Development of multi process control trainer for mechatronic education

Abstract

Process control laboratories in most colleges and universities include a single process trainer for control exercises in temperature, level, flow and pressure. Single trainers are present because of the size and cost of the systems; however, the use of single systems makes it difficult to use small laboratory teams without reducing the enrolment limit placed on the laboratory section. Ideally, the process laboratory should have multiple trainers in at least two of the four primary process variables to learn the basics of process control. Then the students could move to the larger more robust systems to study control of a large industrial process.

In this paper a multi control trainer has been developed in order to enable basic controls actions such as flow, level, pressure and temperature control. Process control apparatus of this multi control trainer can independently use on-off, float, P, PI, PD and PID control actions. On this device a water tank, a centrifugal pump, a global valve and driver, a tribune type fluid censor, a rotate-meter type flow meter, two pressure transducer, a SSR relay, an electrical heater an pressure tank, a heat exchanger and NC200 process control apparatus have been used. The device can process seven different experiments on above mentioned control actions.