(97d) From "Process Control" to "Process Control and Safety"

In order to address the ABET curriculum requirement to include the hazards associated with chemical processes, we have chosen at UMBC to modify our currently established Chemical Process Control course to be a course on Process Control and Safety. I will outline the major changes that were made to the course to accommodate this change in content.

The focus on the controls component of the course has become more practical and focused on the physical design of control schemes for unit operations, removing a bulk of the mathematics formally done “by hand” and instead using computer software to simulate and solve controls problems. There is still a semester project that requires the simulation of implemented PID controls, tuning, and stability analysis, but more time is devoted to literacy of process flow diagrams, control and block diagrams, and piping and instrumentation.

With the time freed from removing some weeks of mathematical analysis, the course can focus on further elements related to physical design, including placement and sizing of relief devices, analysis of source models, and prevention of fires and explosions. The safety component of the course culminates in the creation of a Hazards and Operability study for a very small process, as well as a requirement to inspect one lab on campus to practice using a safety checklist and identifying hazards.

As part of our documentation for ABET accreditation, I will outline how awareness of process safety is assessed, as well as how trends in responses from student surveys of graduating seniors has changed in light of the changes to this traditional process control course.