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Group No. 6

Cebu Institute of Technology – University

Chemical Engineering Department

Laboratory Experiment Report No. 6

Experiment No. 8 ON – OFF CONTROL OF LEVEL

Author: Claire Therese A. Talandron

Date: September 12, 2019

Hysteresis is the phenomenon in which the value of a physical property lags behind
changes in the effect causing it.The aim of this experiment was to understand the
operation of a closed-loop ON-OFF control system and to understand the effects of
hysteresis on the control. ON-OFF control or in simplest terms, it is feedback control.
This particular experiment is a continuation of the level sensor and uses the same
apparatus from the level sensor experiment but this time, the factor which is hysteresis
changes to determine the effects in the closed loop control system.

The experiment showed that increasing hysteresis will increase the deviation of the
controlled variables. At increasing hysteresis, there will be a greater time requirement
to achieve the set points corresponding to each percent hysteresis. Based on the
results gathered, it was observed to have fluctuating values on the lower limit
boundaries and upper limit boundaries with corresponding voltages in a span of time.
Through this: As hysteresis increases, the gaps of time; the delay also increases
showing the advantages of using an ON-OFF controller.

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I. OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this experiment was to understand the operation of a closed-
loop ON-OFF control system and to understand the effects of hysteresis on the control.

II. APPARATUS/EQUIPMENT
 DL 2314
 Digital Multi-meter
 Set of leads

III. RELEVANT THEORY

A closed-loop control system, also known as a feedback control system is a

control system which uses the concept of an open loop system as its forward path but
has one or more feedback loops (hence its name) or paths between its output and its
input. The reference to “feedback”, simply means that some portion of the output is
returned “back” to the input to form part of the systems excitation.
ON/OFF control is a type of control method commonly applied to process control
applications such as liquid level control. It is the simplest and often least expensive
type of automatic process control. ON/OFF control, or two-position control, examines
the value of a process variable and gives an output that is either fully on (I00%) or fully
off (0%). There are no intermediate settings with ON/OFF control. In short, it is known
also as the hysteresis controller that switches abruptly between two states. It is
positioned at high and low-level limits with two-level switches with the control circuit
maintaining the level between the level limits.
A very common example of on-off control theory is fan controlling scheme of
transformer cooling system. When transformer runs with such a load, the temperature
of the electrical power transformer rises beyond the preset value at which the cooling
fans start rotating with their full capacity. As the cooling fans run, the forced air (output
of the cooling system) decreases the temperature of the transformer. When the
temperature (process variable) comes down below a preset value, the control switch
of fans trip and fans stop supplying forced air to the transformer.

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After that, as there is no cooling effect of fans, the temperature of the

transformer again starts rising due to load. Again when during rising, the temperature
crosses the preset value, the fans again start rotating to cool down the transformer.
Theoretically, we assume that there is no lag in the control equipment. That means,
there is no time day for on and off operation of control equipment
Hysteresis is the dependence of the state of a system on its history. In control
systems, hysteresis can be used to filter signals so that the output reacts less rapidly
than it otherwise would, by taking recent history into account. For example,
a thermostat controlling a heater may switch the heater on when the temperature
drops below A, but not turn it off until the temperature rises above B. (For instance, if
one wishes to maintain a temperature of 20 °C then one might set the thermostat to
turn the heater on when the temperature drops to below 18 °C and off when the
temperature exceeds 22 °C). Similarly, a pressure switch can be designed to exhibit
hysteresis, with pressure set-points substituted for temperature thresholds. The
experiment uses the same set-up as with the level sensor but this time, the hysteresis
knob is used to understand and observe how hysteresis affect the closed loop control
system.

IV. PROCEDURE
The students was given with a diagram in Fig 5.4 which shows the connections
of the ON-OFF control and sets the process simulation panels such as Delivery Valve(
fully open), Motor valve(fully open), Sol valve(open (ON) using the interface ON-OFF
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DRIVER), Main valve (fully open), Drain valve (fully closed), Needle valve (fully
closed), Air valve (fully open), Process Tank(with 8 cm level of water), SetPoint 1 knob
(0V), and hysteresis knob (0%) after checking the knowledge of the prerequisites.

Bush No.1 of the level Sensor was connected through leads to bus No.1 of the
relevant interface and the same method goes to bush No.2. Bush No.19 of the linear
driver was connected to bush No.19. Bush No.20 to bush No.20 was also connected
by means of lead. The bush of SET POINT 1 was connected to bush No.14 on the
ON-OFF controller and bush No.13 of the level interface was connected to bush No.13
of the ON-OFF controller. The terminal side was inserted on the digital voltmeter that
was set in DC. The earth bush, on the other hand, was inserted in the bush of SET
POINT 1. The main switch was turned ON. The voltage on SET POINT was regulated
to 5V. The terminal of the digital voltmeter was moved to the bush of SET POINT 1 to
bush No.13 of the ON-OFF controller. The voltage value was determined to be at 2V.
The terminal of the digital voltmeter was moved to bush X4 of the ON-OFF controller
and the voltage was equal to the difference between the voltage applied to bush No.14
and the voltage applied to bush No.13 that is 3V. Bush No.18 of the ON-OFF controller
was connected to bush No.18 of the LINEAR DRIVER. The pump started immediately
and the level started to increase while the voltage value on the voltmeter decreases.

As soon as the voltage difference between bush No.14 and bush No.13 will be
null. The knob NEEDLE VALVE and/ or the knob DRAIN VALVE was slowly turned
clockwise the level decreased a little. The voltage difference between bush No.14 and
bush No.13, caused by the level variation, brought an output of the ON-OFF controller
(bush No.18) to a voltage approximately 10V and the pump then again started. The
pump operated in a short time and the previous level was reached (11 cm.). The
NEEDLE VALVE and/or the knob DRAIN VALVE was regulated and approximately
equal time for the level increase and decrease between start and stop of the pump
was determined. The up and down level of the cycle was then repeated.

The MAIN VALVE was turned clockwise and the reading of the flow on the flow
meter was approximately 20 liters/hr. This operation was performed while the pump
was running and that is when the water was increasing. Step No.12 was repeated.
The up and downtimes of the level between start and stop of the pump were measured

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at 0% hysteresis. The results were written down in Table A.1. The procedure from
No.15 for all hysteresis values listed in Table A.1 were repeated. The measurement
of the up and down was repeated for each value of hysteresis. The NEED VALVE and
DRAIN VALVE was closed. The main switch was turned OFF. All connections were
removed.

V. Experimental Data Analysis and Discussion

A. Tabulated Data and Results

Table A.1

Hysteresis, % 0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Set point (cm) 10 10 10 10 10 10 10

Lower Limit Set point 9.6 9.55 9.5 9.25 8.95 8.8 8.65
(cm)
Up Raising time of the 1.0842 1.19286 2.49167 5.75333 9.73667 12.4133 15.0567
level (sec)
Upper limit Set point 9.9 9.85 10 10.25 10.7 10.9 11.1
(cm)
Lowering time of the 14.2257 15.7428 31.364 61.115 105.510 130.465 149.855
level (sec)

Figure A.1

0% Hysteresis
9.95
9.9
9.85
9.8
9.75
9.7
9.65
9.6
9.55
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

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Figure A.2

5% Hysteresis
9.9
9.85
9.8
9.75
9.7
9.65
9.6
9.55
9.5
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Figure A.3

10% Hysteresis
10.1

10

9.9

9.8

9.7

9.6

9.5

9.4
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

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Figure A.4

15% Hysteresis
10.4

10.2

10

9.8

9.6

9.4

9.2
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

Figure A.5

20% Hysteresis
10.8
10.6
10.4
10.2
10
9.8
9.6
9.4
9.2
9
8.8
0 50 100 150 200 250 300

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Figure A.6

25% Hysteresis
11.5

11

10.5

10

9.5

8.5

8
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350

Figure A.7

30% Hysteresis
11.5

11

10.5

10

9.5

8.5

8
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

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B. Analysis and Discussion

In this experiment, we used 10cm level as our set point value instead of 11cm
level since we cannot achieve 0volts at 11cm.

As the time for the water level to rise and fall (which indicates the on and off of
the pump) increases, it was also observed that the percent hysteresis increases as
well as the maximum level and minimum level (but at minimal changes). Based from
graphs 1 to 7, the line for the upper limit and lower limit passes through the control
level, which is shown to be similar to almost all of the graphs which is at the 8 cm mark
for the lower limit and 11 cm mark for the upper limit.

It can also be observed that Fig A.1 Hysteresis at 0% has the shortest period
length or has the least time requirement to reach the upper limit and lower limit set
point, and Fig A.7 Hysteresis at 30% has the longest period length or has the longest
time requirement to reach the upper limit and lower limit set point. Shorter period
means higher frequency and longer period means lower frequency.

It can be observed that the greater the percent hysteresis, the greater the time
requirement will be needed for the up raising and lowering time of the water level in
reaching its corresponding set points. Thus, the greater the hysteresis, the greater the
time deviation will be on the system.

VI. Conclusions

The advantage of hysteresis control, it is simple and uniformly stable. The

significance of this experiment is that in a process control system, a lower hysteresis
would result in higher frequency of the output, thus more wear and damage of the
system’s component. Whereas, increasing hysteresis would result in lower frequency
of the output which means greater time requirement to reach the upper and lower limit
set point, thus lesser stress and damage to the system’s component. Therefore, in
order to limit the stress and cause delay on the On-Off control system integrated
hysteresis is applied.

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Result shows that 0% Hysteresis has the shortest dead band and least time
requirement to reach the upper limit and lower limit set point. It also shows that 30%
Hysteresis has the longest dead band and has the longest time requirement to reach
the upper and lower limit set point.
The data showed 10 cm as our set point value. Whenever the water level rises
above the set point value (10 cm), the high level will send signal to the control circuit,
causing the control circuit to fully open the solenoid valve until the level goes back to
its set point (10cm). The level then drops until it reaches its lower limit for each percent
hysteresis and the cycle repeats.

VII. References

1. January 2, 2018, On off Controller Theory

Controller,https://www.electrical4u.com/on-off-control-theory-controller/.
2. Geankoplis et. al. 4th Edition. Transport Processes and Separation
Processes Principles (Includes Unit Operations).
3. Krasnosel'skii, Mark; Pokrovskii, Alexei 1989. Systems with hysteresis.
New York: Springer-Verlag. ISBN 978-0-387-15543-
4. https://levelprocesscontrolsystem2.weebly.com/relay-based-onoff-
controller.html?fbclid=IwAR3QqMRCQSfhrSwo8LUBsF5p_qSGy-

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