This teaching and training system provides a comprehensive experimental introduction to the fundamentals of process control using an example of temperature control.
A circulating pump transfers water within a closed circuit. The flow of water can be regulated by a hand-operated valve. The loop also contains a screw-in heater, a heat exchanger with fan, and three integrated thermocouples for temperature measurement. Dead times can be represented by the use of different lengths of process delay. A thyristor power controller is used as the actuator. The controller used is a state-of-the-art digital industrial controller. It can be configured as a continuous or a switching device, and can activate the heater via the actuator and / or the fan.
The controlled variable X and the manipulating variable Y are plotted directly on an integrated 2-channel line recorder. Alternatively, the variables can be tapped as analogue signals at lab jacks on the switch cabinet. This enables external recording equipment, such as an oscilloscope or a flatbed plotter, to be connected. 
A process control software (RT 650.50) is optionally available. The software permits the construction of a complete networked system comprising multiple trainers from the RT 512 - RT 552 series. The key process variables can also be represented, and control functions executed.
The well-structured instructional material outlines the technological fundamentals and provides a step-by-step guide through the experiments.

- Introduction to the fundamentals of process control
- Familiarisation with real industrial process control

  components: controllers, transducers, actuators
- Operation, configuration and parameter setting of

  the local industrial controller 
  + manually (by keyboard / controller software)
  + using the RT 650.50 process control software
- Control response to:
  + switching control  (2-point / 3-point controller)
  + continuous control
  + dead times
- Disturbance feedforward control
- Controller optimisation
- Investigation of the properties of the open and

  closed control loops
- Processing of process variables using external

  equipment, e.g. oscilloscope or plotter
- In conjunction with accessory RT 650.50 and other

  trainers (RT 512 - RT 532, RT 552): Familiarisation

  with and use of process control software (SCADA)