AUTO - Postgraduate Certificate in Automation of Industrial Processes

The course is intended to acquire skills to properly develop the applications in a control system from a practical standpoint. Objectives: To define and explain the physical significance of the parameters in the process to be controlled. To obtain parameters based on process data. To explain thoroughly the various process controllers (analogues and digitals using a microprocessor) and syntonization to achieve optimum control of the response. To present and discuss PID controllers using the computer, in addition to the significance and importance of tracking. To study control valves. To reinforce concepts presented through experimentation in the laboratory with real controllers. The laboratory includes the cascade syntonization of controllers.

The project will serve to become familiarized with engineering, procurements, assembly, etc, documentation, not only relative to instrumentation and control, but also in other specialties that are an indispensable source of information to carry out the work. The project to be developed will be on a plant with a wide range of instrumentation and control requirements. Based on real data and available engineering, the whole project is to be created in a homogeneous fashion to build the documentation for the model plant project. The instrumentation and control documentation must be comprehensive enough to include: design specifications, basic engineering (design conditions, process data, process diagrams, P&ID diagrams, etc), instrumentation engineering (specifications, data sheets).

The purpose of this course is to teach students to identify the need or convenience, to propose, develop and establish the appropriate criteria to implement industrial automation solutions, based on the use of informatics components. Objectives: To describe the main characteristics of hardware systems used in industrial applications, emphasizing on its differences vs. conventional use peers. To describe the role of the operational system in industrial environments for execution, characterized by its operation in real time. Getting to know the different types of informatics components that make up the technological platform supporting the execution of industrial automation applications, data bases, HTTP servers, middleware technologies (CORBA, COM, OPC, etc.). To understand the problems associated with industrial communications and to characterize key market players. It emphasizes on informatics security.

The course addresses all that is necessary to properly develop the applications in a control system from a practical standpoint. Objectives: A thorough presentation of numerous examples of percentage control, on-off control, cascade control, anticipated control, selective control and restriction and exceeding limits. It emphasizes on the use of control equipment using microprocessor to implement these control strategies. Use of processes to have the chance of designing from the basic elements in a control system for a total or partial process. It also studies all the methodology involved in developing a Multivariable Control project and the maintenance of and follow up of this type of applications.

The course addresses the financial and managerial competences required to execute projects intended to update the control infrastructure available to enhance its automation level. Objective: Thorough presentation of financial concepts for project management. Present in detail the management concepts necessary for project management.

The course addresses the concepts that are applicable to advanced control of industrial processes with edge technologies. Objectives: Dealing with high level control, always based on previous courses learning. It covers all technical aspects of Predictable Multivariable Control, using a real algorithm and practicing with real calculations. It studies the construction of the dynamic model of a process, the control laws, the linear programming and restrictions, and a summary of adjustment parameters.

The course addresses the basic concepts of the physical and chemical properties of petroleum and its derivates. Objectives, Reinforce the basic concepts of physical and chemical properties of hydrocarbons, learning about property prediction techniques.

The course addressed the basic concepts that are applicable to the adequate instrumentation in industrial processes equipped with different control systems. Objectives: Reinforce the basic concepts that are habitually used in instrumentation and process control, making a distinction of the descriptions and concepts that are fundamental to understand the various processes versus those such as accuracy, repeatability, hysteresis, etc., which have closer links to instrumentation, as well as the use of processes to have the chance of reviewing and designing from the basic elements in a control system for either total or partial processes.

This course is intended for command of speed and position, using pneumatic and electrical actuators. Objective: to study pneumatic actuators in material and valve applications. Speed control is studied using industrial frequency variators (pumping, rolling, etc ). Positioning and speed controls are studied using AC servomotors and industrial step motors .

This course prepares the students to design mathematical models that properly represent the system to be analyzed and the most relevant techniques top solve it. Objectives: To formulate and solve linear programming problems (Continuous and Whole). To analyze and interpret the solutions of the Linear Programming models (Continuous and Whole). To learn about basic optimization models applied to advanced control and fluid transport in pipelines. The tools that will be used to solve models would be GAMS (CPLEX, CONOPT, SBB, DICOPT) y EXCEL (SOLVER).

The course addresses the basic concepts applied to adequate instrumentation and its location within the various process areas. Objectives: To study, on the one hand, all the techniques and criteria for installation of instruments depending on the type of variables, the criticality of the process, the facility for maintenance, variable, Reinforce the basic concepts of physical and chemical properties of hydrocarbons, learning about property prediction techniques, if feeding interlocking system or that of control and intake point, and on the other hand, from the perspective or norms dealing with aspects such as ATEX guidelines, classification depending if handling gases, vapors, liquids and classification areas. Special emphasis is made on class 1 areas, with electrical installations and analyzer booths.

The course is focused on basic concepts that apply analysis and design of transport systems. Objective: Reinforce basic concepts required for analysis and design of transport systems. Use of pilots to have the chance of reviewing the design of the pumping systems and their equipment.