EEE325 – Control Systems

Lab # 08
Design of a switch (ON/OFF) Controller on QNET HVAC
using LabVIEW
Names UBAID UR REHMAN

Registration Number FA18-BEE-121

Class FA18-BEE-E

Instructor’s Name ABU BAKAR TALHA JALIL

LAB#8: Design of a Switch (ON/OFF) Controller on QNET
HVAC using LabVIEW
OBJECTIVES
Design a switch ON/OFF Controller
To implement the Switch Controller on QNET HVAC Plant using Lab view
METHODOLOGY
The system consists of a Plexiglas duct, with a heater in one end and a blower in the other end. The
heater is a halogen lamp and the blower are a variable-speed fan. There is a thermistor sensor placed
inside the duct to measure the temperature of the chamber and another thermistor sensor outside the
chamber to measure the room temperature. The temperature measured at the thermistor inside the
chamber is to be controlled using the heater voltage while the fan is run at a constant speed. Heat is
transferred to the thermistor by radiation from the heater and by convection from the air stream.
Radiative heat transfer is highly nonlinear, and it is therefore difficult to model the system by first
principles. As a result, empirical tuning will be used to control the system. This heat transfer plant is
very similar to the systems that are used to control wafer temperature in semiconductor manufacturing.
The on-off control input and the measured temperature output from the experiment have an interesting
property that makes it possible to find a simple model for the process. The temperature response is a
ramp due a voltage step therefore the temperature is the integral of the voltage. Under certain conditions,
the process can be modelled by a simple transfer function
LAB TASK
Lab Task 1
• Open the QNET_HVACT_On_Off_Control.
• Make sure that the correct device is chosen.
• Run the QNET_HVACT_On_Off_Control.
• The cooling fan is automatically activated when the Prototyping Board Power switch
on the ELVIS unit is ON. Let the actual temperature,𝑇𝑐 , in the Temperature (C)
scope settle until it stops decreasing.
• Adjust the Temperature (C) scope scales to see both the reference and actual
temperatures
• Calibrate the temperature sensors by clicking on the Calibrate button. This will align
the chamber temperature, Tc, to the measured ambient temperature, Ta.
• Activate the control by clicking on the Heater OFF button
 In calibration there are two sensors attach one is for measuring room temperature and the
other is used for measured chamber temperature.

Lab Task 2
• Make sure the QNET_HVACT_On_Off_Control.vi is running and has been calibrated
as instructed in previous
• In the Signal Generator section set:
➢ 𝐴𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒 = 0 ᵒ𝐶
➢ 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 = 0.008 𝐻𝑧
➢ 𝑂𝑓𝑓𝑠𝑒𝑡 = 0.5 ᵒ𝐶
• Examine the actual temperature (red) and reference temperature (blue) responses in
the temperature (C) scope.
• Gradually vary the offset in the Signal Generator between 0.5ᵒC and 2ᵒC. How is the
reference temperature,𝑇𝑟 in the temperature (C) scope is set? Attach a sample
temperature response.
• Vary the relay amplitude, 𝑉ℎ_𝑎𝑚𝑝, in the Control Parameters section. Explain how
the heater voltage affects the temperature variation and, in particular, observe the
frequency and amplitude of the chamber temperature. Attach a representative
temperature response.
• Explain the effect of changing the relay mean, 𝑉ℎ_𝑜𝑓𝑓. Attach a temperature
response
The value of the reference temperature is 22.8+0.5 = 23.3C

From the above result it is clearly see that, increasing the relay amplitude, increases the heater
voltage. As a result chamber will be heated more quickly
 If we are increasing the relay the heater voltage also increases.
As smaller hysteresis the switching will be high the lamp will turn on and off at the higher
Speed.

Lab Task 3
• Make sure that QNET_HVACT_On_Off_Control.vi is running and has been
calibrated as instructed in section this this. When running, the VI should look similar
to previous tasks
• In the Signal Generator section set:
➢ 𝐴𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒 = 0 ᵒ𝐶
➢ 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 = 0.008 𝐻𝑧
➢ 𝑂𝑓𝑓𝑠𝑒𝑡 = 0 ᵒ𝐶
• In this Control Parameters section set:
➢ 𝑉ℎ_𝑎𝑚𝑝 = 4 𝑉
➢ 𝑉ℎ_𝑜𝑓𝑓 = 4𝑉
➢ 𝐷𝑡ℎ = 0.50 ᵒ𝐶
• Adjust Temperature (C) scope scales to see both the reference and actual temperature
Adjust the Offset on the Signal Generator to obtain a relatively symmetrical
oscillation (i.e., the rate of increase and decrease should be similar)
• Observe the heater voltage and the chamber temperature. As discusses in Section
8.4.3, this can be modelled by the simple transfer function 𝑃(𝑆) = 𝐾𝑣/𝑠. Find
parameter 𝐾𝑣 that would describe the relation between the voltage and the
temperature signals. Attach both the temperature and voltage responses used to find
𝐾𝑣and show your calculations in the space provided below
 The calculation is shown in the manual while the final answer of Kv is 1.56*10-3

Post lab
Give a real-world example of switch control operation and how a
trade-off between hysteresis and better control can improve the
System’s life expectancy
Unmanned ground vehicle for inhumane environments:
Control a simple unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) that moves forwards and backwards depending on
input. A DC motor’s direction of rotation is controlled by alternating the polarities of input voltage. A
sensor such as ultrasonic sensor observes the obstacles and decides whether to move forwards or
backwards.
ON/OFF control action turns the output ON or OFF based on the set point. The output frequently
changes according to minute temperature changes as a result, and this shortens the life of the output
relay or unfavorably affects some devices connected to the Temperature Controller. To prevent this
from happening, a temperature band called hysteresis is created between the ON and OFF operations.
Study the control operations in traditional Split Air Conditioners and
Inverter Air Conditioners.
An inverter type air-conditioner adjusts the speed of the compressor to control the refrigerant (gas) flow
rate, thereby consuming less current and power. An inverter has precise temperature control and as the
set temperature is attained, the unit adjusts its capacity to eliminate any temperature fluctuations. Split
type air conditioners are named as such because they split the components of a traditional air
conditioning system into two individual units – one indoor and one outdoor.
Inverter air conditioner is best for implies the switch control.
Describe how the process in the experiment was modelled by an integrator
under certain conditions? What are the very conditions?
Increasing the relay amplitude, increasing the heater voltage. As a result, chamber will be heated more
quickly.
Conclusion
In this lab I learnt how to Design a switch ON/OFF Controller and implement the Switch Controller on
QNET HVAC