Control Systems Engineering Exam Reference Manual - A Practical Study Guide -Final26July14.pdf

Control Systems Engineering Exam Reference Manual: A Practical Study Guide Second Edition For the NCEES Professional Engineering (PE) Licensing Examination

Bryon Lewis, CSE, PE

NOTICE: The information presented in this publication is for the general education of the reader. Because neither the author nor editor nor the publisher has any control over the use of the information by the reader, both the author and the publisher disclaim any and all liability of any kind arising out of such use. The reader is expected to exercise sound professional judgment in using any of the information presented in a particular application. Additionally, neither the author nor editor nor the publisher have investigated or considered the effect of any patents on the ability of the reader to use any of the information in a particular application. The reader is responsible for reviewing any possible patents that may affect any particular use of the information presented. Any references to commercial products in the work are cited as examples only. Neither the author nor the publisher endorses any referenced commercial product. Any trademarks or trade names referenced belong to the respective owner of the mark or name. Neither the author nor editor nor the publisher makes any representation regarding the availability of any referenced commercial product at any time. The manufacturer's instructions on use of any commercial product must be followed at all times, even if in conflict with the information in this publication.

Copyright ©2014 by ISA 67 Alexander Drive P.O. Box 12277 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 All Rights Reserved ISBN: 978-1-934394-22-9 No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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NOTE: This is the second release of the second edition. It is free of any errors known as of July 21, 2014.

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Tips on How to Use This Study Guide To make the most of this study guide, it may be of interest to use the features built into Adobe Reader. The image below shows where to click, for the display of Page Thumbnails and Bookmarks in this guide. The Bookmarks are a dynamic Table of Contents. See the following images below for illustrations of how thumbnails and bookmarks work. (There is a formula sheet for the exam in the attachments) attachments)

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Using Page Thumbnails to Navigate The Page Thumbnail shows a preview of the pages in this guide. Just click on any thumbnail image to instantly jump to the page in the preview. The default viewing mode in Adobe Reader is one column. If you want to view two columns at the same time as shown below, move your mouse over the divider between the thumbnails and the viewing page and drag the column splitter till you show as many columns as you would like to view at once. I recommend viewing only two columns.

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Using Bookmarks to Navigate

The Bookmarks in this guide are the same as the Table of Contents collapsed. Quickly navigate to the subject of interest and click on the “+” to expand the contents of the subject matter under the subject heading. Click on the “-“ to collapse the addition subject topics. The default viewing mode in Adobe Reader shows wrap around text in the bookmark column. If you would like to read your bookmarks as shown below, move your mouse over the divider between the bookmarks and the viewing page and drag the column splitter till you show as much text width as you desire to view.

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Table of Contents Table of Contents   ..................................................................................................................................... vii Preface ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 About The Author ..................................................................................................................................... 1 People who have Contributed to this Manual .......................................................................................... 2 General Information  .................................................................................................................................... 3 State Licensing Requirements ................................................................................................................... 3 Eligibility .................................................................................................................................................... 3 Exam Schedule .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Exam Format ............................................................................................................................................. 4 Exam Content............................................................................................................................................4 Reference Materials for the Exam   ........................................................................................................... 7 Recommended Books and Materials for Testing ...................................................................................... 7 Books and Courses for Additional Study ................................................................................................... 8 Review of Process Control Subjects   ....................................................................................................... 9 Overview of Process Measurement, Control and Calibration .................................................................. 9 Process Signal and Calibration Terminology ........................................................................................... 10 Definition of the Range of an Instrument ............................................................................................... 10 Definition of the Span of an Instrument ................................................................................................. 11 Definition of the use of Zero in Instrumentation .................................................................................... 12 Live-Zero ............................................................................................................................................. 12 Elevated-Zero ...................................................................................................................................... 12 Suppressed-Zero ................................................................................................................................. 12 Illustrations of range and span terminology ........................................................................................... 13 Illustrations of measured variable, measured signal, range and span ................................................... 14 Temperature Measurement and Calibration  ......................................................................................... 15 Temperature Measurement Devices and Calibration ............................................................................ 15 Thermocouple Worked Examples (how to read the thermocouple tables) ........................................... 17 RTD (Resistance Temperature Detector) ................................................................................................ 18 RTD Worked Examples ............................................................................................................................ 18 Pressure Measurement and Calibration  ............................................................................................... 21 Pressure Measurement and Head Pressure ........................................................................................... 21 Applying Pressure Measurement and Signals Worked Examples ..........................................................22 Differential Pressure and Meter Calibration ........................................................................................... 22 Pressure Change in a Pipe for a given Flow Rate .................................................................................... 23 Pressure Change across the Flow Element for a given Flow Rate .......................................................... 23 Pressure Calibration of Transmitter ........................................................................................................ 24 Level Measurement and Calibration  ...................................................................................................... 25 Applying Level Measurement and Calibration Worked Examples .......................................................... 25 Level Displacer (Buoyancy) ..................................................................................................................... 27 Bubbler Level Measurement ................................................................................................................... 29 Density Measurement ............................................................................................................................ 30 Calculating the Volume in Tanks ............................................................................................................. 30 vii

Flow Measurement and Calibration  ....................................................................................................... 31 Applying Flow Measurement Devices ..................................................................................................... 31 Turndown Ratio in a Flow Meter ............................................................................................................ 31 ISA Standard Flow Meter Symbols .......................................................................................................... 31 Flow Meter Applications Chart ............................................................................................................... 32 Orifice Tap Dimensions and Impulse Line Connections .......................................................................... 33 Applying the Bernoulli Principal for Flow Control .................................................................................. 34 Orifice Type Meters ................................................................................................................................ 35 Orifice Sizing Factors (The Spink Factor) ................................................................................................. 38 Sizing Orifice Type Devices for Flow Measurement Worked Examples.................................................. 39 Mass Flow Measurement and Control .................................................................................................... 41 Applying Mass Flow Measurement with an Orifice Worked Example ................................................... 44 Turbine Flow Meter Worked Example .................................................................................................... 46 Weight Measurement and Calibration  ................................................................................................... 49 Weight Measurement Devices and Calibration ...................................................................................... 49 Sizing Process Control Valves   ............................................................................................................... 51 Process Control Valves ............................................................................................................................ 51 Turndown Ratio in Valves ....................................................................................................................... 51 ISA Standard Valve Symbols .................................................................................................................... 52 ISA Standard Pressure Regulating Valve Symbols ................................................................................... 52 Valve Actuators ....................................................................................................................................... 53 ISA Standard Actuator Symbols .......................................................................................................... 53 ISA Standard Symbol for Limit Switches on Valve Actuator ............................................................... 54 Calculating the size of the actuator .................................................................................................... 54 Example Actuator Sizing ..................................................................................................................... 55 Split Ranging Control Valves ................................................................................................................... 57 Valve Positioner Applications ................................................................................................................. 58 ISA Standard Valve Positioner Symbol ............................................................................................... 58 Summary of Positioners ...................................................................................................................... 59 When should a positioner be used? ................................................................................................... 59 Control Valve Application Comparison Chart ......................................................................................... 60 Sizing Control Valves ............................................................................................................................... 61 Sizing Valves for Liquid ............................................................................................................................ 63 Sizing Valves for Gas ............................................................................................................................... 65 The basic equation for gas flow through a control valve is: ................................................................... 65 Sizing Valves for Vapor and Steam.......................................................................................................... 68 Sizing Valves for Two Phase Flow ....................................................................................................... 71 Sizing Pressure Relief Valves and Rupture Disks ............................................................................... 75 ASME VIII Code for Sizing Relief Valves and Rupture Disks .................................................................... 75 Pressure Limits in Sizing .......................................................................................................................... 75 ISA Pressure Relief Valve and Rupture Disc Symbols .............................................................................. 76 Sizing Pressure Relief Valves and Rupture Disks ..................................................................................... 77 Sizing Rupture Disks Worked Examples .................................................................................................. 80 Sizing Pressure Relief Valves Worked Examples ..................................................................................... 83 Table 5 - ASME Standard Nozzle Orifice Data ......................................................................................... 88 Table 6 - Typical Properties of Gases ....................................................................................................... 89

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Process Control Theory and Calculations  ............................................................................................ 91 Degrees Of Freedom in Process Control Systems ................................................................................... 91 Controllers and control strategies (models-modes) ............................................................................... 93 Process Characteristics from the transfer function ................................................................................ 95 Controller Tuning Closed Loop ................................................................................................................ 98 Controller Tuning Open Loop ................................................................................................................ 100 A Typical Process Reaction curve for tuning a controller ..................................................................... 101 Block Diagram Algebra .......................................................................................................................... 103 Block Diagram Algebra Reduction (Example) ....................................................................................... 104 Nyquist Stability Criterion ..................................................................................................................... 105 Routh Stability Criterion........................................................................................................................ 107 Check for Stability using Routh (Example) ........................................................................................ 110  A First Analysis of Feedback Control  .................................................................................................. 113 Compare Open Loop Control to Closed Loop Control .......................................................................... 113 Open Loop Example – A Mathematical Analysis ................................................................................... 113 Closed Loop Example – A Mathematical Analysis ................................................................................. 115 The Transfer Function for the Automobile ........................................................................................... 117  A First Analysis of Frequency Response  ............................................................................................ 119 Electrical Application – A First Order System ....................................................................................... 119 Bode Plot of First Order System ............................................................................................................ 120 Calculate data for the Bode Plot ........................................................................................................... 121 Creating a Bode Plot  – First Order System using Frequency ................................................................ 124 Hydraulic Application – A First Order System ....................................................................................... 125 Overview of Discrete Control Subjects  ................................................................................................ 127 Overview of Digital Logic ...................................................................................................................... 127 Digital Logic Gate Symbols .................................................................................................................... 127 Digital Logic Gate Truth Tables ............................................................................................................. 128 ISA Binary Logic ..................................................................................................................................... 129 Relay Ladder Logic ................................................................................................................................ 130 Sealing Circuits ...................................................................................................................................... 131 PLC Programming.................................................................................................................................. 132 PLC Programming (RLL) relay ladder logic ........................................................................................ 132 PLC Programming (ST) structured text ............................................................................................. 132 PLC Programming (FBD) functional block diagram ........................................................................... 133 PLC Programming (SFC) sequential function chart ........................................................................... 133  Analog Control Signals   .......................................................................................................................... 135 Overview of Analog Signals ................................................................................................................... 135 Typical Analog Loop Wiring Diagram .................................................................................................... 135 Signal Filtering in Process Control ......................................................................................................... 136 Appling Signal Filters......................................................................................................................... 136 Filter Time Constant and Sample Time ............................................................................................. 137 Example of Filter Time Selection ...................................................................................................... 138

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ISA Standards for Documentation   ....................................................................................................... 141 ISA Identification Letters ....................................................................................................................... 141 ISA Letter Combinations ....................................................................................................................... 142 ISA Instrument or Function Symbol ...................................................................................................... 145 ISA Line Type Symbols ........................................................................................................................... 146 ISA Standard P&ID................................................................................................................................. 147 ISA Standard PFD .................................................................................................................................. 150 ISA Standard Loop Diagram .................................................................................................................. 151 ISA Standard (HMI) Graphical Display Symbols & Designations ........................................................... 153 NFPA 79 Colors for Graphical Displays (Industrial Machinery) ............................................................. 154 Overview of Safety Instrumented Systems ......................................................................................... 155 Overview of Process Safety and Shutdown .......................................................................................... 155 SIS (Safety Instrumented Systems) ....................................................................................................... 155 SIF (Safety Instrumented Function) ...................................................................................................... 156 SIL (Safety Integrity Level) ..................................................................................................................... 157 SIS Calculations ..................................................................................................................................... 160 Overview of Industrial Control Networks  ............................................................................................. 163 Overview of Networks and Communications ....................................................................................... 163 Layers That Make Up the OSI Layers .................................................................................................... 165 Intelligent and Smart Devices ............................................................................................................... 165 Overview of NEC and NFPA Codes  .................................................................................................... 167 List of NFPA Codes ................................................................................................................................ 167 NFPA 70 – NEC (National Electrical Code) ............................................................................................ 167 Voltage Drop Calculations ................................................................................................................ 168 Substitute Specific Resistance (k) for Resistance (R) of wire ....................................................... 168 Wire and Cable Sizing formulas for Voltage Drop ........................................................................ 168 Example: Voltage Drop Calculation 1 ..........................................................................................169 Example: Voltage Drop Calculation 2 ..........................................................................................169 Explosion Proof Installations NEC Article 500 (Hazardous Locations) ............................................. 170 Class I Hazardous Location NEC Article 501 ................................................................................. 170 Class I Location Definition ........................................................................................................ 170 Class I Division Definitions ....................................................................................................... 170 Class I Group Definitions .......................................................................................................... 171 Class I Temperature Definition ................................................................................................ 171 Class II Hazardous Location NEC Article 502 ................................................................................ 172 Class II Location Definition ....................................................................................................... 172 Class II Division Definitions ...................................................................................................... 172 Class II Group Definitions ......................................................................................................... 173 Class II Temperature Class ....................................................................................................... 173 Class III Hazardous Location NEC Article 503 ............................................................................... 174 Class III Location Definition ...................................................................................................... 174 Class III Division Definitions ..................................................................................................... 174 Class III Group Definitions ........................................................................................................ 174 Use of Zone Classifications ........................................................................................................... 175 Classification Comparison (Zone/Division) for a Class I Location................................................. 175 Group Comparison (Zone/ Division) for a Class I Location ...................................................... 175 Protection Methods Comparison Class I ...................................................................................... 176 x

Example: Designation of NEC/CEC Classification ......................................................................... 177 Example: Hazardous Location Classification ................................................................................ 178 Purged and Pressurized Systems .................................................................................................. 179 Intrinsically Safe Systems ............................................................................................................. 179 Zener diode barrier (configurations) ............................................................................................ 179 Conventional Passive IS Zener Barriers .................................................................................... 179 Active (Powered) IS Isolation Barriers ..................................................................................... 179 Electrical Enclosures Types and Uses ............................................................................................... 180 Non-hazardous location NEMA enclosure types .......................................................................... 180 Table 10 – Indoor Nonhazardous Locations ................................................................................. 181 Table 11 - Outdoor Nonhazardous Locations .............................................................................. 182 Table 12 - Hazardous Locations .................................................................................................... 183 Determining Temperature Rise .................................................................................................... 183 NFPA 77 Static Electricity ...................................................................................................................... 184 1.2 Purpose ....................................................................................................................................... 184 8.1 General Overview ....................................................................................................................... 184 8.3.1 Charge Generation................................................................................................................... 185 G.1 Grounding Diagrams .................................................................................................................. 186 NFPA 780 Lightning Protection (formerly NFPA 78) ............................................................................. 187 Air Terminal Height ........................................................................................................................... 187 Conductor Bends .............................................................................................................................. 187 Conductor Size and Material ............................................................................................................ 188 NFPA 79 Industrial Machinery .............................................................................................................. 190 Conductor sizing ............................................................................................................................... 190 Conductor colors............................................................................................................................... 190 Pushbutton functions for color ......................................................................................................... 190 Colors for Machine Indicator Lights and Icons Table 10.3.2 ............................................................ 190 NFPA 496 Purged and Pressurized Systems .......................................................................................... 191 Overview of the NFPA 496 articles ................................................................................................... 191 Factors to consider (NFPA 496, Sec. 5-3) .......................................................................................... 191 Location of the control room (NFPA 496, Secs. 5-3.1(c) and 5-3.2) ................................................. 192 Positive pressure air systems (NFPA 496, Sec. 5-4.1) ....................................................................... 192 Type X equipment (NFPA 496, Sec. 5-4.4) ........................................................................................ 192 Type Y equipment (NFPA 496, Sec. 5-4.5) ........................................................................................ 192 Type Z equipment (NFPA 496, Sec. 5-4.5) ........................................................................................ 192 Basic Design of Purged Enclosures ................................................................................................... 193 Basic Design of Purged Buildings ...................................................................................................... 194

The Fisher Control Valve Handbook   ................................................................................................... 195 Guide to Using the Control Valve Handbook ........................................................................................ 195 Examination Sample Questions  ........................................................................................................... 197 Sample Questions ................................................................................................................................. 197 Answers to Examination Sample Questions ......................................................................................... 204 Explanations and Proofs of Examination Sample Questions ................................................................ 205

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Useful Equations for Pumping and Piping  .......................................................................................... 217 Find pipe diameter with velocity of flow known .................................................................................. 217 Find flow velocity with pipe diameter known ...................................................................................... 217 Find pipe diameter with temperature and pressure correction ........................................................... 217 Find flow velocity with temperature and pressure correction ............................................................. 217 Find the Reynolds Number for the flow ............................................................................................... 218 Find the pressure loss in piping system ................................................................................................ 218 Find the pump motor size (break horsepower) .................................................................................... 218 Calculating the Volume of Tanks   ......................................................................................................... 219 Cylindrical Tanks Upright ...................................................................................................................... 219 Cylindrical Tanks on Side ....................................................................................................................... 219 Spherical Tanks ..................................................................................................................................... 220 Bullet Tanks ...........................................................................................................................................220  Appendix   .................................................................................................................................................. 221 Table A1 – Thermocouple Table (Type J) .............................................................................................. 221 Table A2 - Thermocouple Table (Type K) .............................................................................................. 223 Table A3 - Thermocouple Table (Type E) .............................................................................................. 226 Table A4 - Thermocouple Table (Type T) .............................................................................................. 228 Table A5 - Platinum 100 Ohm RTD Table in ohms................................................................................. 229 Table A6 - Properties of Water Specific Gravity and LBs/HR to GPM ................................................... 230 Table A7 - Properties of Water Specific Volume and Density ............................................................... 231 Table A8 – Properties of Water Kinematic Viscosity centistokes ......................................................... 232 Table A9 - Properties of Saturated Steam ............................................................................................ 233 Table A9 - Properties of Saturated Steam (continued) ......................................................................... 234 Table A9 - Properties of Saturated Steam (continued) ......................................................................... 235 Table A9 - Properties of Saturated Steam (continued) ......................................................................... 236 Table A9 - Properties of Saturated Steam (continued) ......................................................................... 237 Table A10 - Specific Gravity and Gas Constants for Some Common Gases .......................................... 238 Table A11 – Properties and Sizing Coefficients for Globe Valves ......................................................... 240 Table A12 – Properties and Sizing Coefficients for Rotary Valves ........................................................ 241 Table A13 - Numerical Constants for Control Valve Sizing Formulas ................................................... 242 Table A14 – Service Temperature Limits for Non-Metallic Materials .................................................. 243 Table A15 – Standard Pipe Dimensions and Data ................................................................................. 244 Table A16 – NEC Wire Ampacity Table 310.16 ..................................................................................... 245 Table A17 – NEC Table 8 Conductor Properties .................................................................................... 246 Table A18 – NEC Full Load Motor Currents .......................................................................................... 247 Table A19 – Valve Seating Shutoff Pressure and Stem Friction Values ................................................ 248  Applications of Basic Fluid Mechanics in Piping Systems  ............................................................... 249 Relationship of Pressure and Flow ........................................................................................................ 249 Applications of the formulas ................................................................................................................. 251 In Summary of Fluid Mechanics for Process Control ............................................................................ 254 References   .............................................................................................................................................. 256

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Preface Most state licensing boards in the United States recognize the Control System Engineering (CSE) and offer the NCEES exam in this branch of engineering. There are, however, three states that do not offer the CSE exam—Alaska, Hawaii, and Rhode Island. If you live in one of these states, you may choose to pursue licensing in another discipline (such as electrical, mechanical, or chemical engineering). Or you can try to arrange to take the CSE exam in a neighboring state. The Control Systems Engineering (CSE) exam covers a broad range of subjects, from the electrical, mechanical and chemical engineering disciplines. This exam is not on systems theory, but on process control and basic control systems. Experience in engineering or designing process control systems is almost a necessity to pass this exam. Study of this reference manual should adequately prepare the experienced engineer or designer to take the CSE exam. However, passing the exam depends on an individual applicant’s demonstrated ability and cannot be guaranteed. I have included a list of recommended books and material. The recommended books contain information, invaluable to passing the exam. Even if you could take as many books as you want into the exam site, it is better not to overwhelm yourself —too much information can become distracting. Remember you will be under pressure to beat the clock. Study your reference books and tab the tables and information you need. This will ensure you do not waste time. Study of the Fisher Control Valve Handbook   or another manufactory’s book is strongly recommended, to obtain the full benefits of this study review guide. The pages in the handbook are referenced later in this guide. The Fisher Control Valve Handbook  can be obtained free or for minimal cost from your local Fisher Valve representative. The book is also available from Brown’s Technical Book Shop, 1517 San Jacinto, Houston, Texas, 77002. The book can be downloaded in PDF format from the Emerson- Fisher web site as well.

About The Author Bryon Lewis is a Professional Engineer (PE), licensed in Control Systems Engineering (CSE). He is also a Senior Member of ISA, a SME Certified Manufacturing Engineer (CMfgE), a Certified Journeyman Electronics Technician in Industrial electronics (CET), an ISA Level III Certified Control System Technician (CCST) and a licensed Master Electrician. Mr. Lewis has over 30 years of experience in electrical, mechanical, instrumentation, and control systems. He holds letters of recommendation from Belcan Engineering, S & B Engineers and Constructors, Enron Corporation and Lee College. His design experience is in electrical and lighting systems design; pharmaceutical and petrochemical plant design and installation, instrumentation and electrical systems design for compressor stations and food manufacturing plants and maintenance. If there are any questions please contact me at my email address [email protected].

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People who have Contributed to this Manual

Chad Findlay Chad graciously reviewed this manual for errors and made numerous suggestions to improve its content. Chad Findlay is a Lead Controls Engineer for General Electric Company where he has worked for 7 years. He develops gas turbine control systems applied to simple and combined cycle power plants. Chad holds a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Davis.

Daniel Masso Daniel also contributed to the review of this manual for errors and made suggestions to improve its content. Daniel Masso has worked as a DCS engineer for Westinghouse and Emerson Electric for 20 years in sales, project and field/start-up engineering capacities in system, control logic and graphic design and programming capacities. He earned a B.Ch.E from Cleveland State University and continued on a M.S. Ch.E at Case Western Reserve University and is employed by Emerson Process Management Power and Water Solutions.

Neil Frihart I would like to thank Neil for his encouragement in writing this manual and his friendship and help over the years. Neil Frihart is Vice President of Engineering for Power & Control Engineering Solutions. He was employed a as a Senior Engineer for Callidus Technologies and was Manager of Systems Engineering at Power Flame, Inc. He earned a BSEE from Kansas State University and MBA from Pittsburg State University

Susan Colwell I would like to thank Susan for her patience and help in the publication of this manual. She was extremely helpful in the publication of the first edition. Susan Colwell is the Publishing Manager for ISA (International Society of Automation).

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General Information State Licensing Requirements Licensing of engineers is intended to protect the public health, safety, and welfare. State licensing boards have established requirements to be met by applicants for licenses which will, in their judgment, achieve this objective. Licensing requirements vary somewhat from state to state but have some common features. In all states, candidates with a 4-year engineering degree from an ABET/EAC-accredited program and four years of acceptable experience can be licensed if they pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam and the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam in a specific discipline. References must be supplied to document the duration and nature of the applicant’s work experience.

Eligibility Some state licensing boards will accept candidates with engineering technology degrees, related-science (such as physics or chemistry) degrees, or no degree, with indication of an increasing amount of work experience. Some states will allow waivers of one or both of the exams for applicants with many years (6 – 20) of experience. Additional procedures are available for special cases, such as applicants with degrees or licenses from other countries. Note: Recipients of waivers may encounter difficulty in becoming licensed by “reciprocity” or “comity” in

another state where waivers are not available. Therefore, applicants are advised to complete an ABET accredited degree and to take and pass the FE/EIT exam. Some states require a minimum of four year experiences after passing the FE/EIT exam, before allowing one to sit for the PE (principals and practices) exam. Some states will not allow experience incurred before the passing of the FE/EIT exam. It is necessary to contact your licensing board for the up-to-date requirements of your state. Phone numbers and addresses can be obtained by calling the information operator in your state capital, or by checking the Internet at www.ncees.org or nspe.org.

Exam Schedule The CSE exam is offered once per year, on the last weekend in October, (typically on Friday). Application deadlines vary from state to state, but typically are about three or four months ahead of the exam date. Requirements and fees vary among state jurisdictions. Sufficient time must be allotted to complete the application process and assemble required data. PE references may take a month or more to be returned. The state board needs time to verify professional work history, references, and academic transcripts or other verifications of the applicant's engineering education. After accepting an applicant to take one of the exams, the state licensing board will notify him or her where and when to appear for the exam. They will also describe any unique state requirements such as allowed calculator models or limits on the number of reference books taken into the exam site.

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Description of Examination Exam Format The NCEES Principles-and-Practice of Engineering examination (commonly called the PE examination) in Control Systems Engineering (CSE) is an eight-hour examination. The examination is administered in a four hour morning session and a four hour afternoon session. Each session contains forty (40) questions in a multiple-choice format. Each question has a correct or “best” answer. Questions are independent, so an answer to one question has no bearing on the following questions.

All of the questions are compulsory; applicants should try to answer all of the questions. Each correct answer receives one point. If a question is omitted or the answer is incorrect, a score of zero will be given for that question. There is no penalty for guessing.

Exam Content The subject areas of the CSE exam are described by the exam specification and are given in six areas. ISA supports Control Systems Engineer (CSE) licensing and the examination for Professional Engineering. ISA is responsible for the content and questions in the NCEES examination. Refer to the ISA web site (http://www.isa.org) for the latest information concerning the CSE examination. The following details what to expect on the examination and breaks down the examination into the six parts. The percentage and number of questions are given for each part of the examination at the time this guide was written.

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MEASUREMENT 24% of Examination 19 Questions 1.

Sensor technologies applicable to the desired type of measurement (e.g., flow, pressure, level, temperature, analytical, counters, motion, vision, etc.) 2. Sensor characteristics (e.g., rangeability, accuracy and precision, temperature effects, response times, reliability, repeatability, etc.) 3. Material compatibility 4. Calculations involved in: pressure drop 5. Calculations involved in: flow element sizing 6. Calculations involved in: level, differential pressure 7. Calculations involved in: unit conversions 8. Calculations involved in: velocity 9. Calculations involved in: linearization 10. Installation details (e.g., process, pneumatic, electrical, etc.)

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II.

SIGNAL AND TRANSMISSION 12.5% of Examination 10 Questions A. Signals - 11.5%, 9 questions 1. Pneumatic, electronic, optical, hydraulic, digital, analog 2. Transducers (e.g., analog/digital [A/D], digital/analog [D/A], current/pneumatic [I/P] conversion, etc.) 3. Intrinsically Safe (IS) barriers 4. Grounding, shielding, segregation, AC coupling 5. Basic signal circuit design (e.g., two-wire, four-wire, isolated outputs, loop powering, etc.) 6. Calculations: circuit (voltage, current, impedance) 7. Calculations: unit conversions B. Transmission - 1.25%, 1 question 1. Different communications systems architecture and protocols (e.g., fiber optics, coaxial cable, wireless, paired conductors, fieldbus, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol [TCP/IP], OLE Process Control [OPC]) 2. Distance considerations versus transmission medium

III.

FINAL CONTROL ELEMENTS 20% of Examination 16 Questions A. Valves - 12.5%, 10 questions 1. Types (e.g., globe, ball, butterfly, etc.) 2. Characteristics (e.g., linear, low noise, equal percentage, shutoff class, etc.) 3. Calculation (e.g., sizing, split range, noise, actuator, speed, pressure drop, air/gas consumption, etc.) 4. Applications of fluid dynamics (e.g., cavitation, flashing, choked flow, Joule-Thompson effects, two-phase, etc.) 5. Material selection based on process characteristics (e.g., erosion, corrosion, plugged, extreme pressure, temperature, etc. 6. Accessories (e.g., limit switches, solenoid valves, positioners, transducers, air regulators, etc.) 7. Environmental constraints (e.g., fugitive emissions, packing, special sealing, etc.) 8. Installation practices (e.g., vertical, horizontal, bypasses, troubleshooting, etc.) B. Pressure Relieving Devices - 5%, 4 questions 1. Pressure Relieving Valves: Types (e.g., conventional spring, balanced bellows, pilot operated, etc.) 2. Pressure Relieving Valves: Characteristics (e.g., modulating, pop action, etc.) 3. Pressure Relieving Valves: Calculations (e.g., sizing considering inlet pressure drop, back pressure, multiple valves, etc.) 4. Pressure Relieving Devices: Material selection based on process characteristics 5. Pressure Relieving Valves: Installation practices (e.g., linking valves, sparing the valves, accessibility for testing, car sealing inlet valves, piping installation, etc.) 6. Rupture discs (types, characteristics, application, calculations, etc.) C. Other Final Control Elements - 2.5%, 2 questions 1. Motor controls 2. Solenoid valves 3. On-off devices/relays 4. Self-regulating devices 5

IV.

CONTROL SYSTEMS ANALYSIS 16% of Examination 13 Questions A. Documentation - 7.5%, 6 questions 1. Drawings (e.g., PFD, P&ID, Loop Diagrams, Ladder Diagrams, Logic Drawings, Cause and Effects Drawings, SAFE Charts, etc.) B. Theory - 6%, 5 questions 1. Basic processes (e.g., compression, combustion, distillation, hydraulics, etc.) 2. Process dynamics (e.g., loop response, P-V-T relationships, simulations, etc.) 3. Basic control (e.g., regulatory control, feedback, feed forward, cascade, ratio, PID, splitrange, etc.) 4. Discrete control (e.g., relay logic, Boolean algebra) 5. Sequential control (e.g., batch) C. Safety - 2.5%, 2 questions 1. Safety system design (e.g., Safety Instrumented System [SIS], Safety Requirements Specification [SRS], application of OSHA 1910, etc.)

V.

CONTROL SYSTEMS IMPLEMENTATION 16% of Examination 13 Questions 1. HMI (e.g., graphics, alarm management, trending, historical data) 2. Ergonomics (e.g., human factors engineering, physical control room arrangement, panel layout) 3. Configuration and programming (e.g., PLC, DCS, Hybrid systems, SQL, Ladder logic, sequential function chart, structured text, function block programming, data base management, specialized controllers, etc.) 4. System comparisons and compatibilities (e.g., advantages and disadvantages of system architecture) 5. Installation requirements (e.g., shielding, constructability, input/output termination, environmental, heat load calculations, power load requirements, purging, lighting, etc.) 6. Commissioning (e.g., performance tuning, loop checkout, etc.) 7. Safety Instrumented System [SIS] model validation calculations (e.g., Safety Integrity Level [SIL], reliability, availability, etc.) 8. Troubleshooting (e.g., root cause failure analysis and correction)

VI.

CODES, STANDARDS, REGULATIONS 7.5% of Examination 6 Questions 1. Working knowledge of applicable Codes, Standards, and Regulations: American National Standards Institute (ANSI) 2. Working knowledge of applicable Codes, Standards, and Regulations: Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 3. Working knowledge of applicable Codes, Standards, and Regulations: ISA 4. Working knowledge of applicable Codes, Standards, and Regulations: National Electrical Code (NEC) 5. Working knowledge of applicable Codes, Standards, and Regulations: National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) 6. Working knowledge of applicable Codes, Standards, and Regulations: National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 7. Working knowledge of applicable Codes, Standards, and Regulations: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

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