Item Code
DL 2314
Technical Specifications
This trainer shall be composed of different elements that allow the study, simulation and performing of experiences in the
field of process control. Basically, this system shall be composed of a process control trainer, a process control simulation
software, a process control and transducers software, a data acquisition unit and a programmable logic controller.
All these elements will be shown in detail in the following points.
PROCESS CONTROL TRAINER
This system must consist in a didactic plant which includes two modules:
1- pressurized process tank and a series of sensors and actuators for level, pressure, temperature and flow;
2-control module including interface circuits for sensor and actuators plus control circuit for On/Off function and PID
These two panels shall have insulated type front panel with the electrical scheme.
The trainer must be composed of:
• an educational board with a pressurized vessel and a set of sensors and actuators for level, pressure, temperature and
flow;
• a control module, containing the interface circuits for the sensors and the actuators and the ON/OFF, proportional,
integral and derivative control circuits (PID).
Technical features
Pressurized vessel capacity: 5 liters approx + a second tank for water retrieval dim. 460x390x h 200 mm and capacity of
32 liters
Water tank capacity: 20 liters approx.
Temperature sensors:
• platinum thermo-resistance Pt 100 in AISI 304 steel, diam. 5 mm, 1200 mm. length, EE-S cable.
• bi-metallic direct reading thermometer
Level sensors:
• linear variable-differential transformer (LVDT)
• on-reed ON/OFF sensor
Flux sensors:
• flow meter:
Temperature range: -40° to + 85° Celcius
Materials: PVDF
Pulse output: Push-Pull
Max. load: 2k2Ω
Signal generation: Optoelectronic (infrared)
Range (L/min): 0.3 - 9.0
K- factor (pulses/L): 8000
Output (Hz): 40 - 1200
• flow meter, direct reading
Pressure sensors:
• strain gage
Quantity
DL 2314SIM
Pressure range: 30 psi
Span mV: min 240 Typ.330 Max 420
Sensitivity: mV/psi Typ. 11
Overpressure Max. psi 60
Type of seal: fluorosilicone
Type of port: straight
• manometer, direct reading
Recirculation pump: 6 litres/minute, 12 V, 1.5 A
Absorption: 1.4 A
Max.flow (l/min) at 0 bar: 7
Noise level (db): 55/60
Pressure switch intervention (bar): 1.5
Motor driven valve
4 manual valves
Water heating resistance: 48V, 200W
• Waste electro-valve set at 2.4 bar
Pressure range: 0-4 bar
Fluid temperature: -10°C…- 100°C
Room temperature: +55 °C max
Housing Material: brass
Seal Material: FPM
Coil material: polyamide
Safety thermostat
Piping: brass
Power supply: single-phase from mains
With this system, the student must be able to study the following:
• Study of the level, flow, pressure and temperature sensors
• Study of the characteristics of the pump and of the motor pump
• Study of the characteristics of the static process and of the time constants
• ON-OFF, P, PI, PD and PID closed loop control of the level
• P, PI, PD and PID closed loop control of the flow
• ON-OFF, P, PI, PD and PID closed loop control of the temperature
• ON-OFF control of the level with the pressure sensor
• measurement of the characteristics of the heater
• pressure sensor as level sensor
PROCESS CONTROL SIMULATION SOFTWARE
This must be a software simulator of the Process Control System implemented in LabView environment. The simulator
consists of two parts: system under control and controller.
The system under control shall comprise the following elements:
Pump
Motor valve
Process tank
Container
The behavior of the system shall be modeled basing on the characteristics of physical components. Under a given supply
voltage the pump shall create flow of water which also depends on pressure in the system. In the process tank some
amount of water may be stored which exerts hydrostatic pressure on the bottom. The process tank shall be also equipped
with an air valve which can be used to control air pressure inside. The output pressure of the tank shall correspond to the
sum of hydrostatic pressure and air pressure. The temperature of water inside the process tank shall be controlled by
the use of a heater. To influence pressure in the system also the valves shall be used. The container shall be used to store
water for the system and there shall be atmospheric pressure at its output.
The user must be able to affect the system behavior through the controller that is composed of PID and On/Off control; in
particular it must be possible to vary parameters as the water temperature, water pressure and the water level in the
tank. It must be possible to control these parameters also manually.
The system must include a plant composed of a process pressurized tank, a storage tank, a series of sensors and
actuators for level, pressure, temperature and flow. The simulator must calculate and propose to the user the following
parameters:
- System flow
- Outlet flow of the process tank
- Pressure on the pump
- Total pressure at process tank outlet
- Water level in the process tank
- Water temperature in the process tank
The user shall be able to influence the behavior of the system by the use of the controller part. The system shall be
controlled by the following quantities:
Pump: input voltage (from 0V to 10V)
Motor valve: angle (from 0° to 40°)
Heater: input voltage(from 0V to 10V)
Process tank:
1st Manual output valve: angle (from 0° to 90°)
2nd Manual output valve: number of turns
Sol output valve: on or off
Air valve: on or off
The controller part shall be equipped with a PID and On/Off controllers which will be used to control temperature,
pressure and level of water in the tank. The parameters
The software must represent graphically the operating of the control unit and of the transducers; moreover, it shall
reproduce the hardware transducers previously described.
DL 2314SW
PROCESS CONTROL SOFTWARE
This software must be used to control the process control trainer and it must be implemented in LabView environment
and it must allow the performance of the following applications:
-measurement system synoptic
-PID ON/OFF controller
-acquisition unit
-plots
-data printing
-system parameters setting
-student parameters setting
This software shall show different windows representing the several options for the experiments performing. Here below
will follow a brief description of the required windows.
The first window shall allow the user to choose the type of experience to perform:
level – flow – temp - press
After the selection of the experience type, it shall be possible to choose the specific activity to perform and then a control
panel shall display.
The next window shall be referred to measurement of system synoptic; this window shall contain the synoptic panel of
the system through which the experiment is performed, with the indication of the quantities of interest and the
commands to adjust the parameters of interest.
PID ON-OFF Controller window shall be used to regulate by PC the processes as level, temperature, etc.
Acquisition unit window shall allow to directly display all the inputs of data acquisition unit. This software shall permit to
display the inputs’ values in two modes:
-8 voltmeters: in this case the windows shall show the controls to display the value of the 8 analog inputs of the
acquisition card. The inputs shall be represents as voltage values (-10 ÷ +10 V)
Autorange and close buttons shall be included. The first shall permit the function to set the instruments’ ranges to the
minimum and maximum values. The second one shall permit to close the window.
- 8 indicators: the inputs shall be represented as voltage values.
Autorange, reset min/max and close buttons shall be included. The first shall permit the function to set the instruments’
ranges to the minimum and maximum values. The second one shall restore the instruments’ default range and the third
one shall permit to close the window.
Plots management window shall allow to visualize all the system’s quantity in real-time. Through the “plot legend”
button, the user will display the plot-related labels and select one or more variables by clicking on the correspondent
checkboxes. The characteristics of the graphic representation shall be preset but it will be possible to modify them; the
plot’s title shall not be modifiable but x,y1,y2 scales and limit values names shall be modifiable.
Furthermore, right-clicking on the plot will give access to its general menu and the user shall have the possibility to
customize the plot’s appearance.
Data printing window shall offer two printing options: full & plot window.
Full window: by pressing the print button in the window, the user shall print the current state of the running experience;
the synoptic panel, the plot and the PID/ON-OFF control panel will be included.
Plot window: by right-clicking on the plot diagram and by selecting “export simplified image” selection.
System parameters setting window: main parameters shall be changed by acting on the panel accessible from the
configuration menu of the program main window. The configuration panel shall show the following parameters :
-language for text displaying
-dt (ms): value that shall show how often the control will be performed
-N of point For Mean: number of samples to acquire and to average out in order to obtain a single value
-save: value that shall write the currently selected parameters into the configuration file and shall make them
immediately active
-apply: value that shall make the currently selected parameters immediately active without writing them into the
configuration file. At the program’s reboot, the last saved values of the parameters will be used.
Student parameters setting window: this software shall be set to identify the operator executing the experiences. This
information shall permit to associate the experience result with the student that has performed; the student data window
shall show the following details:
-student name/surname
-student class
-cancel
-apply
DL 1893
DATA ACQUISITION UNIT
Interface unit: used to interconnect real world signals to a data acquisition system. Input/output 2 mm terminals.
Technical features: 16 analog inputs: 0-10 Vdc; 2 analog outputs: 0-10 Vdc; 8 TTL inputs; 8 relay outputs; Power Supply:
220 V, 50 60 Hz