Importance of instrumentation Engineer

Importance of Instrumentation Engineer

Instrumentation is one of the branches of engineering which deals with the measurement and control of the process variables. It also deals with the design and implementation of systems that incorporate  them.

Major areas in Instrumentation are

• Process Control
• Sensors
• Automation
• Calibration

Process Control:

Process control is the important area that ensures process variables to be controlled within specific defined boundaries in order to guarantee the quality of the product. Automatic Process control is a combination of control and chemical engineering disciplines which uses the control system to achieve a production level and safety that may not be controlled by humans manually. This type of controllers are implemented widely in various industries such as paper, cement, oil, food and also in various power plants.

•  Controller Design:

Designing of controllers is the important work of Instrumentation Engineers. Controllers have to be chosen based on the system used. The basic block diagram of the process control is shown below. 

Set point is the desired or required output. Sensors are used to measure the output value. The output value and the desired value will be compared, based on the error  value the controller will take necessary action. 

Let us consider an Air Conditioner. We will set the temperature using a remote, that is nothing but the Set Point. The temperature sensors in the AC will measure the room temperature. The difference between the room temperature and the required temperature (set point) is called error. Now the controller will take necessary control action to bring the room temperature to the required set point value. The controller will send a signal to the outdoor unit which inturn will turn on the fan to bring cool air in.. Now the room temperature will be reduced. The senor will measure the room temperature continuously and it will be compared with the set point. When the room temperature reaches the set point value, the control action will take place and turn off the fan in the outdoor unit. After sometime when the room temperature and set point value changes the controller will take action again. 

Sensors:

Sensors are advanced devices that are used frequently to detect and respond to the electrical or any optical signals. Sensors are used to convert the physical parameters like temperature, blood pressure, humidity, speed, etc. into a signal that may be measured electrically.

Sensors are similar to our sense organs in our body. For example, consider the nose that will sense the smell. When there is a change in smell it senses immediately and sends a signal to the brain. Brain will analyse the smell and necessary reactions will be taken. If there is a good smell the person will enjoy the smell. If there is a bad smell, then the person will immediately take his hand to close his nose. Similarly sensors will detect or measure the changes. 

Sensors are widely used in various places. Sensors play a major role in this modern world. Consider a car shown below, there are many types of sensors used in it. 

These sensors also help in safety purposes to avoid accidents, to know the faults etc.  

Automation:

Automation is the advanced technology in which the process is done with minimal human involvement. Most of the Industries use Programmable Logic Controllers ( PLC) to perform various tasks. Automatic Car Parking, Automatic Bottle Filling, Automatic car washing, Automatic Traffic signals are few examples of PLCs. Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) is another major architecture used in industries to monitor and control various parameters. 

Building automation is emerging technology in recent days. People like to automate the building. It includes automatic car parking, automatic door open close, gesture based home appliances, automatic coffee maker, automatic tank etc. The fan speed or AC temperature may be changed automatically based on the number of persons present in the room. Sensors play a major role in building automation.

Calibration 

In order to configure an instrument to give the result for a sample within an required range calibration has to be done. When we use an instrument for a long time, the accuracy may become less. It may give small errors. To avoid it calibration has to be done. A calibration certificate is issued that assures the users of the product’s conformance along with its specifications. A standard procedure is followed to calibrate an instrument. Calibration is an emerging field where instrumentation engineers get more jobs. Small instruments can be calibrated in the centre but if the instrument is larger in size celebration engineers will go to the particular place and do the calibration process. As most of the industries use instruments, calibration has to be done and it should be certified.

Instrumentation engineers play a major role in this modern world. Job opportunities for Instrumentation engineers in core industries are high. There are no industries without Automation, Sensor, Control and calibration. So Instrumentation Engineers role is very important in the field of Engineering.