Sliding mode control (SMC) has been widely used to control linear and nonlinear dynamics systems because of its robustness against parametric uncertainties and matched disturbances. Although SMC design has traditionally addressed process model-based approaches, the rapid advancements in instrumentation and control systems driven by Industry 4.0, coupled with the increased complexity of the controlled processes, have led to the growing acceptance of controllers based on data-driven techniques. This review article aims to explore the landscape of SMC, focusing specifically on data-driven techniques through a comprehensive systematic literature review that includes a bibliometric analysis of relevant documents and a cumulative production model to estimate the deceleration point of the scientific production of this topic. The most used SMC schemes and their integration with data-driven techniques and intelligent algorithms, including identifying the leading applications, are presented.

This work addresses a set of tuning rules for PID controllers based on Internal Model Control (IMC) for inverse-response second-order systems with dead time. The transfer function, and some time-response characteristics for such systems are first described. Then, the IMC-based methodology is developed by using an optimization objective function that mixes performance and robustness. A correlation that minimizes the objective function and that allows the user to compute the controller’s tuning parameter is found. The obtained expressions are mathematically simple, which facilitate their application in a ten-step systematic methodology. Finally, the proposed tuning method is compared to other well-known tuning rules that have been reported in literature, for a wide range of parameters of the process. The performance achieved with the proposed method is very good not only for disturbance rejection but for set-point tracking, when considering a wide-range of parameters of the process’ transfer function.

The training of chemical engineers requires creating dynamics that bring them closer to the reality of professional practice and providing active learning experiences to develop skills that strengthen critical thinking, autonomy, teamwork, and communication, as a contribution to sustainable engineering education. However, these experiences are isolated, and sometimes do not show an integrated vision between different areas of knowledge. This work aims to introduce the lessons learned by creating capstone integrative projects as tools for the design and control of processes in the Faculty of Chemical Engineering of the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana. The capstone project was developed in randomly selected groups to develop a basic engineering proposal for an industrial process of local or national interest. Validation was carried out, consisting of surveys of 54 students in the last year of the program, an opinion query of 60 recent graduates, and a focus group of five graduates, with a profile of employers, management of innovation, development, and design of chemical processes. Between 2016 and 2020, more than 43 processes were evaluated with students, evidencing a significant improvement in the skills defined by the faculty in the graduation profile. A total of 94% of the graduates in that period recognize the capstone project as an integrator of design and process control, and it is concluded that this contributes positively to the professional development of the chemical engineer.

In this paper new tuning rules for Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) are presented, which are based on Internal Model Control (IMC). This set of equations minimizes the performance index, in this case, the Integral Absolute Error (IAE). Furthermore, a correlation is proposed in order to calculate the tuning parameter of the method, where a holding oscillation response is obtained regarding changes in the set point. This value represents a stability limit for the IMC method. The overall development is then applied to an Inverse Response System of second order and with dead time.

Se describe una propuesta para fortalecer el énfasis profesional del currículo de ingeniería química en la Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB) en Colombia. Tanto las áreas del saber como los campos de acción asociados a la ingeniería química han variado y se han multiplicado en las últimas décadas, impulsando al mundo académico a renovar el proceso de formación de los futuros profesionales. Es por ello que la Facultad de Ingeniería Química de la UPB ha diseñado una estrategia que, mientras especializa al estudiante en un campo específico del conocimiento y el desempeño de la ingeniería química, vincula la formación profesional con la de postgrado. Se trata de un conjunto de 15 créditos, denominado Ruta de Formación Optativa, donde 6 créditos corresponden a cursos de carrera y 9 créditos a cursos de postgrado de la Escuela de Ingenierías. Se presentan las nueve rutas diseñadas, que configuran nueve perfiles profesionales y ocupacionales específicos, entre los cuales el estudiante puede elegir, fortaleciendo su autonomía, a la vez que se promueve y se facilita su educación de alto nivel.