Practical Process Engineering

An integrated knowledge of mechanical, electrical and control engineering is necessary to liaise with professionals from different disciplines and understand systems common to many industries (manufacturing, chemical, energy, building services). This course combines lectures, workshops and live demonstrations in a semi-industrial plant, aiming to boost your confidence in different types of equipment and instrumentation, electrical panels and control systems integration.


Dates: 5,6,7 and 8 November
 

Course type: Face-to-face, practical professional short course


Location: Aston University, EBRI Building, Woodcock Street, B4 7ER, Birmingham, UK

Course type
Professional short courses/CPD

Course format

Experiential learning

Duration

4 days

UCAS code(s)

n/a

Start date

Overview
Practical Process Engineering, CPD course
ebri

Practical course to get familiar with plant diagrams, different types of equipment and instrumentation, and the way they are integrated into the control system.

ppe

Really useful to physically compare diagrams with the real plant. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and feel like I've gained a good foundation across multiple areas of engineering that I was missing from my science background. Joseph Kershaw, MChem graduate at Rolls Royce.

I liked the holistic approach to the course, to get a good overall understanding of different aspects to plant specification and design. It was great to have different experts from their fields explain parts as well. George Fudge, Design Engineer at WASE Ltd.

Extensive training in project implementation, plant documentation, utilities, mechanical equipment, control systems and electrical circuits. Highly recommended course for young professionals who want to learn the 'industry language'! Farhad Beik, Process Engineer at Wellstone Ltd.

ppe

Really useful to physically compare diagrams with the real plant. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and feel like I've gained a good foundation across multiple areas of engineering that I was missing from my science background. Joseph Kershaw, MChem graduate at Rolls Royce.

I liked the holistic approach to the course, to get a good overall understanding of different aspects to plant specification and design. It was great to have different experts from their fields explain parts as well. George Fudge, Design Engineer at WASE Ltd.

Extensive training in project implementation, plant documentation, utilities, mechanical equipment, control systems and electrical circuits. Highly recommended course for young professionals who want to learn the 'industry language'! Farhad Beik, Process Engineer at Wellstone Ltd.

Course outline

Job effectiveness and problem-solving require multidisciplinary skills usually learnt on the job. For timely project delivery and minimum downtimes, industry requires engineers to interact with specialists from different areas of expertise and understand their jargon.

The course runs in a 1 MW plant for combined heat and power generation. Through hands-on activities, you will get familiar with a broad range of equipment and instrumentation, the way they are connected to the electrical panels and integrated into the control system. This will boost your confidence in understanding systems common to many industries and commercial settings.

You will be trained by a team of professionals on reading complex schematics, understanding plant documentation, utilities, mechanical systems, electrical panels, control systems and some basic troubleshooting. This is achieved by a structured combination of theory, workshops and live demonstrations, including the opportunity to operate the plant in cold mode from the control room.

Day 1. A practical introduction to process plant

  • Process plant implementation
  • Plant documentation
  • Process plant for heat and power generation (plant tour)
  • How to read complex piping and instrumentation diagrams (workshop)
  • Identifying components in a process plant (workshop)
  • Line walks in a process plant (workshop)


Day 2. Mechanical systems

  • Operating utilities in a process plant (live demonstration)
  • Rotating equipment: pumps and compressors
  • Industrial utilities (workshop)
  • Systems for the transport of solids and fluids (live demonstration)


Day 3. Electrical systems

  • Basic electrical concepts
  • Elements in power distribution
  • Understanding your building electrical system (live demonstration)
  • Electrical schematics
  • Working with electrical schematics (workshop)
  • Industrial control panels (live demonstration)


Day 4. Control systems

  • Introduction to programmable logic controllers
  • Control systems integration
  • Tracing signals through the process plant. Basic concepts in communications (live demonstration)
  • Troubleshooting for maintenance (workshop)


Recognition 

icheme 2022The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) has approved and rated this course "outstanding".

"I think this is possibly the best course I've ever reviewed in terms of an overall learning experience. I would have loved to have gone on something like this back in 1990 when I first started in the process safety arena!"

"The lecture materials will form a good reference manual, and the practical examples such as diagrams will be very useful for comparative purposes in the delegates' own facilities."

Who will benefit?

Electrical, Mechanical and Chemical Engineers, Chemists, Physicists and other Scientists seeking to gain practical experience in a safe environment.

Early-career professionals working in the chemical, energy, safety, consumer goods, utilities and building services industries.

Recent graduates with design, operation, maintenance and safety responsibilities.

Experienced professionals who are new to the process industry.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to

  • Liaise with mechanical, electrical and control engineers using their jargon
  • Liaise with professionals from other disciplines using their jargon
  • Identify equipment and instrumentation in a process plant
  • Identify the main components in industrial control panels
  • Read complex piping and instrumentation diagrams, utility layouts, single-line diagrams and electrical schematics
  • Apply your multidisciplinary skills for basic troubleshooting

Key information and fees

Professional accreditation. This training course has been approved by the IChemE and awards you 25 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

Format. It is a four-day course that runs in small groups of 15 delegates (in the Spring and Autumn months).

Location. The course takes place at the Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute (Aston University, Woodcock Street, B4 7ER, Birmingham). There is parking available nearby and three train stations located at a 15-min walk (Birmingham New Street, Birmingham Moor Street, Birmingham Snow Hill). Find us on Google Maps.

Fee. The course fee is £2,350 (VAT exempt) and includes:

  • Certificate of completion (IChemE 25h CPD)
  • Binder with all training materials and examples of plant documentation
  • Three-course buffet lunches at Aston Conference Centre
  • Light refreshments throughout the day

Discounts are available to groups, unemployed people and SME’s.

Course prospectus: Download the course prospectus here

Registration. Please contact us with any enquire and ask about next available dates. Since it is a practical course with small groups that quickly fill up, we advise that bookings are made well in advance to avoid disappointment. There are two ways of doing so:

A. Credit or debit card. Register on our online store and email a copy of your receipt to cpd_apec@aston.ac.uk.

B. Purchase order. If your company needs to pay by wire transfer or BACS, send us a purchase order and we will send you an invoice with our bank details. Your purchase order should include:

  • Purchase order number
  • Course name, dates and number of places you want to book
  • Your company name, registration number, VAT number and invoice address
  • Name and telephone number of the person requesting the purchase order

In the absence of a formal PO, add also the details of the Accounts Payable administrator in your company (contact name, telephone number and email address).

Our details for your purchase order:
Company Name: Aston University
VAT Number: GB 849 7419 73
Address: Aston Triangle, B4 7ET, Birmingham, UK
Contact: Adi Banerjee, Programme Officer, Aston Professional Engineering Centre
cpd_apec@aston.ac.uk, 01212 045394

Should you wish us to become an approved supplier please email cpd_apec@aston.ac.uk the necessary form(s).

Cancellation policy. Delegates can transfer to a later course date at any stage without incurring a cancellation fee. Full terms and conditions can be found at https://store.aston.ac.uk/help/short-course-terms-conditions.

Feel free to contact the course leader (Dr Serrano, c.serrano@aston.ac.uk) if you are not sure if this course is for you.

Instructors

You will learn from a multidisciplinary team of instructors who have worked in WSP, BP Shipping, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Sterling Power Group, Couch Perry & Wilkes, Schneider Electric, and Emerson Automation Solutions.

Day one

patricia-thornleyPatricia Thornley

Patricia has been a Chartered Physicist since 2001 and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering since 2021. She is Director of the Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute at Aston University, and leads Supergen, the UK's national bioenergy research programme.

Patricia has worked as lender engineer in Parsons Brinckerhoff (now WSP) for seven years, where she was involved with the practical construction, commissioning and testing of around twenty power plants.

 

Iram Razaq

IramIram is a chemical engineer with 4 years experience working at in the Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute at Aston University, liaising with process, mechanical, electrical and control engineers on a daily basis. Her responsibilities include procurement, project management, maintenance and health and safety of the pilot plant. She is also part of the Supergen Bioenergy hub.

 

Day two

david-smithDavid J Smith

David has sixteen years of industrial experience, initially as a seagoing Marine Engineer Officer with BP Shipping Ltd. He has worked on BP oil tankers, responsible for all aspects of operation, maintenance and safety associated with plants found on foreign-going ships carrying crude oil and petroleum products.

David then joined what is now BAE Systems as a Senior Design Engineer, responsible for designing and developing platform systems on a variety of nuclear and conventional submarines and surface ships. Systems included chilled water, air conditioning, refrigeration, air purification, ICBM missile environment and other related environmental systems.

He is now a Teaching Fellow at Aston University, lecturing in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, turbo machinery, heat transfer and Engineering Design.

Day three

peter-francisPeter Francis

Peter has worked with engineering of industrial processes for 37 years across a range of industries, including water, pharmaceuticals, paint, food, bioenergy, packaging and widgets. His experience ranges from detailed automation design using PLC to project management and control. He is director of MAT Ltd., an engineering consultancy that specialises in developing technical and behavioural improvements in manufacturing, by maximizing the use of the existing skills and equipment.



 

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ppe

Tim Osgerby

Tim started working in the 80’s as Instrument Technician (Albright & Wilson Ltd, Insertech Ltd) and then as Systems Engineer (Electro link Services), designing and commissioning PLC and PC based control systems.

Since 1990 he is Technical Director of Genesis Control Systems Ltd, providing the design, manufacture, integration, and assembly of a wide range of applications, serving customers within the Automotive, Utilities, Building Management and Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industries.

 

Day four

peter-francisPeter Francis

Peter has worked with the engineering of industrial processes for 37 years across a range of industries, including water, pharmaceuticals, paint, chocolate, bioenergy, packaging and widgets. His experience ranges from detailed automation design using PLC to project management and control.

His main focus is the relationship between people and the manufacturing process, and is director of an engineering consultancy that specialises in developing technical and behavioural improvements in manufacturing, by maximising the use of the existing skills and equipment, and bringing humanity back into the workplace.

 

Image
ppe

Tim Osgerby

Tim started working in the 80’s as Instrument Technician (Albright & Wilson Ltd, Insertech Ltd) and then as Systems Engineer (Electro link Services), designing and commissioning PLC and PC based control systems.

Since 1990 he is Technical Director of Genesis Control Systems Ltd, providing the design, manufacture, integration, and assembly of a wide range of applications, serving customers within the Automotive, Utilities, Building Management and Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industries.

 

 

Facilities

The training takes place in the EBRI Pilot Plant, which is situated in the Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute. It is a fully instrumented process plant built in a four-storey building at Aston University (Birmingham)

ppe

Through workshops and live demonstrations, you will learn about plant documentation, mechanical systems, electrical panels, control systems and some basic troubleshooting

ppe

You will also start and stop different actuators and rotating equipment for the transport of solids and fluids, running the plant in cold mode.

ppe

And everything in a fully equipped process plant where health and safety are kept at the forefront.

ppe

The plant comprises 10 control panels and approximately 500 instruments.

ppe

Some of the operating units are: reactor, cyclone, gas scrubber, nitrogen membranes, heat exchangers, gas filters and engine.