This trainer provides a comprehensive experimental introduction to the fundamentals of control engineering using an example of temperature control.

  A circulating pump delivers water within a closed circuit. The flow rate of water can be adjusted 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 sets out the fundamentals and provides a step-by-step guide through the experiments.

- fundamentals of control engineering
- real industrial control engineering components:

  controllers, transducers, actuators
- operation, configuration and parameterisation of

  the local industrial controller  
  * manually (by keyboard / controller software

    RT 450.14)
  * using the RT 650.50 process control software
- control response to
  * switching control (2-point / 3-point controller)
  * continuous control 
  * dead times
- investigation of disturbance and control response

- 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
- together with accessory RT 650.50 and other

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

  with and use of process control software (SCADA)