ASEE PEER - Work in Progress: Hardware-in-the-Loop Process Control Simulation Labs
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Work in Progress: Hardware-in-the-Loop Process Control Simulation Labs

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Conference

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Portland, Oregon

Publication Date

June 23, 2024

Start Date

June 23, 2024

End Date

July 12, 2024

Conference Session

Learning through Instrumentation: Experiences and Applications

Tagged Division

Instrumentation Division (INST)

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/48494

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Paper Authors

biography

Bradley Lane Kicklighter P.E. University of Southern Indiana Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-2012-9317

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Brad holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (1989) and an MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Purdue University (2001).

His past work experience includes eleven years at Delphi (formerly Delco Electronics) as an Advanced Project Engineer, eleven years at Whirlpool Corporation as a Lead Engineer/Solution Architect, and three years at Ivy Tech Community College as an Instructor/Program Chair Pre-Engineering. Since 2015, he has been employed at the University of Southern Indiana as a Clinical Associate Professor of Engineering Technology.

He holds three patents, has served as an IEEE section officer since 2004, and has been a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Indiana since 2005.

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Abstract

An automation course typically covers the topic of process control. If available, this involves the use of a physical process trainer for each individual student. Our university is limited to just four trainers for an entire class. This leads to students being teamed up on a process trainer which can limit the hands-on experience for some students. To achieve a positive experience for all students, while covering the same objectives as having a physical trainer for each student, a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) process control simulation has been implemented. This allows for 1. Individualized learning, 2. An ability to cover the objectives without having physical trainers, and 3. Instructs students about hardware-in-the-loop simulation.

This paper presents the work to date on hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) process control simulation labs for SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) Systems Design. The implementation uses a programmable logic controller (PLC) for the controller and a simulation of the process (plant) written in Python by the author running on a desktop computer. The desktop computer and the PLC communicate via Modbus. The subject of the simulation is control of water level in a tank.

The course is open to all juniors and seniors in all programs in the Engineering Department. It covers programming of PLCs, process control, and industrial networks.

Direct assessment in the form of labs graded with a rubric and indirect assessment in the form of an end of semester survey of learning outcomes is presented to illustrate student performance.

Kicklighter, B. L. (2024, June), Work in Progress: Hardware-in-the-Loop Process Control Simulation Labs Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/48494

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