Computer, control data processing

IRI. Recommended Good Practice for the Protection of Electronic Data Processing and Computer Controlled Industrial Processes. Industrial Risk Insurers, Hartford, CT. 

The complete LDA system includes the appropriate transmission and detection optoelectronics, traverse mechanisms, computer-controlled signal processing, and a data acquisition and evaluation system. The LDA equipment is a powerful tool for the measurement of flow velocity and velocity fluctuation, as well as the local concentration of particles or droplets transported in the airflow. 

In analogy to other modern analytical instruments, a computer-based data processing and evaluation system is inserted in all mass spectrometers constructed today. All processes, from sample introduction using an autosampler, e.g., in an ICP-MS, to optimization of experimental parameters in the ion source, ion extraction, separation of ion beams and their registration, the vacuum system and the whole measurement procedure are supported and controlled by a fast and powerful... 

Rapidity is one of conditions for laboratory quality control. The time needed to develop an analytical process must be as short as possible. The length of time required influences the efficiency of analytical process since, as everyone is well aware, "time is money." The time an analytical process takes influences the cost of the analysis. It is also very important to consider the influence and effect of time on the aging of the analytical method. Automation of the analytical process, for all practical purposes, fulfulls the rapidity requirements. The rapidity of the analytical process is dependent on the reliability of the analytical method and that of the instrument. An increase in the reliability of an analytical process decreases the time required for analysis, and the use of computers for data processing decreases the time needed for analytical signal processing. 

Several categories of analytical instruments were modified for continuous analyses in a process area. This usually involved interfacing the primary analytical instrument with a computer system, which would control the instrument, obtain the raw data, apply any calibration factors necessary and finally provide the chemist or engineer with the pertinent data in graphical and tabular form. A few of these instruments, such as gas chromatography, were already well accepted in the process areas and required only minimal development to capture and present the data in the desired form. Other instruments had rarely, if ever, been introduced in the process area and required extensive development for appropriate packaging as well as computer control, data acquisition, and graphical presentation. Examples... 

Fach transducer in a multichannel instrument has its own amplifier, pulse-height selector, scaler, and counter or integrator. These instruments are equipped with a computer for instrument control, data processing, and display of analytical results. A determination of twenty or more elements can be completed in a few seconds to a few minutes. 

Ease of use. Because the instrument is essentially a modified version of a successful hybrid Q-TOF, then interfaces to separation science components (under full computer control), data acquisition, data processing, and other conventional mass spectrometry experiments are already developed fully. 

The basic level of control routinely used in the chemical process industries involves sequencing operations such as manipulating valves or starting/stopping pumps, instrument verification, data acquisition, on-line maintenance and fail-safe shut down procedures. The next level of computer control involves process control of parameters such as flow, pressure and temperature. RO/NF systems require both levels [43]. 

The bending beam rheometer (Figure 4.21) is composed of a loading frame with test specimen supports, a controlled low/very low temperature liquid bath that maintains the test specimen at the test temperature and provides a buoyant force to counterbalance the force resulting from the mass of the test specimen and a computer-controlled data acquisition system for the execution of the test and the processing of the results. 

Personal computers are widely used for database management and process control. A database is a collection of data organized for rapid retrieval by a computer in data processing operations. The most popular platforms (PC computer systems) are Macintosh,... 

Figure 1). The required, time-consuming data processing can be speeded up by use of an online computer, which also enables computer controlled data acquisition and multiscan averaging to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of the usually weak FIK signals.

Spreadsheet Applications. The types of appHcations handled with spreadsheets are a microcosm of the types of problems and situations handled with fuU-blown appHcation programs that are mn on microcomputers, minis, and mainframes and include engineering computations, process simulation, equipment design and rating, process optimization, reactor kinetics—design, cost estimation, feedback control, data analysis, and unsteady-state simulation (eg, batch distillation optimization). 

Personal Computer Controller Because of its high performance at low cost and its unexcelled ease of use, apphcation of the personal computer (PC) as a platform for process controllers is growing. When configured to perform scan, control, alarm, and data acquisition (SCADA) functions and combined with a spreadsheet or database management apphcation, the PC controller can be a low-cost, basic alternative to the DCS or PLC. 

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