Control and Instrumentation
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| MMME3025 | Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufactur | 3 | 10 | Autumn China |
- Code
- MMME3025
- School
- Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufactur
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 10
- Semesters
- Autumn China
Summary
This module covers the basic techniques for the analysis and development of simple control systems with an emphasis on their application to mechanical and process systems. The module covers theoretical methods and hardware considerations in the analysis and design of open-loop and closed-loop systems, including: • Routh-Hurwitz criteria and Root Locus methods • frequency response methods, polar plots, Nichols charts, Nyquist stability criterion, stability margins • PID controllers and other series compensators (1st & 2nd order) • an introduction to computer control and sampled data systems, analogue/digital conversion and sensors/transducers.
Prerequisites: Some elementary maths is needed. Understanding of complex numbers, exponentials and logarithms, polynomials and their roots. Additionally, MATLAB is now used in this module to illustrate concepts and a rudimentary knowledge of MATLAB is extremely useful (though not essential).
Target Students
BEng students studying Mechanical Engineering in School M3
Classes
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 12 weeks
The tutor will make himself available for one hour per week either in office or in a PC laboratory to assist with any questions arising from worksheets.
Assessment
- 10% Coursework 1
- 10% Coursework 2: Identifying a system and then developing a controller for that system
- 80% Exam 1 (2-hour): 2 hour written examination
Assessed by end of autumn semester
Educational Aims
To equip students with an understanding of the main considerations in developing controlled systems.Learning Outcomes
LO1 ¨C Identify and apply appropriate techniques to analyse the accuracy and stability of single-loop control systems. LO2 ¨C Identifying transfer functions and stability of simple control systems from steady-state frequency response data. LO3 ¨C Identify and apply appropriate controller strategies and series compensation strategies to achieve desired performance in simple control systems. LO4 ¨C Select appropriate hardware, and the key associated parameter values, for interfacing digital computers to analogue devices in control and measurement applications.