The Thermal Control Process Apparatus mimics a common industrial process, including an air-conditioning plant, where a combination of adjustments can control temperature. These can be:
The apparatus has a variable-speed fan that forces air through a duct. In the duct is an electrically-heated process block. A balance of the heat gained from electrical heating and heat lost by convection and conduction gives a steady temperature at the block.
Two temperature sensors measure the temperature of the block. One sensor is in direct thermal contact with the block. The other sensor mounts on an insulating spacer to introduce thermal inertia and variable-time constants into the control loop. A servo-driven vane, mounted after the fan and the process block, creates a variable restriction downstream for more advanced experiments.
The control problem is to keep the process temperature within acceptable limits while it works under various conditions. A combination of regulating the electrical energy to the heater, varying the air flow rate and rotating the vane gives the heat control. The apparatus has scaled down time constants for shorter laboratory time.
A relay amplifier with variable hysteresis allows more advanced experiments.The flexible design of the equipment allows the user to develop many other analysis and control exercises to suit their needs. It is good for extended or advanced control experiments, and is ideal for student project work.
Learning OutcomesKey FeaturesEssential Base Unit
Uses smoke trails to show air flow around different
shaped models
CE120 - Base Unit
A self-contained analogue and computer based controller designed to support practical investigations into the basic and advanced principles of control engineering at all academic levels.
CE122 - Base Unit
A self-contained computer based controller designed to support practical investigations into the basic and advanced principles of control engineering at all academic levels.
TecQuipment's Process Trainer (CE117 - Experiment) is a fully integrated and self-contained bench top process control apparatus containing valves, pumps, power supplies and ancillaries to allow flow, level, temperature and pressure control strategies to be investigated individually and in combinations.
A self-contained mobile module for temperature process control experiments to illustrate the principles of single-loop control and the calibration & tuning of controllers, transmitters, converters and valves. Demonstrates feedback control, ON-OFF control, P/PI/PID control, distance-velocity lag and temperature control. Distributed control available when used with an optional computer control system.
