Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Agricultural Engineering Department
SYLLABUS FOR INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL SYSTEMS
1. PROGRAMME : Bachelor of Science in Agricultural
Engineering (Honours)
2. PRESENTED TO : Senate
3. PRESENTED BY : Faculty of Agriculture
4. SUBJECT : Instrumentation and Control Systems
5. YEAR/LEVEL OF STUDY :3
6. COURSE TITLE : Instrumentation and Control Systems
7. COURSE CODE : AGE 33205
8. DURATION : 16
9. LECTURES HOURS PER WEEK :2
10. TUTORIAL HOURS PER WEEK :1
11. 11. PRACTICAL HOURS PER WEEK : 0
12. STUDENT INDEPENDENT LEARNING HOURS PER WEEK:
13. TOTAL COURSE CREDITS : 2.5
14. PREREQUISITE COURSE(S) : Computer Science II, Engineering
Mathematics
15. COREQUISITE COURSE(S) : Computation Methods in Engineering
16. DELIVERY METHODS
16.1 Mode of Delivery: Face-to-face and Emergency Remote Teaching and
Learning
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16.2 Teaching methods: Lectures, Seminars and tutorials.
16.3 Assessment weighting: 60% Examination and 40% Continuous
17. AIM(S) OF THE COURSE:
1. To introduce instrumentation and control systems for biological and agricultural
production systems
2. To introduce measurement system concepts
3. To introduce instrumentation and transducers for sensing physical and biological
parameters, data acquisition and process control.
18. LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. To explain the operating principles of sensors and measurement instrumentation systems
2. To select and use appropriate instrumentation systems for monitoring the performance of
systems
3. To design simple instrumentation and control systems for agricultural production systems
19. TOPICS OF STUDY:
A. LECTURES
1. General concepts
a. Types of applications of measurement instrumentation
b. Standards and dimensional units of measurement
c. Generalized configurations and functional descriptions of measuring instruments
d. Generalized performance characteristics of instruments
e. Treatment of experimental data
2. Measuring devices, transducers and sensors
a. Motion
b. Force
c. Pressure
d. Flow
e. Temperature
f. Photoelectric
3. Manipulation, transmission, and recording of data
a. Signal conditioning, manipulation, computing, and compensating devices
b. Data transmission, voltage-indicating and recording devices
c. Engineered data acquisition and processing systems
d. Computer-aided experimentation
4. Instrument characteristics
a. Generalized instrument models
b. Calibration
c. Frequency response
d. Signal conditioning; operational amplifier circuits, filtering, and noise
5. Instrumentation and control for biological and agricultural production systems
6. Analog and digital signal conversion, data acquisition and computer control
7. Fundamental mathematical concepts of control systems, control techniques, and equipment
8. Classical feedback control
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a. Block diagrams
b. Control systems performance specifications
c. Steady state errors
d. Rise and settling times
e. Root locus
9. PID controllers; control design with Bode and Nyquist plots; stability; phase and gain margin;
lead and lag compensators; state variable feedback controllers 10. Design and analysis of typical
instrumentation and control systems
B. PRACTICALS
Calibration of Bourdon pressure gauge
Dynamic calibration of different types of thermometers
Determination of time constants of thermometers and thermocouples
Calibration of differential pressure transmitters
Calibration of velometer and hot wire anemometer'
Determination of discharge coefficient using orificemeter and venturimeter
Study and calibration of control valves
Cascade controls of level and flow/temperature and flow.
20. PRESCRIBED TEXT(S):
Course Manual
21. RECOMMENDED TEXTS/READINGS:
1. Doeblin, D.O. 1984. "Measurement Systems; Application and Design". McGraw Hill..
2. Considine, T.M. 1993. "Process/Industrial Instruments and Controls· Handbook", McGraw
Hill.
3. Fribance, A.E. 1962 "Industrial Instrumentation Fundamentals", McGraw Hill.
4. Coughanowr, D.R. 1991 "Process Systems Analysis and Control", McGraw Hill.
5. Patranabis. D. 2010. "Principles of Industrial Instrumentation", Tata McGraw Hill.
6. Patranabis, D. 1995 "Principles of Process Control", Tata McGraw Hill.
7. Ogate, X. 1996"Modern Control Engineering", Prentice Hall of India Ltd.
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