— Process Control Lab —


Shown here are just two of the pieces of equipment the students work on in the course of the lab.

  One of the computer desks used in the lab can be seen in the top picture below. Each computer is fitted with a standard industrial analog-conversion card. Connections to the apparatus are made through a locally-built signal conditioning unit (the blue box just behind the monitor). For input lines this matches the voltage or current levels provided by the sensors. It does the reverse for outputs to actuators, and also multiplexes some extra output channels that would not be otherwise available from the card.  


Distillation Overhead System

This apparatus attempts to model the condensing and inventory characteristics of the equipment used in the overhead system of a distillation column, though a distillation column is not a part of the apparatus; a pool type reboiler and a single distillation tray provide the vapor stream to the condenser. A fluorinated hydrocarbon is used as the fluid in the (sealed) system.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR A LARGER VIEW OF THE APPARATUS

Fixed Bed Chemical Reactor

The reactor consists of a tube packed with granular "catalyst" particles, but no chemical reaction is actually involved! Instead, the reaction is simulated in the computer. Temperature and flow measurments, along with a "virtual concentration," are supplied to the simulation, which calculates the heat of reaction and drives several heaters in the bed of "catalyst". The concentration changes are also calculated and reported to UCONLINE.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR A CLOSE-UP OF THE REACTOR TUBE AND ITS INTERNALS

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