly connect, commission and calibrate current loop devices, temperature transmitters, pressure
switches, pressure sensors, dp cells, ultrasonic level meters, load cell amplifiers, I to P converters and
HART devices
• understand the principles of turbidity, density, pH, and weight measurement
• understand the relevance of the three terms (PID) used in controllers
• identify the capabilities of controllers from their exterior markings
• configure a range of industry standard electronic controllers
• manually tune electronic controllers
• determine when a controller is correctly tuned.

Successful completion of the course leads to the award of the Technical Training Solutions Certificate
of Competence 500: Control and Instrumentation.

© Copyright Technical Training Solutions 2018 www.technicaltrainingsolutions.co.uk

What do candidates on the Control and Instrumentation
course actually do?

The control and instrumentation course involves an extensive understanding of current loops and the devices
typically found on them. Candidates look in detail at the devices used to measure temperature, pressure, level and
flow, and briefly at control valves, load cells, turbidity, density and pH, then go on to study the devices commonly
used to control industrial processes.

The course notes are quite extensive and explain how the various devices are used, without getting involved in the
underlying theory. For example, we would look in detail at what signals a thermocouple produces, but only very
briefly at how it works. Some sample pages from the course notes give an indication of this approach, the
following pages describing how burden resistors are fitted to the rear panels of instruments, what industrial
temperature sensors and transmitters actually look like, our own specially-designed calibration tables for
thermocouples, the use of dp cells, how hydrostatic pressure measurements are converted to level measurements
using pressure sensors and how manifolds are used to zero dp cells used in flow metering:

Page 10 of the control and

Page 29 of the control and Page 32 of the control and
instrumentation training course
instrumentation training course instrumentation training course
notes: Describing the burden
notes: Analysing the various types of notes: Checking the voltages
resistors connected across current
industrial temperature sensors used produced by various thermocouples
loop devices' terminals

© Copyright Technical Training Solutions 2018 www.technicaltrainingsolutions.co.uk

 Page 103 of the control and
Page 57 of the control and
Page 47 of the control and instrumentation training course
instrumentation training course
instrumentation training course notes: Describing the three and five
notes: Analysing the pressures
notes: Looking at various types of port manifolds used with dp cells and
produced in tanks with suppressed or
industrial dp cells how a dp cell might be safely
elevated zeros and dry and wet legs
disconnected

Colour handouts are issued to candidates when necessary - for example when looking at the complex colour-
coding systems used for thermocouple cables and connectors:

The thermocouple cable colour code reference handout issued to candidates on the control and instrumentation training

course

© Copyright Technical Training Solutions 2018 www.technicaltrainingsolutions.co.uk

The course involves connecting various devices into current loops so that candidates learn about how current loops
work and how devices are connected into them. They also calibrate these devices using a range of professional
industrial Time Electronics current calibrators, used throughout the instrumentation engineering world.

The Time Electronics current calibrators used on the control and instrumentation training course

We also connect up a range of industry-standard Beka loop indicators, looking at the various configuration options
and adjusting them so that they indicate the required PV at the zero and span settings.

The Beka loop indicators used on the control and instrumentation training course

© Copyright Technical Training Solutions 2018 www.technicaltrainingsolutions.co.uk

Candidates on the instrumentation and process control course then learn about the various devices used in
industrial temperature measurement systems - we concentrate on thermocouples and Pt100s and their associated
cabling, connectors and transmitter heads. Candidates connect up various sensors, looking at the signals that they
produce and build current loops around the relevant transmitters.

The thermocouple cables, connectors, sensors and transmitter heads used on the control and instrumentation training

course

The circuits built by candidates are then calibrated using industrial temperature calibration units. Candidates learn
about issues like cold junction compensation and three/four wire measurements.

The thermocouple calibrators and decade resistance boxes used on the control and instrumentation training course

© Copyright Technical Training Solutions 2018 www.technicaltrainingsolutions.co.uk

Candidates then learn about pressure measurement: the various units used to quantify pressure and how
industrial pressure measurement devices should be calibrated, using industrial pressure sources.

The industrial pressure sources used on the control and instrumentation training course

For further practice at using the pressure sources, candidates on the instrumentation and process control course
then connect and calibrate a range of industrial pressure switches.

The industrial pressure switches used on the control and instrumentation training course

© Copyright Technical Training Solutions 2018 www.technicaltrainingsolutions.co.uk

Industrial pressure transmitters are then connected on to current loops and calibrated using the pressure sources.

The industrial pressure transmitters used on the control and instrumentation training course

Candidates then learn about level measurement systems and the various methods by which industrial
measurements are made are analysed; we look at hydrostatic, load cell and bubbler systems. Ultrasonic
measurement systems are quite common and are therefore the main focus of the instrumentation and process
control course.

The ultrasonic level measurement systems used on the control and instrumentation training course

© Copyright Technical Training Solutions 2018 www.technicaltrainingsolutions.co.uk

Candidates are then introduced to the more modern field-programmed 'smart' devices, which provide for remote
calibration. Candidates connect, configure and calibrate a smart device using hand-held programming units,
allowing them to experience how modern instrumentation is calibrated.

The HART dp cells and smart communicators used on the control and instrumentation training course

Many instrumentation systems control processes using valves and we therefore look at the various types of control
valves, I to P converters and valve positioners commonly used and how these would be connected and calibrated.

One of the control valves used on the control and One of the I to P converters used on the control and

instrumentation training course instrumentation training course

© Copyright Technical Training Solutions 2018 www.technicaltrainingsolutions.co.uk

Weighing machines are commonly used in industrial instrumentation systems to quantify the contents of a
container and we therefore look in detail at the range of 4-wire and 6-wire load cells in common use and examples
of the transmitter electronics typically connected to them.

One of the 6-wire load cells used on The load cell amplifier used on the One of the 4-wire load cells used on

the control and instrumentation control and instrumentation training the control and instrumentation

training course course training course

Various other measurements (turbidity, density, conductivity and pH) are used in some industries, and we
therefore look at each of these, giving candidates the opportunity to concentrate on them if they are relevant to
their workplace. A stock of calibration and buffer fluids are used to create a range of readings for each
measurement.

The conductivity meter used on the The turbidity meter used on the
The pH meter used on the control and
control and instrumentation training control and instrumentation training
instrumentation training course
course course

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The instrumentation and process control course requires a clean air supply and in order to simplify the logistics of
the training course we use our own (silent) compressor. All the tools needed by the candidates to make the
electrical and pneumatic connections to the devices involved in the practical exercises are provided by us.

The silent compressor used on the control and The tools used on the control and instrumentation training

instrumentation training course course

© Copyright Technical Training Solutions 2018 www.technicaltrainingsolutions.co.uk

Candidates on the control and instrumentation training course learn about the theoretical aspects of open and
closed-loop control systems, but without getting involved in the complex mathematics traditionally used to
describe and analyse these systems. Our candidates are shown what the most common electronic controllers
typically look like and study their markings and features (for example front panel buttons, sub-assembly cards,
internal programming switches, etc). We then show candidates how the controllers should be configured,
calibrated and tuned so that they give accurate readings and behave well in dynamic situations, explaining the
three terms (proportional, integral and derivative) used in common industrial control systems. Candidates are
provided with comprehensive course notes.

Page 131 of the course notes for the

Page 110 of the course notes for the control and instrumentation training
Page 126 of the course notes for the
control and instrumentation training course, which introduces one of the
control and instrumentation training
course, describing how the innards of practical exercises - this one gets the
course , which puts forward the
a controller may differ depending on candidates to build a temperature
tuning philosophy advocated by
its manufacturer specification and control system using a controller with
Eurotherm for their controllers
the sub-cards loaded time proportioned relay outputs to

develop variable output power

© Copyright Technical Training Solutions 2018 www.technicaltrainingsolutions.co.uk

We begin the practical exercises in the control section by getting the candidates to power-up a controller
(candidates use a range of controllers on the course) and ensure that it is reading correctly. Candidates correct
configuration and calibration errors, referring to manufacturers' manuals under the guidance of our instructor.
Candidates then build a simple closed-loop temperature control system, using a controller with relay outputs and
thermocouple inputs. (Candidates configure the controllers for time-proportioned relay outputs so that variable
power control is possible.) Once a functional system is achieved, candidates tune the loop so that the system's
dynamic response is good. They are shown how auto-tuning is activated and they can then contrast and compare
this with the advantages and disadvantages of manual tuning.

One of the Eurotherm controllers One of the Eurotherm controllers used One of the West controllers used on

used on the control and on the control and instrumentation the control and instrumentation

instrumentation training course training course training course

The first set of practical exercises on control loops

are based on temperature control. The rigs used
have a heater, the temperature of which is
measured by a Pt100 connected to the controller's
input. By using time proportioned relay outputs the
controller is able to bring the heater to various
target temperatures.

The candidates expose this system to various step

changes and we can then apply what they've
learned theoretically to the practical business of
making sure that step transitions are critically
damped by tuning the three term parameters to
suit the system's dynamics.

The next set of practical exercises are based on flow control loops. We connect controllers with 4 to 20mA inputs
and outputs to our specially-designed flow rigs, configuring and calibrating them as necessary. Candidates then
tune these systems so that their dynamic behaviour is good. We use a range of flow rigs (each designed to require
different tuning parameters) to demonstrate the alternative methods of system control used in industrial systems;
electronic variable-speed drives, electrical control valves and air control valves.

© Copyright Technical Training Solutions 2018 www.technicaltrainingsolutions.co.uk

One of the flow rigs used on the control
and instrumentation training course: This
one uses an air powered control valve

One of the flow rigs used on the control

and instrumentation training course: This
one uses an inverter drive controlling a
variable speed electrical pump

One of the flow rigs used on the control

and instrumentation training course: This
one uses an electrical control valve

© Copyright Technical Training Solutions 2018 www.technicaltrainingsolutions.co.uk

One of the flow rigs used on the control
and instrumentation training course: This
one uses an inverter drive controlling a
variable speed electrical pump

The above exercises generate all the evidence we need to be confident that they have achieved the skills-based
course objectives relating to closed loop control systems. We conclude with a short multiple choice assessment
paper to ensure that they have understood the knowledge based objectives of this part of the course.

If you would like to see some of the equipment used on the control and
instrumentation course for yourself, then please call us to arrange a visit to our offices
in Kent. Alternatively, we can visit you anywhere in the British Isles.

© Copyright Technical Training Solutions 2018 www.technicaltrainingsolutions.co.uk