Control engineering

K5007

sesi december 2011

Floating Mode Of Control

Present by:
 GOBINATH A/L TILLAIMANI
 WAN MOHD TARMIZI BIN WAN MOHD
 MUHAMMAD HAFIZZZUL AZIM BIN ABD
AZIZ
 ZULHELMI BIN ABDUL LATIB
 Definition
 The control of liquid levels, for example in a process tank, is an important
function.
 An example would be a hot water tank where water is removed, perhaps for
washing down, and the level needs to be restored ready for the next wash cycle.
 Control of water level and alarms for steam boilers is specifically excluded from
this Tutorial, and the reader is referred to Block 3 (The Boiler House), which
deals with the subject in depth.
 Many different types of level control systems are used in industry, covering a
wide range of processes.
 Some processes will be concerned with media other than liquids, such as dry
powders and chemical feedstock.
 The range of media is so wide that no single instrument is suitable for all
applications.
 Many systems are available to serve this wide range of applications
 Application in float
operated types

A float rises and falls according to

the change in liquid level and
operates switches at predetermined
points in the range.
 Several types

 Single speed
 Multispeed
 Proportional speed
Single speed floating controller

In a 2 position control, a liquid level in a tank is under a

float control system, and is such that, when the liquid
rises to a certain level, a float switch shuts down a
supply valve or pump.
When falling, again at a specific level, the float switch
will re-open the valve or re-start the pump.

A floating control will operate a control valve which, as

level rises and falls will throttle down or gradually open
a level control valve in the inlet (or outlet) line, thereby
controlling the level at a pre-set height in the tank.
Proportional speed floating control

Is the type of response frequently combined with

proportional control in our modern industrial
controllers.

Definition: controller action in which there is a

continuous linear relation between value of
controlled variable and rate of motion of final
control element.
Operating System
 The water level within the tank is controlled by a
float operated valve which is set to allow water to
enter when the water level drops below the
required level.
 If the float operated valve should fail, water will
continue to enter the tank, raising the water level
until it reached the overflow pipe.
 At which point the water will be discharged
though the overflow pipe and, hopefully, give a
warning of the problem.
 On plastic water tanks, the float valve needs to be
fitted with a backing plate to stiffen the side of the
tank and prevent it flexing when the valve is
operated.
 This is a simple form of level measurement.
 An everyday example of level control with a
float is the cistern in a lavatory.
 When the lavatory is flushed, the water level
drops in the cistern, the float follows the water
level down and opens the inlet water valve.
 Eventually the cistern shuts and as fresh water
runs in, the water level increases, the float
rises and progressively closes the inlet water
valve until the required level is reached.
 The system used in steam boilers is very similar. A float is
mounted in the boiler.
 This may be in an external chamber, or directly within the
boiler shell.
 The float will move up and down as the water level changes in
the boiler.
 The next stage is to monitor this movement and to use it to
control either a feed pump (an on / off level control system) or a
feed water control valve (a modulating level control system)
because of its buoyancy, the float follows the water level up and
down.
 At the opposite end of the float rod is a magnet, which moves
inside a stainless steel cap. 
 Because the cap is stainless steel, it is (virtually) non-magnetic,
and allows the lines of magnetism to pass through it.
 In its simplest form, the magnetic force
operates the magnetic switches as follows:
 The bottom switch will switch the feed pump
on. 
 The top switch will switch the feed pump off.
 However, in practice a single switch will often
provide on / off pump control, leaving the
second switch for an alarm.
 This same arrangement can be used to provide
level alarms
 Conclusion

 A range of level control systems and methods

are used in industry.
 Systems may be based on the use of floats,
probes or even more sophisticated technology.
 This tutorial studies the use of probes to
provide adjustable & non-adjustable on/off
control, and modulating control of liquids.
 Simple flow control applications are also
considered.