Chapter One

INTRODUCTION

1.1History Of PLC

Control engineering has evolved over time. In the past humans were the main
method for controlling a system. The development and testing ground for this new
means was the U.S. auto industry. The time period was the late 1960's and early
1970's and the result was the programmable logic controller, or PLC. Automotive
plants were confronted with a change in manufacturing techniques every time a
model changed and, in some cases, for changes on the same model if
improvements had to be made during the model year. The PLC provided an easy
way to reprogram the wiring rather than actually rewiring the control system. The
PLC that was developed during this time was not very easy to program. The
language was cumbersome to write and required highly trained programmers.
These early devices were merely relay replacements and could do very little else.
The PLC has at first gradually, and in recent years rapidly developed into a
sophisticated and highly versatile control system component. Units today are
capable of performing complex math functions including numerical integration and
differentiation and operate at the fast microprocessor speeds now available. Older
PLCs were capable of only handling discrete inputs and outputs (that is, on-off
type signals), while today's systems can accept and generate analog voltages and
currents as well as a wide range of voltage levels and pulsed signals. PLCs are
also designed to be rugged. Unlike their personal computer cousin, they can
typically withstand vibration, shock, elevated temperatures, and electrical noise to
which manufacturing equipment is exposed. As more manufacturers become
involved in PLC production and development, and PLC capabilities expand, the
programming language is also expanding. This is necessary to allow the
programming of these advanced capabilities. Also, manufacturers tend to develop
their own versions of ladder logic language (the language used to program PLCs).
This complicates learning to program PLC's in general since one language cannot
be learned that is applicable to all types. However, as with other computer
languages, once the basics of PLC operation and programming in ladder logic are
learned, adapting to the various manufacturers’ devices is not a complicated
process.

1.3 Advantages of a PLC

1.It is more rugged and has noise immune capability.

2. modular approach in construction, allowing easy replacement/addition of units

(e.g. I/O).

3. standard I/O connections and signal levels.

4. More reliable comparator elayssince electro-mechanical devices, and physical

wear in relay logic controls occurs every time the devices are turned on.

5. Easy to understand , program and reprogram(e.g. ladder diagram): Off-line

programming: programming software allows PLC program development on the PC
to be tested with emulator software to find problems before the software is used in
the control system. Online programming allows the programmer to edit ladder
logic rungs while the PLC is executing a production program [14].

6. Broad application base: PLC software supports a broad range of discrete and
analog applications innumerous industries.
7. Low cost and small footprints: the cost and size of PLCs have dropped
significantly inthelast10years [14]. A micro PLC which could fit in the palm of
your hand, offer powerful machine control for less than US300.

8. High-end control grows exponentially: although cost and size are dropping on
the low end, the capabilities of large PLC systems expand as well. The ability on
network and distribute the control using numerous proprietary and international
network standards permits PLCs to take control of entire manufacturing systems
and production plants [14].

9. Pentium systems widely available today outperform even the fastest PLC.

10. A new generation of PCs becomes available every six to nine months.

1.4. Applications

PLC applications PLCs have been widely used for many applications, e.g.
pumping systems, motor control, energy research, system monitoring and etc.
Some specific applications are discussed in the sub sequent section.

1.4.1 .Conveyor System

This simple application is for a conveyor (moving material machine) and how we
implement it using ladder diagram and instruction list.
 Figure 1.1: The conveyor system

System requirements

1. plc is used to start and stop the motors of a segmented conveyor belt, this allows
only belt sections carrying a copper plate to move.

2.the system have three segmented conveyor belts, each segment runs by a motor

3.a proximity switch located at the end of each segment to detect the position of
the plate.

4. the first conveyor segment is always on.

5. the second conveyor segment turns on when the proximity switch in the first
segment detects the plate.
6. when the proximity switch at the second conveyor detects the plate, the third
segment conveyor turns ON.
7. the second conveyor is stopped, when the plate is out of detection range of the
second proximity switch, after 20 seconds.
8. the third conveyor is stopped after 20 seconds, when the proximity switch
located at the segment doesn’t detect the plate.

1.4.2. Energy research

Energy research Renewable energy research has been going on for decades. Now
days, with the high reliance on fossil fuel energy and the major cause of ozone
layer depletion, other types of renewable energy has been researched and
implemented. Highly developed industry has already spent extremely large energy
in the past and also caused very serious environmentalpollution.Green house effect
has also continuously destroyed the atmospheric ozone layer []. In this paper we
will discuss some other types of energy research that uses PLC as the main control
or joint control with other control systems.

1.4.3. Wind Energy Tangential

Developed a wind chiller integrated with wind generator. A PLC is applied in this
forced dual system to select the wind chiller or the wind generator separately in
terms of the rotational speed of the wind machine. Galardo Callesetal researched
the implementation of wind farm in Spain. Their findings indicates that monitoring
and control of wind turbines are by using PLCs and SCADA that are directly
connected in the local network system.