Project Objective
A data monitoring and pressure responsive control system will be designed for a 2-stage functional compression prototype that accurately represents the partially constructed biomass gasification and 4-stage compression system prototype for Windward Education and Research Center.
Team
The project team is
Customer/Market Requirements
- Automates a two stage system for compressing air to 250 psi.
- Continuously monitors pressure within the compression system, with emergency shutdown procedures for over pressure situations.
- Provides clear evidence to the operators that the compression unit is storing gasses at the predetermined pressures.
- Complete documentation of the control system design, including instructional material for maintenance and replication of the control system, accesible to knowledgeable parties with limited experience.
Design Challenges
The design team is focused on designing a robust and reliable control system. The system automates the compression process and monitors the pressure in the two tanks.
The system automatically shuts off compression when the second stage reaches 250 psi. Additionally the system displays live pressure data on a digital readout for the operators.
Outcomes
The team has developed a conceptual design that integrates our controls onto the physical two stage compression unit provided by the Windward community.
The following schematic shows the interaction of our control system with the physical two stage compression system.
