PE Control Systems case studies
PE Control Systems · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Control Systems exam is one of NCEES's discipline-specific professional engineering examinations, designed to test for a minimum level of competency in control systems engineering. It is intended for engineers who already hold a minimum of four years of post-college work experience in the discipline and who are pursuing licensure through their state board. The PE Control Systems case studies are 5 cases and about 3,923 words.
1Flow Indication Low After Transmitter Swap
A 6-inch orifice meter measures 0–500 gpm of water into a process header. The DP transmitter was originally calibrated 0–100 inH2O with square-root extraction performed in the transmitter , so its 4–20 mA output was linear with flow.
708 words, about 4 min2Temperature Loop Hunting After Packing Was Tightened
A preheat-train outlet temperature controller on a 12-inch line has hunted continuously for three weeks. The PV is a smooth sinusoid of about ±6 °C with a period near 90 s.
802 words, about 4 min3Cavitating Feed Valve to a Reboiler
A control valve on a centrifugal pump discharge feeds 150 gpm of water at 60 °F to a distillation column reboiler. Valve inlet pressure is 60 psig; downstream the line discharges into a vessel at 10 psig.
811 words, about 4 min4Cascade Saturates When Cooling Water Warms Up
A product cooler uses an outlet temperature controller cascaded to a cooling-water flow controller. Design basis: 30,000 lb/h of process fluid, cp = 0.55 Btu/lb·°F, cooled from 250 °F to 180 °F.
779 words, about 4 min5SIS Trip Left Bypassed for Nineteen Days
A high-pressure trip on a propylene surge drum uses a pressure transmitter feeding a safety PLC, which closes the feed valve. During a maintenance campaign the transmitter's impulse line plugged, so the trip was bypassed with a jumper and a note in the shift log; it has now been out of service for 19 days.
823 words, about 4 min