PLC-TACC PLC Industrial Process Control for TACC

The Computer Controlled Air Conditioning Unit with Climatic Chamber and Water Chiller, "TACC", is an actual air conditioning system with climatic chamber suitable for people and allows the study of the influence of different operation modes of the system on human comfort.

It mainly consists of a square section tunnel made of stainless steel with several windows that allow the visualization of the process.

There is a computer controlled variable speed fan in one end to introduce air in the duct.

After being impelled, the air passes through a heat exchanger (air-water) to cool the air, thus increasing its relative humidity till reaching the dew point and partially removing the content of water in the air. There is a computer controlled water chiller, a water tank and a recycling pump at the bottom of the unit. The pump will impel the generated cold water through the heat exchanger and it will gain the heat given by the air. There are temperature and flow sensors that enable the user to make energy balances and quantify the cooling capacity in the heat exchanger and the water chiller.

Then, the air passes through a computer controlled electric heating element to adjust the air temperature and decrease the relative humidity to the desired values.

Finally, the air crosses a computer controlled humidifier that increases the humidity content in the air.

Air leaving the duct enters a climatic chamber suitable for persons, where the comfort feeling in function of the set parameters can be checked.

After leaving the chamber, air can be recycled to the air conditioning duct by an adjustable duct, which enables to work with outside air or with recycled air. Both flows are indicated by two air flow sensors.

To control and observe the temperature and humidity variables, the unit has 6 strategically located measuring points (five along the tunnel and one in the climatic chamber) consisting of a hygrometer and a humidity sensor to check the measurements obtained. The hygrometers consist of two temperature sensors (wet and dry bulb).

The software of the unit allows a manual operation of the system, controlling each stage and setting stable conditions for research, or an automatic operation, setting comfort conditions in the climatic chamber.

This Computer Controlled Unit is supplied with the EDIBON Computer Control System (SCADA), and includes: The unit itself + a Control Interface Box + a Data Acquisition Board + Computer Control, Data Acquisition and Data Management Software Packages, for controlling the process and all parameters involved in the process.