International cooperation in control engineering education using online experiments:

Enabling technology and learning systems

Prof. Dr. H. M Schaedel

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Fachhochschule KölnUniversity of Applied Sci-ences Cologne

Prof. Dr. Jim Henry

Prof. Dr. Herbert M. Schaedel, University of Applied

Sciences Cologne, Germany

Prof. Dr. Jim Henry, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, USA

Pool of typical plants of process engineering at UTC

Online Workshop in the practical control course at FHK

• SS 2000 2 groups of 10 students

• SS 2001 2 groups of 10 students

• 22 2002 4 groups of 10 students

Students of the 4th semester of the Faculty IME

Online Control Workshop

• Step response via the internet at UTC

• Data transmission to the control lab at FHK

• Evaluation of the data

• Modeling and parameter estimation

• Controller tuning and data transmission to UTC

• Test of the control circuit via the internet

• Data transmission from UTC to FHK

Flow control system

Reservoir and pump with motor

Flow system with mass flowmeter and valves

MENU experimental parameters

Experimental and theoretical investigations

• Process Modeling

• Parameter Estimation

• Controller tuning

From data:

Test of the controlled circuit at UTC via the internet

• Transfer of the controller tuning to the Plant at UTC

• Test of the control circuit behaviour

• Data transfer of the results for the controlled cicuit to FHK

Setpoint change

Disturbance change

Results

• Students were fascinated by the opportunities of this type of education

• they showed up very motivated

• most of them repeated some of the experiments for the evaluation of the test results

• way of cooperation will be extended

Conclusions• The internet provides new and challenging

ways for international cooperation in engineering education where distances do not play any role.

• Common resources can be used for the benefit of students in countries around the world.

• The authors estimate this as an excellent way of meeting the demands of a growing globalization in the fields of engineering education.