Development of PLC Based Prototype Data Acquisition and Control System for Laboratory Type Gasifiers

In this research, a PLC controlled data acquisition and control system has been designed which is installed on different types of gasifiers to monitor the gasification processes. It is a modular system and equipped with analog and digital input / output expansion modules. The prototype system in the research can detect analogue and digital data coming from different types of sensors such as thermocouples, load cells and pressure sensors. In addition, operating speeds of the fans, motors and proportional valves on the reactors can be controlled by providing signals from the analog output channels of the PLC. With the developed prototype data acquisition and control system, the process variables can be saved to USB memory with 60 s period and monitored on a HMI touch panelduring gasification processes performed in a laboratory scale gasifier. By equipping with expansion modules, this system can be used to control large industrial plants. The developed system has been tested successfully in experimental studies and the obtained graphs of temperature, pressure, flow and mass change are presented in the text.