MPS^® PA Reactor Learning System

Heating and cooling

The reactor station brings liquid to the right temperature. Depending on the recipe selected, different temperature profiles with different stirring times are activated. A cooling pump is activated to cool the liquid. The tempered liquid can be pumped onwards to the next station using a separate pump.

Measurement and control

Sensors detect the filling level of the reservoir in the reactor station. This facilitates lessons on simple control exercises for monitoring the pumps right up to complete control projects involving complex processes.

Exact adherence to the various temperature profiles when activating the recipes is achieved by means of temperature control. The temperature sensor (PT100 resistance thermometer) supplies a unit signal of 0 – 10 V via the measuring transducer. The controller with P, PI or PID control algorithm can approach the setpoint temperature values via the dynamically controlled heating unit and keep the values constant. Simple control exercises, for example control using the two-point controller, can be realized using the reactor station. Control technology is clearly and practically explained in this way.

Heating and stirring

Key basic operations in many process engineering systems involve heating and stirring. The components of the reactor station are designed to permit a wide range of experiments in this area.

Infinitely adjustable heating with control signal from 0 – 10 V. A safe experimental environment permits integrated linking of the heater with the integrated temperature switch – thus ruling out the possibility of "running dry" in a practical way.

Stirrer with DC motor

Signal converters convert all analogue signals from the station to standard signals from 0 – 10 V. Practical for the purpose of experimentation: integrated comparators also supply purely binary signals.

Training aims for project work:

• Construction, wiring and commissioning of a system for process technology
• Selection, application and connection of temperature sensors
• Measurement of electrical and process-related variables such as level and temperature
• Use and connection of measuring transducers
• Design and commissioning of control circuits
• Analysis of control processes and control circuits
• Parameterization and optimization of P, PI or PID controllers
• Drafting of open-loop and closed-loop control programs
• Process operation and monitoring
• Inspection, maintenance and servicing