Laboratory Processes
We have well equipped control process laboratories. Here are listed the key laboratory processes that play an important role in education of process control, automation, and informatics. Various semester projects, bachelor and diploma thesis were realised in these processes.
Remote Laboratories WebLab-Deusto
First of all, you can try on-line remote laboratories WebLab-Deusto here. The on-line remote laboratories WebLab-Deusto are developed by University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain, with our cooperation. You can check the the on-line control of laboratory liquid tanks, DC motor, and thermo-optical plant that are placed in our institute. You can also try other interesting processes placed in Universsity of Deusto.
Clean Energy Trainer
This interesting process of wind turbine control enables to observe the entire energy conversion chain and learn about the individual technologies. Computer-supported measurements and experiments can be realized. Its components can be used separately and combined. Simulation of load and source profiles can be performed. Visualization of operating parameters can be build-up. Experiments can be focused on the behavior and characteristic curve of a solar module, behavior and characteristic curve of a wind generator, efficiency of an electrolyser, efficiency of a fuel cell, hydrogen generator from renewable sources, optimal alignment of renewable sources, etc. You can find more information about this process here.
System of liquid tanks DTS200
This process consists of three liquid tanks in series. The manipulated variables are input voltage into the two pumps that represent the input volumetric flow rate into the first and the second liquid tank. The controlled variables are the liquid levels in the tanks that are measured by pressure sensors. This process enables to implement advanced multivariable control approaches. The controller can be implemented in PLC or MATLAB/Simulink environment.
Parrot Ar.Drone 2.0
Ar.Drone 2.0 is already second version of a popular low cost quadrotor by Parrot. This complex dynamical system enables to apply challenging position estimation and control strategies in 3D space. The quadrotor is equipped by four propellers and multiple electronic sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, pressure sensors, electronic compass etc.) and cameras. The data from sensors and motion commands for propellers are communicated via WiFi interface with PC. Students are required to pass all engineering steps from modeling and identification through the estimation and filtering to the final control. You can find more information about this process here.
Armfield Process Plant Trainer PCT23
This process plant trainer enables to control various plants, such as the liquid levels in the two tanks, or the temperature ensured by the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger enables to control the temperature of cool medium using the hot medium. The hot medium is preheated in separate tank that can be also controlled in independent way. This process enables to implement advanced multivariable control approaches. The controller can be implemented in MATLAB/Simulink environment. You can find more information about this process here.
Phoenix Hexapod Walking Robot
Robotic hexapod is a complex mechatronic system that allows students to perform various task of control that is based on inverse kinematics. The robot consists of body and six legs, each controlled separately by three servo motors, which combined, gives overall 18 degrees of freedom. Students can program the movements of separate robot parts as, e.g. a set of procedures for particular leg or can design a high-level control for the movement of robot as a whole. You can find more information about this process here.
Liquid tanks uDAQ28/3H
This process enables to control three liquid tanks in series. The control actions are the two pumps that ensure the input volumetric flow-rates. The controlled variables are the liquid levels in the tanks that are measured by pressure sensors. This process enables to implement advanced multivariable control approaches. The controller can be implemented in PLC or MATLAB/Simulink environment.
Armfield multifunction process control teaching system PCT40
This multifunction process control teaching system consists of basic module PCT40 and extended modules PCT41, PCT42, PCT43. Module PCT40 enables to control the liquid tanks and the heat exchanger. This module has various controllable valves and pumps. Modules PCT41 and PCT 42 enable to control continuous stirred tank reactor, and enable to measure values of pH in the reaction mixture. Module PCT43 enables to control the plants independently, i.e., without connection to the external computer. This process enables to implement advanced multivariable control approaches. The controller can be implemented in MATLAB/Simulink environment. You can find more information about this process here.
Heat exchanger LTR700
This process represents the laboratory heat exchanger that ensures the required temperature of preset flow-rate of the air. The manipulated variables are the RPM of the fan and input power to the heater. The output variables are flow-rate of the air and its temperature. This process enables to implement advanced multivariable control approaches. The controller can be implemented in MATLAB/Simulink environment that is compiled for DSP processor of the dSPACE 1102 card. The controller can be implemented also by PLC Class 300s from VIPA using I/O moduls from Siemens. PLC is a relatively small industrial computer used to automate processes in real time - control of machines or production lines in the factory. PLCs are different from ordinary PCs, not only by the number of processing program cycles, but also their peripherals are directly adapted to connect to the technological process.
Magnetic levitation CE152
This process enables to control interesting process of magnetic levitation. The position of the metal ball in the magnetic field is controlled. This process has single input and single output, i.e., input voltage into the coil and the position of the ball, respectively. The position is measured using the magnetic sensor. The mathematical model of this process is strongly non-linear, and the task is to implement suitable control strategy. The controller can be implemented in MATLAB/Simulink environment that communicates with the plant via MF614 card. You can find more information about this process here.
LEGO Mindstorms
LEGO Mindstorms, version NXT, enables to implement the control strategy in user friendly way. This process can be controlled based on the flow charts by its NXT brick, or via MATLAB/Simulink environment. The wide range of available bricks enables to simulate various control processes and scenarios. You can find more information about LEGO Mindstorms here. Information about MATLAB/Simulink environmnet support of LEGO Mindstorms can be found here.
Thermo-optical plant uDAQ28/LT and TOS1A Model 2013
The Thermo-optical plan TOS1A Model 2013 represents a new generation of the plant uDAQ28/LT. These processes have three main parts: bulb, LED, and cooling fan. Therefore, there are the three control inputs and three system outputs. The control inputs are the input voltage into bulb, the input voltage into LED, and the input voltage into fan. The controlled outputs are the light intensity produced by bulb and LED, the temperature generated by bulb, and RPM of fan. This process enables to implement advanced multivariable control approaches. The controller can be implemented in MATLAB/Simulink environment.
Membrane Process
This process enables us to separate different solutes in a solution based on the molecular size differences. The membrane process is often used in the chemical, food or pharmaceutical industry. For example in food industry the membrane processes are used to produce high quality juices or the remove of proteins and pectin. Another interesting application of membrane technology is the de-alcoholization of beer. In case of the application in chemical industry the membrane technology is used for desalination of seawater or for the treatment of groundwater of surface water. In this process we are able to do a wide range of experiments because of different membranes like ultrafiltration, nanofiltration and reverse-osmosis. The process is controlled through PLC or Matlab/Simulink environment.
Distillation column Armfield UOP3
This complex laboratory process enables to control rectification. The multi-level separation method can be controlled by reflux ratio. Measured are the temperatures in the reboiler, in each of the four distillation level, in the condenser, and in the feed. Distillation column enables to perform a continuous or batch operation, computer-compatible column. It enables a full range of demonstrations from the introductory stages of a process engineering course through to the more complex demonstrations of modern control strategies. This laboratory process enables to implement advanced multivariable control approaches, and also the state-observer strategies, such as Kalman filter, etc. The controller can be implemented in MATLAB/Simulink environment. You can find more information about this process here.
Ball and plate CE151
This interesting plant enables to design multivariable control of unstable system in an effective way. The control actions are the two servo motors that set angles of the plate. The output variables are the both coordinates of ball position. The current position is measured visually by a digital camera. The controller can be implemented in MATLAB/Simulink environment. You can find more information about this process here.