PID Control
In this video, ABB’s Area Sales Manager, Stuart Ruskin demonstrates PID control using our demo rig.
The demo rig consists of an inverter, a motor, a fan and a damper. In this demonstration the damper will be used to control the flow in this instance air, but the demonstration is just as applicable to water.
PID Control Demo
The 1st setting on the inverter, Stuart sets the desired pressure. The 2nd setting is the current and the 3rd the Hertz. As Stuart switches on the demo unit he talks us through an example scenario:
“Imagine you are at a hotel and it is first thing in the morning. There are a lot of people taking showers, using the toilet, running water for the kettle etc, there is a lot of demand on the water system. At this point you will see there is a lot of pressure going through – to simulate this the damper is open.”
In the video you see the Hertz rising (which is the speed), and the pressure setting is trying to match the pressure we set on the inverter. As it gets to the desired amount it stabilises.
Stuart continues: “As you can see, after just a few seconds, we are now almost at the pressure we need to achieve to keep everyone’s showers flowing. You will also notice we are drawing 0.6 Amps. Once everyone has finished their morning ablutions and the demand on the water system lessens. We reduce the flow by closing the damper and we can very quickly see a reduction in speed, this is the PID Control!”
The PID Control is achieved by the pressure sensor feeding back intelligent data to the inverter. The inverter then makes the necessary adjustments to the speed of the motor. By slowing down the speed of the motor when the demand on the water supply is less, you can see that the Amps currently being drawn are reduced to just 0.2 Amps, which is a vast reduction in the power being consumed to just a 3rd of the consumption when the demand was at its highest. PID Control, in this scenario, provides substantial energy savings and therefore monetary savings!
Work with IDS
Our team of ABB trained engineers are fully conversant with PID Control and can help you to achieve better control over your air or water flow ensuring an increase in demand is met efficiently and when the demand lessens, the inverter quickly reduces the speed of the motor to ensure you are only using the energy you need. If you would like to explore the benefits of PID Control call us now on 0115 944 1036 or email [email protected]