Periodic drying chamber automated control system

Abstract

The article is devoted to searching for solutions to the problems of the temperature controlling algorithms in a batch drying chamber implementation. A hardware platform on which it is possible to implement and build software models and control algorithms is required. An analysis of literary sources showed that the topic of wood drying due to the complex structure of the control object and energy saving resources potential is relevant all over the world. Due to the complexity of the control object and the necessity to ensure continuous and stable drying quality, automated systems for the new control algorithms is required. There are requirements for building a system: security, the ability to set settings, work in various modes, troubleshooting. An incorrect drying process can lead to the rejection of the entire batch of wood, and therefore to economic losses. Such solutions as construction of mathematical models, usage of predictive controllers, hardware approaches are proposed. It has been established that the complexity of the control object is determined by the initial level of humidity, porous structure, dependence on the type of wood and the size of its cross section. To evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented control algorithms, they are guided by the following factors: drying speed, absence of defects, low energy consumption. A list of input-output signals has been developed, which showed that to build a control system, sensors of temperature, humidity, the state of operation of actuators are needed. The set of equipment was synthesized and a block diagram of the connection was built. The algorithm of the control object operation, consisting of a preparatory part, work in an automated or manual mode is described. Special attention is paid to the description of emergency situations and alarm event logging.

Keywords

• drying chamber
• energy saving
• automated control system