One of the challenging task after designing all the required control systems is making it work with the current system. For example, if you design an automated system that can send the right command out to control the rectifier to have the proportional load and flow of caustic and brine to the cells but your rectifier interface is manual, your control system is useless!
So in order to make the control systems useful, it is needed to make sure all the interfaces are compatible and integrate them appropriately.
Documentation on all the current systems is a good starting point to understand what needs to be changed or redesigned to play nice with the upgraded controls.
I was able to find the supplier for the rectifier and have them retrofit their control box so it could be automated. I also needed to come up with many actuated valves in order to actuate the control signals, coming out of the Programmable Logic Controller. The rest of the tuning happens when the control system is in place and the process is being carried out.
Most common control commands are either analog signals (4-20mA) or digital output (10VDC). All the sensors give you a similar outputs except RTDs (Temperature Sensors) which most of the PLCs have interface modules that accommodate RTD also.
No comments:
Post a Comment