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IEEE
Control Systems Society The IEEE Control Systems Society is concerned with the theory, design, and application of control systems through integration of components for construction of such systems. Its objective is to promote the advancement of the theory and practice of control engineering and science and of the allied arts and sciences. Listing of local control systems companies For more information, please contact our chapter chair, Bryan Bell ().
Upcoming Events BCIT Industrial Research Facilities Tour: Internet Engineering Lab (IEL) and Industrial Instrumentation Process Lab (IIPL) Date
and Time: Location: 200pm -
Welcome - Room 113
Abstract: The Internet Engineering Laboratory (IEL) located on the campus of the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) is a leading edge network test and measurement facility open to both corporate and academic researchers worldwide. One of only five research centers of its kind in North America, the lab focuses on the design and management of advanced networks involving a wide range of layer 4/3 (TCP/IP) issues such as network performance evaluation, application level traffic, network security and conformance to standards. The IEL is jointly funded by Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and BC Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF), and it is supported by in-kind donation from various companies. Spirent Communications, a major UK test equipment manufacturer and Empowered Networks, a leading Canadian provider of network management and performance solutions are the main sponsors of the lab. The lab is a part of BCIT’s research and development centre’s information technology research group which actively assists organizations in developing advanced software products in the Information Technology sector. The IEL contains $2.2 million dollars of network hardware and test equipment including network routers and switches, traffic generators, impairment emulators and network analysis tools capable of emulating and testing both small and large-scale network configurations. The architecture of the lab allows for a range of traffic levels and interconnection types so users can test their equipment in a realistic yet totally controlled environment. It is also possible to segment the routers into discrete networks or sub networks as needed; generate and replay loads based on actual or simulated traffic; and collect statistical data on network and routing performance. The IEL currently has three core router/switches (link): a Black Diamond 6806 and two Cisco 6506 routers. Each can support well-known network interfaces such as Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet. The IEL also contains 10 edge routers and switches typically found in the networks of midsize companies or institutions; three Cisco 2600 and 7500 series routers and three Summit 48i L-3 switches. To imitate real world conditions two IPWave traffic impairment units allow deliberate delays, errors or packet drop conditions to be imposed on the traffic. By combining core routers, edge switches and traffic impairment emulators, researchers can recreate any network configuration from a nationwide Internet surrounded by edge “client” VPN networks, to a small plant floor network. Meaningful research requires not only the right equipment, but the ability to generate the volumes of traffic found on the Internet. To meet these needs, the IEL contains three traffic generation units that create tightly controlled traffic patterns of numerous common protocols including TCP/IP, HTTP, FTP, and many others. These include two Smart Bits 6000B and 600B load generators that can generate and measure over 100,000 streams — enough network traffic to represent a small city on the Internet. More sophisticated traffic simulation and measurement is provided by an Adtech AX4000. All equipment is housed in a state-of-the-art facility fitted with UPS, air conditioning, and adequate rack space. Other amenities include a kitchen/meeting area and an adjoining console workspace for test planning and development. Most equipment and tools are also available via a secure link to the Internet to allow for remote testing and analysis. For more information on the IEL, please visit: http://www.bcit.ca/appliedresearch/tc/facilities/iel/. You can register by via email to Bryan Bell () Past Events Process Systems: Fitting Models to Data Dr. Bhushan Gopaluni, Chemical and Biological Engineering, UBC Date
and Time: Location: Abstract: Models are needed in the process industry for a variety of tasks such as control, fault detection and diagnosis, performance monitoring and assessment. While phenomenological models, built from mass and energy balance equations, are accurate and physically insightful, they are often high-dimensional and intractable. Empirical models, built from process data, even though approximate, offer an attractive alternative. This talk will begin by introducing various aspects of data-based modeling for process systems, including experiment design, data collection, and identification algorithms. It will be shown that each of these aspects comes with a variety of problems, the solutions to which shape the final identification algorithm. In particular, problems arising due to the nature of data will be explored. Novel solutions to deal with irregularly sampled and non-linear time series data will be presented. These solutions ensure asymptotically consistent stochastic models. The efficacy of these solutions will be illustrated through examples. Biography: Bhushan Gopaluni is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering at University of British Columbia. He graduated from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and then went on to do a Ph.D. in process control from the University of Alberta. Upon graduation, he worked as an engineering consultant with Matrikon Inc., and then as a research associate at the Pulp & Paper Center of UBC. He specializes in process modeling and control. In particular, he is interested in developing algorithms and studying the properties of data-based models for a variety of chemical and biological systems. These systems are typically nonlinear, hybrid and time varying, and theirmeasurements are often noisy and irregular. The thrust of his research is on developing high quality models for such processes and adapting them to reflect process changes. His research interests also span a wide range of other areas including identification for control, model predictive controllers, adaptive control, and performance monitoring and assessment. Info: Registration is not required, but recommended, so that we may keep you informed in the unlikely event of any changes. You can register by via email to Bryan Bell () The Security of Critical Automation Systems Real Risks and Tested Protection Strategies Eric J. Byres
Date
and Time: Location: Fee: Abstract: Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) and industrial control systems are network-based systems used in critical processes such as electric generation and distribution, petroleum production and transportation. These systems have long been considered immune to the network attacks that have wrecked so much havoc on corporate information systems. Unfortunately, research indicates this complacency is misplaced – the move to open standards such as Ethernet, TCP/IP and web technologies on the plant floor has let hackers and worms take advantage of the industries ignorance. In this seminar we start by looking at the trends in attacks against control systems and see how these have changed over the past ten years and where the hacker community is beginning to focus their efforts. Then we look at the important differences between the security solutions used in traditional IT environments and those used in the SCADA or plant floor environments, with suggestions and strategies for bridging this gap. Next the penetration points used by attackers and how many firewall efforts may be misguided are discussed. We investigate the key steps to setting up an effective security program and how effective architectures and practices can significantly reduce the risks of cyber impact. Finally we look at the industry standards evolving for process and manufacturing security and how this may impact corporate IT security as a whole. With the speaker's generous support of IEEE activities, we are able to offer this seminar at a substantially reduced cost. Biography: Eric Byres is internationally regarded as one of the leading experts in the field SCADA and Industrial Security. As founder of the BCIT Critical Infrastructure Security Centre, he shaped it into one of North America's leading academic facilities in the field of SCADA cyber-security, culminating in a SANS Institute Security Leadership Award in 2006. As senior partner at Byres Research, Eric provides research and consulting services to government security agencies and major energy companies on cyber protection for critical infrastructures. He is also the chair of the ISA SP-99 Security Technologies Working Group and is the Canadian representative for IEC TC65/WG10 standards effort for the protection of industrial facilities from cyber attack. Eric’s achievements include testifying to the US Congress on the “Security of Industrial Control Systems in National Critical Infrastructures” as well as receiving numerous awards from the IEEE, ISA and SANS for his research on security solutions. . Other Information: To register, please contact Mazana at (). To confirm your registration we must receive your cheque payable to the IEEE Vancouver Section by January 5, 2007.
Please send cheques to:
Intelligent Transportation Systems in BC KEENAN KITASAKA, M.ENG, P.ENG Date
and Time: Location: Abstract: British Columbia’s surface transportation system is comprised of an integrated network of roadways, highways, public transportation services, railways, airports, and ports, providing for the movement of people and goods. Transportation is vital to the social and economic health of the province. Inefficient movement of people and goods reduces productivity, wastes energy, increases emissions, compromises safety, and threatens our quality of life. The safety and efficiency of surface transportation has direct impacts on economic productivity, growth, and competitiveness of the province. The use of advanced technologies and techniques in a coordinated manner can help solve cross-border, provincial, regional and local transportation issues. These technologies will help bring smarter, more economically and environmentally friendly solutions to improve British Columbia’s transportation system. They include systems to monitor and manage traffic flow, detect and clear accidents, provide travellers with information on traffic congestion, accidents, and transit, move commercial goods more effectively, and make the collection of payment for transportation services more efficient. Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) encompass the application of advanced technologies and techniques such as communication systems, computers, electronics, and information technology in an integrated approach to improve the efficiency and safety of the transportation network. Mr. Kitasaka will review the development of ITS in the Greater Vancouver Region, focusing on the last few years. The future ITS initiatives will be discussed. Biography: Keenan Kitasaka has worked as the Manager, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) for the past seven years at the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (GVTA), also known as “TransLink”. In his current role, Keenan is corporately responsible at TransLink for the ITS Department and supports capital projects that involve ITS. Keenan also provides ITS services to TransLink's subsidiary - the ITS Corporation, including it's member agencies. Prior to his work at TransLink, Keenan was employed by the BC Ministry of Transportation and Highways as the Senior Traffic Management Engineer for approximately 8 years where he worked on many ITS related projects. Keenan serves on various committees in TransLink in other organizations including Transport Canada's Steering Committee for the update to the national ITS architecture and the Consultative Committee for the Bureau of ITS and Freight Security at UBC. Keenan was an ITS Canada Board Director for 4 years and remains actively involved in ITS Canada committees. Keenan graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1982 with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree before returning to earn a Masters of Engineering degree in Transportation Engineering in 1985. Keenan has been a professional engineer for 21 years. Keenan continues to support the engineering and ITS community by speaking at elementary & high schools, UBC and various conferences. Other Information: Please RSVP to Bryan Bell () Multiple robust track-following controller design in hard disk drives
Dr. Ryozo Nagamune, Date
and Time: Location: Abstract: Dr. Nagamune will present a new technique for track-following control in hard disk drives. The technique achieves high tracking precision of magnetic read-write heads, uniformly for a huge number of disk drives. The basic idea is to classify the disk drives into several sets depending on dynamics properties, and to apply a robust controller to each set. The problem of designing the optimal classification of dynamics and corresponding optimal robust controllers is formulated as a nonconvex optimization problem, for which suboptimal solutions are to be found numerically. A numerical simulation shows the usefulness of the proposed technique, by illustrating a tracking performance improvement. Biography: Ryozo Nagamune is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. He received his Ph.D. (2002) from the Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, and M.Sc. (1997) and B.Sc. (1995) from Osaka University, Japan. He was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden (2005-2006), at the University of California at Berkeley (2003-2005), and the Mittag-Leffler Institute, Sweden (2003). His research interests are robust control theory, system identification and model reduction, spectral estimation, and their applications to engineering problems Other Information: Please RSVP to Bryan Bell () Past Events IEEE
Industry Applications
Society, joint with Control Systems Society and Power Engineering
Society The
OVNI Simulator for Simultaneous Solution of Multiple Large Systems in Real Time BrainWave: Changing the Way Industry Does Controll Bill Gough Date
and Time: Location: Abstract: The seminar will cover the technical and business issues facing the development of a new process control technology from University research to prototyping to commercial success in industry. Based on new control theory developed by Dr. Guy Dumont and Dr. Chris Zervos from the University of British Columbia on the use of Laguerre polynomials for adaptive control, a local engineering company called Universal Dynamics succeeded with the commercial development of a new control product for use by industrial customers. BrainWave has become a leading control technology used world wide in many industries by companies such as General Electric, Nestle, Weyerhaeuser, PPG, Johns Manville, FMC, Bayer, and many others. BrainWave has been recently acquired by the Andritz Group, a major international Engineering and Equipment Company based in Austria, and is positioned for continued commercial success in industry world wide. Biography: Bill Gough has been involved with the development of BrainWave for the past 15 years and holds three US Patents in the field of adaptive control. He has extensive experience in the application of advanced control technologies in various industries such as Glass Manufacturing, Pulp & Paper, Oil Refining, Specialty Chemicals, Lime and Mineral Processing, Food processing, and Plastics. Bill has presented numerous papers at conferences of IEEE, ISA, TAPPI, ACC, and AIChE. Bill is currently Vice President of the company (now called IDEAS Simulation & Control) responsible for sales, applications, and technical development of the BrainWave product. Other Information: Snacks will be provided! Please RSVP to Manny Sidhu () or Bryan Bell () From R&D to Production, A Case Study Shahram Tafozoli, Motion Metrics Date
and Time: Location: Abstract: A great deal of innovative research and development is carried out at public and private research institutes. However, only a small fraction of this research makes its way to the marketplace. Even when an innovation becomes a product, it does not always flourish. In this technical, business-oriented presentation, the steps that are required to successfully migrate from the R&D concept phase to production are discussed. A unique perspective is provided based on the actual experience of an engineer/entrepreneur who graduated from UBC ECE in 1997 and started a company to commercialize the results of his Ph.D. thesis. In less than eight years, this one-man operation has evolved to Motion Metrics International (MMI) and has successfully brought innovative products which started as R&D projects to the global marketplace. These products are the result of applying embedded machine vision, estimation theory, digital control, and robotics to such heavy-duty industries as open-pit mining and oil well service equipment. MMI is used as a case study in this presentation. Biography: Other Information: Please RSVP to Manny Sidhu () or Bryan Bell () by Wednesday, November 23rd.
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