Date of Award

Spring 5-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Chemical Engineering (MSChE)

Department

Chemical Engineering

First Advisor

Atanas Serbezov

Second Advisor

Daniel Anastasio

Third Advisor

Craig Downing

Abstract

In the Chemical Engineering curriculum, the Unit Operations (UO) Laboratory is recognized as the place where hands-on exposure to industrial practices occurs. Students not only examine fundamental engineering principles, but also gain knowledge of the intricacies of modern control technology. The UO Laboratory at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology houses an industrial state-of-the-art distributed control system, which operates eleven large-scale experiments and interfaces with approximately two hundred process instruments. The size and complexity of the distributed control system and its associated equipment have grown over the past ten years and have reached a point where a systematic asset management approach is needed to continue to deliver undisrupted support to the educational process. The developed asset management model provides a framework to efficiently operate assets and add new assets in a consistent manner. The model includes two information repositories: one for equipment and one for procedures and documentation. The existing equipment in the UO Laboratory has been catalogued in an equipment database, which now serves as a single point information source. A new format for a standard operating procedure (SOP) has been developed based on best industrial practices, and the existing operating instructions for all eleven large-scale experiments have been rewritten using the new SOP layout. In addition, the technical documentation associated with the eleven large-scale experiments has been collected from multiple sources and has been organized in a single location accessible by faculty, staff, and students. Critical equipment components have been identified and outside companies have been contracted to provide emergency support and scheduled maintenance. The developed asset management model has been successfully implemented in the UO Laboratory and has significantly contributed to the quality of instruction and learning.

Comments

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many thanks go to my advisor, Dr. Atanas Serbezov, for his extensive support, guidance, understanding, and encouragement throughout my studies. Thank you to the members of my committee, Dr. Daniel Anastasio and Dr. Craig Downing, for their invaluable advice and feedback. Dr. Adam Nolte, Mr. Frank Cunning, and the rest of the Chemical Engineering Department have my deepest gratitude for their assistance as I pursued this opportunity. For their significant contribution to my higher education, I thank my grandparents, Drs. Jon and Judith Liebman. Thanks also to my friends, who have been with me for every step, road trip, procrastinated report, and grill night of the past four years: Abigail, Chris, Ian, Jonathan, Morgan, Nick, Palmer, and Savannah. Most of all: Dad, Mom, and Lauren. I wouldn’t have made it here without you. Thank you for all the love, laughter, and support.

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