Domain I Feasibility Study

Question 1

When beginning a project, why is gathering requirements critical to the success of an automation project?
a. To establish the design and engineering schedule
b. To define the purpose, scope, and objectives
c. To determine funding and buy-in from stakeholders
d. To provide a basis for performing calculations

Answer 1

b. To define the purpose, scope, and objectives

Question 2

Which of the following control strategies is used to measure disturbances and compensate for them before they cause the controlled variable to deviate from the setpoint?
a. Feedforward
b. Feedback
c. Cascade
d. Open Loop

Answer 2

a. Feedforward

Question 3

What measurements do engineers primarily rely on when using financial tools to evaluate operational performance?
a. CPI (Cost Performance Index)
b. ERP (Enterprise Resource Planner)
c. KPI (Key Performance Index)
d. MES (Manufacturing Execution System)

Answer 3

c. KPI (Key Performance Index)

Question 4

MOST initial project budgetary cost estimates have an acceptable margin of error of plus or minus:
a. 10%
b. 30%
c. 50%
d. 70%

Answer 4

b. 30%

Question 5

What is the main disadvantage of non-discounted capital investment evaluation methods?
a. These methods are tedious and complicated to use
b. These methods cannot be used for automation projects
c. These methods do not provide required accuracy for cost benefit analysis
d. These methods do not explicitly take into consideration the time value of money

Answer 5

d. These methods do not explicitly take into consideration the time value of money

Question 6

What is the NPV of an automation project with the following projected cash flows at a discount rate of 10% and an initial investment of $10,000?
Year | Cash Inflows
1 $1,000
2 $2,000
3 $2,000
4 $5,000
5 $2,000

a. - $1,278
b. $1,278
c. $2,000
d. $8,722

Answer 6

a. - $1,278
NPV = (FVt/(1+k)^t) Initial investment

Question 7

During the budgeting process of the building automation system (BAS) for an addition to an existing office building, the team decides to use a wireless system using Zigbee. What is a MAJOR advantage of using wireless BAS controllers for this application?
a. All wiring is eliminated and the number of trades working on the new addition is greatly reduced
b. All wireless controllers are auto-configurable and can be installed anywhere without regard to location
c. Upgrades or expansions of legacy systems are cost effective and can be staged to accommodate budgets and schedules.
d. The low-power batteries utilized are a much less expensive energy source than the local utility.

Answer 7

c. Upgrades or expansions of legacy systems are cost effective and can be staged to accommodate budgets and schedules.

Question 8

What is a MAJOR advantage of a Distributed Control System (DCS) over a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) or Direct Digital Control (DDC)?
a. A wide variety of I/O for encoders, stepper motors, high-speed counters, and servo drives
b. Ability to program extremely complex, advanced, or proprietary customer control strategies
c. Faster scanning of control function logic suitable for discrete manufacturing industries
d. Ease of implementation and modification of common control strategies via configuration instead of programming

Answer 8

d. Ease of implementation and modification of common control strategies via configuration instead of programming

Question 9

What does a management team use to determine whether to terminate a project or move to the next phase in the project life cycle?
a. Feasibility study
b. Earned Value Analysis
c. Project management plan
d. Work Breakdown Structure

Answer 9

a. Feasibility study

Question 10

Which of the following tools is commonly used to identify the causes of risks in an automation project?
a. Design of Experiments
b. Pareto chart
c. Fishbone diagram
d. Control chart

Answer 10

c. Fishbone diagram