A Virtual Laboratory Environment for Control Design of a Multivariable Process

This paper describes the development of a virtual laboratory environment (VLE) that allows students to perform control design practice in a virtual plant from remote locations through a web browser. The proposed VLE facilitates to learn concepts; such as, design of controllers and system identification of multivariable processes using a simulation environment, and an industrial device with a reliable model of a benchmark plant. Architecture of the VLE is explained and evidence of its use is showed. The proposed VLE represents an education tool that is user friendly, wide availability, with graphical interface capabilities and low cost maintenance, that allows to improve student skills by connecting the theory and practice.