Current is the name we give to the motion of electric charges from a point of high potential to a point of low…
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Cyber-security seems to have its own vocabulary, ranging from unwieldy technical acronyms to slang terms…
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The concepts of calibration (trimming) and ranging are often difficult for new students of instrumentation to…
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A fundamental limitation of proportional control has to do with its response to changes in setpoint and…
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Electrical Resistance Resistance (\(R\)) is the dissipative opposition to an electric current, analogous to…
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The two “process variables” we rely on most heavily in the field of electrical measurement and…
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Any power grid large enough to meet the demand of an entire nation must have multiple generators drawing from…
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Some of the simplest types of digital communication networks found in industry are defined by the EIA…
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Valves can experience a number of problems, most of them either preventable or repairable. These problems can…
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The next level of detail is the Process and Instrument Diagram, or P&ID. Here, we see a “zooming…
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In some process applications, it is important that the control valve be able to completely stop fluid flow…
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Virtually any mass above absolute zero temperature emits electromagnetic radiation (photons, or light) as a…
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Human-machine interfaces, or HMIs, are a critical part of nearly all control systems, complementing the…
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Much has been written about the benefits of robust PID control. Increased productivity, decreased equipment…
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Imagine a liquid-level control system for a vessel, where the position of a level-sensing float sets the…
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Multiple accessories exist for pressure-sensing devices to function optimally in challenging process…
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All masses require force to accelerate (we can also think of this in terms of the mass generating a reaction…
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Perhaps the most important rule to obey when using pneumatic instruments is to maintain clean and dry…
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A limitation inherent to pneumatic valve actuators is the amount of air flow required to or from the actuator…
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Programmable logic controllers are essentially nothing more than special-purpose, industrial computers. As…
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Perhaps the most valuable skill an instrument technician can possess is the ability to efficiently diagnose…
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In this section I will show screenshots from a process loop simulation program illustrating the effectiveness…
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Developed by the Modicon company (the original manufacturer of the Programmable Logic Controller, or PLC) in…
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Light is known to interact with matter in very specific ways, which may be exploited as a means of measuring…
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Valve actuators provide force to move control valve trim. For precise positioning of a control valve, there…
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As we have seen, the concept of integration is finding the accumulation of one variable multiplied by another…
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Light has long been used as a long-range signaling medium. While communication by light through open air is…
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(Will be addressed in future versions of this book)
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Another category of control strategies involves the use of signal relays or function blocks with the ability…
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An interesting parallel to the “unity fraction” unit conversion technique is something referred to…
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A temperature switch is one detecting the temperature of some substance. Temperature switches often use…
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To review, voltage is the measure of potential energy available to electric charges. Current is the uniform…
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An electromechanical relay is an electrical switch actuated by an electromagnet coil. As switching devices,…
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Labwork is an essential part of any science-based curriculum. Here, much improvement may be made over the…
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The advent of “smart” field instruments containing microprocessors has been a great advance for…
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Sensors used to measure vibration come in three basic types: displacement, velocity, and acceleration.…
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Process analyzers measure the concentration of specific substances for the purpose of measuring and/or…
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The following animation shows a rotating phasor in three-dimensional form. The phasor rotates in a complex…
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A special type flowmeter suited for powdered or granular solids is the weighfeeder. One of the most common…
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