F E A T U R E F E A T U R E February 2005 45 0272-1708/05/$20.00©2005IEEE IEEE Control Systems Magazine A Laptop-Based Studio Course for Process Control I n many disciplines, systems and control courses tend to be abstract, and students have difficulty attach- ing physical signifi- cance to many of the concepts. In the chemical engineering curriculum, process control is the only course with a focus on dynamic behavior [1]. Hence basic concepts, such as dynamic models, linearization, and Laplace transforms, must be covered before control sys- tems analysis techniques can be pre- sented. Simulation assignments can help students understand dynamics and control but can be a frustrating experience when students must learn new software as well. A better option is to use a studio-based approach, which combines lectures, discussions, and sim- ulations within a single classroom experience. Process control is an ideal course for students to inte- grate their knowledge from other courses into the cur- riculum. Furnace control, for example, leads to discus- sions about fuel/air ratio, efficiency, pollution, and modes of heat transfer. Thoughts of safety play a role in the discussion about when combustion air should “lead” the gas flow and when it should “lag” the gas flow. Safety is also the major factor in determining whether an actuator should fail open or fail closed. Process design for effi- ciency is emphasized by the use of heat exchangers that transfer waste heat from the flue gas stream to the feed stream. Until recently, the process control course at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) used a multidisciplinary control engineering studio classroom shared by several engineer- ing departments [2]. While the studio was more successful than a standard lecture-based classroom, limitations were Lectures, discussions, and simulations round out the classroom experience By B. Wayne Bequette © PHOTODISC AND ARTVILLE, LLC.