This compact teaching / training unit offers every opportunity to learn the fundamentals of process control through experimentation on a flow control system. The experimentation set-up is mounted in a solid housing which accommodates all the electronics. A piping system with two flowmeters is supplied with flow by a speed-controlled pump from the transparent storage tank. The variable-area flowmeter offers the advantage that the flow can be observed directly at any time. The rate of flow is measured by a turbine wheel flow transducer. The transducer output signal is sent to the software controller. The output signal from the controller influences the setting of an electromagnetic proportional valve. To investigate the influence of disturbance variables, the pump speed can be altered by way of the software.

The powerful state-of-the-art software is an integral part of the training system, embodying the principle of hardware/software integration (HSI). It enables the experiments to be conducted and evaluated in a user-friendly manner. The software has network capability. The link between the unit and the PC is made via a USB port.

The clearly structured instructional material sets out the technological fundamentals and provides a step-by-step guide through the experiments.

- Fundamentals of process control based on the

  example of a rapid flow system
- Open loop control response

- Effects of different control parameters and methods

  on the response of the closed loop system 
- Recording of step responses 
  + reference variable
  + disturbance variable
- Controller optimisation
- Software-based controlled system simulation
  + comparison of different system parameters