Tutorial 6 - On-Off Control System

(JEE344 Applied Control Engineering)

Aim
• To design and simulate an On-Off control system
• To use simulation as a diagnostic tool to improve control system performance

Learning Outcomes
• Simulate a Level Transmitter, an I/P converter and a Pneumatic Control Valve
• Program the On-Off control algorithm with an Auto/Man model switch
• Enhance Simulator
• Create a project and build applications (executable files)

On-Off Control Algorithm – Design and Simulation with LabVIEW

Block diagram algorithm for On/Off Control with Auto/Man mode switch:

ON/OFF Auto/Man

SP Subtract Greater? Select

ON Select
PV OP
0 OFF Auto
(Control signal)
4
To Actuator

Figure 1 On-Off control block diagram algorithm

The following shows the level control system with all components:

pc

qi Cross-sectional A
Liquid supply
20-100 kPa
Pneumatic hm
I/P LC LT Tank
supply 140 kPa
4-20mA PC 4-20mA
h

qo

Resistance R
Figure 2 Liquid level control system

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 Ps [kPa]
[mm] [V] [V] [V] > [mA] [kPa] [kPa] [mm]
Hsp H sp E U Pc Qin H
Km +_ C KIP Kv G
A/M
[V] On/Off

[V] < [mA] Hm

Km

Figure 3 Block diagram of the level control system

Hands-on Exercise 1 On-Off Control System (Simulation Module)

Open “TankLevelSysSim04.vi” (or an appropriate file name) you created at the end of
Tutorial 5a and save as “OnOffTankLevelSysSim01.vi”

1. Add a Level Transmitter (converts level in mm to mA, then V)

Figure 4 Level transmitter simulator

2. Add a Current-to-Pressure Converter (convert mA to kPa with a pneumatic supply pressure

of 140 kPa and an output of 20-100 kPa)

Figure 5 I/P converter

Save the VI.

3. Add a Pneumatic Control Valve (input: 20-100 kPa, output: qin: 0-0.0071 m3/s > m3/s)

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 Figure 6 Pneumatic control valve
Save the VI.

4. Add an Auto/Man mode switch (using a Select function)

Figure 7 An Auto/Man mode switch using a Select function

Save the VI

5. Add an On-Off Controller (SP [mm] > [V], comparator, On-Off controller)

Figure 8 ON-OFF Controller

Save the VI.

6. Add setpoint level signal and measured signal to the level-chart

7. Add a chart for control signal, setpoint, and measured level [V].

The resulting simulation program looks like... (see Fig. 9 and Fig. 10).

Save the VI. Run the VI and test its functionality.

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Figure 9 Simulation program – Block Diagram Windows

Figure 10 Simulation program – Front Panel

4
Hands-on Exercise 2 Create a Project

Close the VI. Open an Empty Project. Save as “MyFirstProject01”. The project looks like:

Figure 11 An empty project

To create a New VI in project, Right click My Computer > New VI:

Figure 11 New VI in a project

However we are not going to create a new VI, we add a VI (On-Off Level Control System
Simulator) we have created.

5
 Figure 12 Add a file into a project

Information
Source File > Build

Figure 13 Source file

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 Figure 14 Build status

When the Build Application is done, test the EXE file that has been created. If it works
properly, the build application is successful. This EXE file requires LabVIEW Run-Time
Engine 8.6 that can be downloaded from the NI website when it is run in a computer without
LabVIEW:

http://joule.ni.com/nidu/cds/view/p/id/1101/lang/en

Conclusions

At this point, the following LOs have been met:

• Simulate a Level Transmitter, an I/P converter and a Pneumatic Control Valve
• Program the On-Off control algorithm with an Auto/Man model switch
• Enhance Simulator
• Create a project and build applications (executable files)

Follow-up Exercise

Create a new project for simulation of the drying oven system in Example 15 (Lecture Notes)
and build an executable file for the dying oven system.