Control System: Types of Industrial Control Systems
Control System: Types of Industrial Control Systems
CONTROL SYSTEM
Types of Industrial Control Systems
Different Types of Industrial Control Systems are Distributed Control
System (DCS), Remote terminal unit (RTU) and Programmable logic
controller (PLC).
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The RTUs were developed primarily to provide monitoring and control
capability at unattended sites such as substations, metering stations, pump
stations, and water towers. They communicate with a central station over
telephone lines, fiber-optics, radio or microwave transmission.
Monitored sites tend to be relatively small, with the RTU typically used mainly
for monitoring and only limited control. Hardware and software are proprietary,
with either proprietary or open protocols used for data transmission to the
central station.
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Control systems consisting of networked PLCs are supplanting both the plant
DCS and the RTU-based systems in many industries. They were developed
for factory automation and have traditionally excelled at high speed discrete
control, but have now been provided with analog control capability as well.
Hardware for these systems is proprietary, but both control software and
network communication protocols are open, allowing system configuration,
programming and technical support for a particular manufacturer’s equipment
to be obtained from many sources.
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In this article, we discuss the topic on different parts of DCS system
layout and its modules like processors & IO cards, marshalling &
system cabinets, engineering & operator workstations, and Switch.
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Image Courtesy: manufacturingchemist
DCSs are connected to sensors and actuators and use set point
control to control the flow of material through the plant.
Read: DCS Tutorial
This part will be located in the top most part of the cabint and will be
brain of the automatic system.
System Cabinets
In system cabinet, all electronic modules will be installed like
processor cards (CPU), input modules, output modules, serial
communication cards, power supply modules, rack to rack inter-
communiacation modules, fieldbus cards, profibus cards, modbus
cards.
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Main types of input modules are analog input (AI) cards, digital input
(DI) cards. The number of IO channels will vary depends on the user
selection of these cards like 8 channel, 12 channel, 16 channel & 32
channel.
Similarly output modules are analog output (AO) cards, digital output
(DO) cards.
Marshalling Cabinets
Marshalling cabinets shall be used to terminate all field cables as well
as for grouping of various signals from the field devices properly
tagged.
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Sometimes different marshalling cabinets can be allocated based on
type of signals like analog input/output signals, digital inputs, digital
output and relays.
Operator WorkStation
The operator workstations are used for monitoring all system
operations and for effecting control actions and parameter
adjustments.
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There are normally multiple operator workstations, as illustrated
in above figure, each of which contains all of the process graphic
displays and historical trend displays for the system.
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Fig: DCS TDC2000 operator workstation (old model)
Engineering WorkStation
To build graphics using the graphic builder programme.
The configure control loops/monitoring loops
To assign I/Os to various I/O modules during generation of
application software.
To configure shutdown logic/sequence logic.
To write/edit user written program in higher level languages.
To download the generated application software to various
system nodes. To generate “self documentation” i.e. it should be
possible to store the generated information on a CD as well as to
enable user to take a printout of the system configuration.
To emulate generated control loops/scheme/graphics, etc.
before it is downloaded to any control processor or operator
stations.
The graphic and database equalization of all the operator
station shall be performed from engineering station with a single
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command. It should not require manual copy/paste intervention by
user.
Switch
A switch is a intelligent device on network. A switch is a device in a
computer network that connects other devices together. Multiple data
cables are plugged into a switch to enable communication between
different networked devices.
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Communication protocols selected depends on the number of
devices to be connected to this network.
1. Components of PLC
2. Components of PLC
A PLC consists of the required quantities of the following types of
modules or cards, mounted on a common physical support and
electrical interconnection structure known as a rack.
3. A typical PLC rack configuration is shown in below figure.
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4. (1) Power supply :
The power supply converts facility electrical distribution voltage, such
as 230 VAC, 120 VAC or 125 VDC to signal level voltage used by the
plc processor and other modules.
5. (2) Processor :
The processor module contains the microprocessor that performs
control functions and computations, as well as the memory required
to store the program.
These are used to connect devices between plc and field devices like
flow transmitters, pressure transmitters, control valves, analyzers,
substation feeders for motor control etc.
7. (4) Communication :
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Communications modules are available for a wide range of industry-
standard communication network connections. These allow digital
data transfer between PLCs and to other systems within the facility.
9. (6) Redundancy :
Many PLCs are capable of being configured for redundant operation
in which one processor backs up another.
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10. PLC Software and Programming
All software and programming required for the PLC to operate as a
standalone controller is maintained on-board in the processor.
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It Used primarily for batch control operations and is available only in
“high-end” PLC’s.
15. SCADA
SCADA PLCs should be specified to be programmed using ladder
diagrams. This language is very common, and duplicates in format
traditional electrical schematics, making it largely understandable by
electricians and technicians without specific PLC training.
(2) Their widespread market penetration means that parts are readily
available and programming and technical support services are
available from a large number of control system integrators.
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