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Session 2547

Remote Data Collection and Transfer as a Teaching Tool for Process Monitoring and Control

Alamgir Choudhury, Sam Ramrattan and Steven Butt

Western Michigan University

Abstract

Wireless technology for transferring real time process data over the Internet has created the opportunity for accessing live industrial process data from the classroom and use for analysis and feedback for process improvement. Though the teaching of data analysis and use of control charts for controlling an industrial process based on the existing data set is not a pedagogical challenge, the use of live data set from an interactive process reveals the immediate consequence of the analysis and the control method in a real process. A multivariable process station involving pressure, temperature, flow and liquid level is utilized to simulate an industrial process. The process variables are monitored and manipulated using a variety of sensor, actuators, NI PXI data acquisition hardware and LabVIEW software. The wireless and web based information technology is utilized to retrieve and transmit the refined real time process data to the remote laptop and personal digital assistant (PDA) devices in the classroom. Using the statistical methodology and the web applications, students can interact with the process actuators remotely using the PDA devices to maintain the specified process criteria. Implementation of this teaching methodology brings the reality of the subject matter in the classroom without introducing a formal laboratory component or practicum in the curriculum. The practice also allows the students to get acquainted with the wireless technology and its industrial use in process monitoring and control.

1. Introduction

The subject of process control [1,2] deals with monitoring, evaluating, and analyzing the characteristic parameters of a process to ensure that it meets its performance criteria in terms of quality and cost of product by operating optimally and improving continuously. Because of the nature of variation in product and process characteristics, lack of analytical techniques to effectively relate them in a series of industrial processes, and their effect on the overall product quality and cost; statistical tool are most effective for process improvement. Over the past several decades, wide use of statistical techniques has brought revolutionary changes in the quality of industrial products and efficiency of the related processes in Japan. Currently, use of

Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2003, American Society for Engineering Education

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Butt, S., & Ramrattan, S., & Choudhury, A. (2003, June), Remote Data Collection And Transfer As A Teaching Tool For Process Monitoring And Control Paper presented at 2003 Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee. 10.18260/1-2--12146