Instrument for Non-Instrument Engineers

Introduction

Are one of the thousands of people that have looked across at instrumentation personnel going about their daily tasks and silently thought “Wow, if I ever had the opportunity to re-choose my career, I would definitely select the field of instrumentation!”? If so, then this Complete Guide to Instrumentation for Non-Instrumentation People training course offers you the next best thing, namely a complete week in which to gain familiarity and hands-on experience in some of the more important aspects pertinent to instrumentation. The aim of this workshop is to “bridge the gap”, and to make instrumentation more accessible and easier to understand, to all.

During this training course, you will be introduced to transmitters, programmable equipment, computer simulators, instrumentation diagrams, and other material. The aim of the workshop is to take the mystery out of the field of instrumentation and to empower you to converse with instrumentation people with a lot more insight and knowledge, in their field of expertise. This will not only improve your self-confidence but also allow you to play a more productive role in increasing the performance of your operation, regardless of your current position and experience.

This training course will feature:

• The most common measuring devices (pressure, level, temperature, and flow)
• Final control elements (focusing mainly on valves and actuators, but also an introduction to VSDs)
• SCADA, DCS, and HMI
• Programmable Logic Controllers
• Process control, and the instrumentation behind it

Objectives

By completing this training course, participants will be able to:

• Learn about all the most common types of instrumentation signals that are used in your operation
• Familiarize yourself with instrumentation terminology, definitions, and acronyms
• Interpret and create P&ID diagrams, applicable to your working environment
• Understand digital communication aspects (including Fieldbus and HART)
• Select the best equipment (and combinations of equipment) for a specific application
• Calculate vital calibration information, specific to certain transmitters
• Design and apply basic screens and features applicable to SCADA, DCS and HMI devices
• Develop basic PLC programs and understand how these devices work
• Consider Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS), and equipment utilization in hazardous areas
• Employ techniques to assist in optimizing control loops

Training Methodology

This is an interactive course. There will be open question and answer sessions, regular group exercises and activities, videos, case studies, and presentations on best practice. Participants will have the opportunity to share with the facilitator and other participants on what works well and not so well for them, as well as work on issues from their own organizations. The online course is conducted online using MS-Teams/ClickMeeting.

Who Should Attend?

This training course has been specially tailored for everyone that either encounters instrumentation (either directly or indirectly), or has a specific interest in it. It has been designed for all levels of personnel, regardless of their background. It would be hard to think of a discipline that would not benefit from this material.

This training course is suitable for a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit:

• Operators & Supervisors
• Engineers from non-instrumentation disciplines
• Artisans and foremen from non-instrumentation disciplines
• Financial staff & Cost controllers
• Safety and health coordinators
• Lower, middle and top management
• Mechanical and electrical apprentices
• Newly qualified instrumentation personnel
• Admin staff & HR representatives

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Instrumentation, Documentation, Pressure, and Flow

• The A-Z of typical instrumentation signals that may be encountered

• Instrumentation terminology and definitions

• Accuracy, repeatability, linearization, and a host of other terms applicable to instrumentation

• Instrumentation drawings and diagrams (including P&IDs)

• Instrumentation documentation

• Pressure, pressure concepts, and pressure measuring devices

• Flow and flow measuring devices

Day 2: Level, Temperature, Valves, Actuators, and other Final Control Elements

• Level and level measuring devices

• Temperature and temperature measuring devices

• Valve types, principles and operation

• Actuator types, principles, and operations

• The thought processes behind valve sizing

• Additional final control elements (such as variable speed drives, et cetera)

Day 3: PLCs, Safety Instrumented Systems and Hazardous Areas

• Introduction to Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs)

• PLC inputs and outputs

• PLC hardware and software

• PLC fundamentals

• Basic PLC programming

• Safety instrumented systems (SIS) and emergency shutdown

• Hazardous areas

• Understanding how instrumentation can be used in specific hazardous areas

Day 4: SCADA, DCS, HMI and Digital Communication

• Introduction and background to SCADA

• Introduction and background to distributed control systems (DCS)

• Introduction and background Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs)

• Digital communication and protocols

• Foundation Fieldbus

• Process Fieldbus

• HART

• Basic SCADA / DCS screen design and implementation

Day 5: Process Control, Loop Tuning and Putting Everything Together

• Types of processes

• Types of process control

• Feedback, feedforward, cascade and ratio control

• Three-term control

• Open- and closed-loop tuning

• Putting everything together, to facilitate achieving successful results