Stacking Sinks to Test Code
We have been working with one of our customers to develop a system to control and monitor tank temperature and level. In order to further test our code, we needed a scaled down version of their system. Because we didn’t need to test with actual chemicals, we decided to do the tests with water using 2 sinks to simulate the tanks. In order to test the temperature control, we used a heating element controlled with an Allen Bradley PLC and small pump to recirculate the water so it heats evenly.
At first we attempted to use a lawn sprinkler valve to control the water level, but quickly discovered that they do not work when placed vertically. A bit of modification to this valve allowed us to use it as intended and have control over the level of the top tank. After fully setting up the system we ran the code and successfully had control over the heating element and pumps with the code, and gather accurate temperature readings through a thermometer running into the PLC. We were able to heat the water to 60ºc and steadily hold it there with our code!
