A laptop-based studio course for process control

This work presents a laptop-based studio which combines lectures, discussions, and simulations in a single classroom environment and keeps the students actively engaged in the learning process. Difficult concepts are reinforced through simulation studies immediately after being covered in the lecture. The process modules present challenging dynamic behavior and provide detailed examples to which different control techniques can be applied. A boilerhouse tour gives students an appreciation for the scale of process equipment and the importance of automation and control in operating an industrial scale process. Finally, a multivariable case study project ties together many of the fundamental concepts, and gives the students a taste of the practice of control engineering.