PLC & SCADA

UNIT 3: Advance PLC Function

PROGRAM ON/OFF INPUT TO PRODUCE ON-OFF OUTPUTS

A Programmable Logic Controller, or PLC, is more or less a small computer with a built-
in operating system (OS). This OS is highly specialized to handle incoming events in real
time, i.e. at the time of their occurrence.
The PLC has input lines where sensors are connected to notify upon events (e.g.
temperature above/below a certain level, liquid level reached, etc.), and output lines to
signal any reaction to the incoming events (e.g. start an engine, open/close a valve, etc.).
The system is user programmable. It uses a language called "Relay Ladder" or RLL
(Relay Ladder Logic). The name of this language implies that the control logic of the
earlier days, which was built from relays, is being simulated.
There are some other languages also used 1. Sequential Function chart 2. Functional
block diagram 3. structured Text 4. Instruction List
A PLC is primarily used to control machinery. Programs written for PLCs
consists in simple terms on instructions to turn on and off outputs based on input
conditions and the internal program. In this aspect, it is similar to a computer. However,
one designed to be programmed once, and run repeatedly as needed. In fact, a crafty
programmer could use a PLC to control not only simple devices such as a garage door
opener, but their whole house, including switching lights on and off at certain times,
monitoring a custom built security system, etc.
Most commonly, a PLC is found inside of a machine in an industrial environment. A
PLC can run an automatic machine for years with little human intervention. They are
designed to withstand most harsh environments.

ANALOG PLC OPERATION

As PLC is an digital devices every performances are operated on discreet values. Every
analog signal incoming or outgoing to/from PLC is converted.
With analog signal we can send exactly every information, with full range.
Unfortunately, PLC as a digital device has to convert that signal into group of discrete
signals it can perform on. As PLCs typically use 16-bit signed binary processors, the
integer values are limited between -32768 and +32767.

For example for analog input 0-10V DC with 16-bits PLC will only provide processor
with information about 16 various steps

This example shows the Data Flow Diagram and PLC program for analog in and output.
An analog signal of 0 to 10 volts comes in through a converter to an input module. The
signal is to be Analog Signal in Programmable Logic Controllers 60 scaled to 1/5 of its
value by the CPU and then sent out through an output module.
As IR0017 is the input and OR0024 the output, program when IN0016 is on, will operate
whole scaling procedure. Operation on scaling input signal for proper output The linear
input of 0 to 80 volts is to be scaled into the output as a linear 0 to 21 volts. To scale that
signal we have to find proper mathematical equation. From linear proportions it is clear
that we have to multiply the input by 21/80.
Program, when IN0016 is enabled, will operate the process of multiply by 21 (and save
the information to memory – MR0001) and then divide the result by 80. The other
sequence is inefficient, because of limited memory of data in a PLC, as a digital device.
When the value is first divided PLC will automatically round the value to the nearest
possible for him, which with small quantities produce enormous defect on the result.
Conditioning operation on more than one analog input There are two analog inputs A and
B of 0 to 100 volts. If A exceeds 35 V, output F is to go on; if B exceeds 19 V, output G
is to go on; if both exceed their listed numbers, output H is to go on; otherwise, no
outputs are to be on.
,
Those comparators placed in this example check if the first value is bigger than the
second one. As input A and B, there are IR0017 and IR0018 used. For outputs F,G,H
there are DO0005, DO006 and DO007 used accordingly.

PID CONTROL OF CONTINUOUS PROCESSES

A continuous process is one in which the output is a continuous flow. Examples
are a chemical process, a refining process for gasoline, or a paper machine with
continuous output of paper onto rolls. Process control for these continuous processes
cannot be accomplished fast enough by PLC on-off control. Furthermore, analog PLC
control is also not effective or fast enough by PLC on-off control. Furthermore, analog
PLC control is also not effective or fast enough. The control system most often used in
continuous processes is PID (proportional-integral-derivative) control. PID control can be
accomplished by mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, or electronic control systems as well
as by PLCs.
Many medium-size PLCs and all large PLCs have PID control functions, which are able
to accomplish process control effectively
PID (proportional-integral-derivative) is an effective control system for
continuous processes that performs two control tasks. First, PID control keeps the output
at a set level even though varying process parameters may tend to cause the output to vary
from the desired set point. Second, PID promptly and accurately changes the process level
from one set point level to another set point level.
Proportional control, also known as ratio control, is a control system that corrects
the deviation of a process from the set level back toward the set point. the correction is
proportional to the amount of error For example, suppose that we have a set point of 575
cubic feet per minute (CFM) in an airflow system. If the flow rises to 580 CFM, a corrective
signal is applied to the controlling air vent damper to reduce the flow back to 575 CFM. If
the flow somehow rises to 585 CFM, twice the deviation from set point, a corrective signal
of four time In actuality, the fast correction is not precise. You return to a new set point at
the end of the corrections the magnitude would be applied for correction. The larger
corrective signal theoretically gives a faster return to 575 CFM. for example, 576.5 CFM,
not 575 CPM. Proportional control does not usually work effectively by itself, resulting in
an offset error. .
To return the flow to the original set point, integral control, also known as reset control, is
added. Note that integral control cannot be used by itself. Remember, with proportional
control only, we had an output error from our original set point. We ended up at 576.5
CFM, not 575 CFM. Integral control senses the product of the error, 1.5 CFM, and the time
the error has persisted. A signal is developed from this product.
Integral control then uses this product signal to return to the original set point. An
integral control signal can be used in conjunction with the proportional corrective signal.
In the controller, the added integral signal reduces the error signal that caused the output
deviation from the set point. Therefore, over a period of time, the process deviation from
our original 575 CFM is reduced to minimum. However, this correction takes a relatively
long period of time.

FIGURE -1 Block Diagram of a Typical PID Controller

To speed up the return to the process control, point, derivative control is added to the
proportional-integral system. Derivative control, also known as rate control, produces a
corrective signal based on the rate of change of the signal. The faster the change from the
set point, the larger the corrective signal. The derivative signal is added to the proportional-
integral system. This gives us faster action than the proportional-integral system signal
alone. A typical PID control system is shown in block diagram form in figure.This
configuration is the commonly used parallel type. The controller output signal of figure -1
is utilized through a control system to return the process variable to the set point.

To understand the PID module, refer to figure 2 The PLC sends a set-point signal to the
PID module. The module is made up of three elements: the proportional, integral, and
derivative circuits. The proportional circuit creates an output signal proportional to the
difference between the measurement taken and the setpoint entered in the PLC.
The integral circuit produces an output proportional to the length and amount of time the
error signal is present. The derivative circuit creates an output signal proportional to the
rate of change of the error signal.

FIGURE 2 Block diagram of PID Module

The input transducer generates an output signal from the process being controlled
and feeds the measured value to the PID module. The difference between the set point
coming from the PLC and the measured value coming from the input transducer is the error
signal. Some sort of correcting device, such as a motor control, valve control, or amplifier,
takes the error signal and uses it to control the correction sent to the process being
controlled.

SIMPLE CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM

When a control system is designed such that it receives operating information from the
machine and makes adjustments to the machine based on this operating information, the
system is said to be a closed-loop system, as shown in Figure 10-1. The operating
information that the controller receives from the machine is called the process variable
(PV) or feedback, and the input from the operator that tells the controller the desired
operating point is called the set point (SP). When operating, the controller determines
whether the machine needs adjustment by comparing (by subtraction) the setpoint and the
process variable to produce a difference (the difference is called the error), The error is
amplified by a proportional gain1 factor kp in the proportional gain amplifier (sometimes
called the error amplifier). The output of the proportional gain amplifier is the control
variable (CV) which is connected to the controlling input of the machine. The controller
takes appropriate action to modify the machine’s operating point until the control variable
and the set point are very nearly equal.

It is important to recognize that some closed loop systems do not need to be completely
proportional (or analog). They can be partially discrete. For example, the thermostat that
controls the heating system in a home is a discrete output device;
Some closed loop control systems are totally proportional. Consider, for example, the
automobile cruise control.
When a digital control device (such as a PLC) is used in a control system, the closed loop
system may be partially or totally digital. In this case, it still functions as a proportional
system, but instead of the signals being voltages or currents, they are digital bytes or words.
The error signal is simply the result of digitally subtracting the SP value from the PV value,
which is then multiplied by the proportional gain constant kp. Although the end result can
be the same, there are some inherent advantages in using a totally digital system. First,
since all numerical processing is done digitally by a microprocessor, the calibration of the
fully digital control system will never drift with temperature or over time. Second, since a
microprocessor is present, it is relatively easy to have it perform more sophisticated
mathematical functions on the signals such a digital filtering (called digital signal
processing, discrete signal processing, or DSP), averaging, numerical integration, and
numerical differentiation.
The performing advanced mathematical functions on the closed loop signals can vastly
improve a system’s response, accuracy and stability. Whenever the closed loop control is
performed by a PLC, the actual control calculations are generally performed by a separate
coprocessor so that the main processor can be freed to solve the ladder program at high
speed. Otherwise, adding closed loop control to a working PLC would drastically slow the
PLC scan rate.

PROBLEMS WITH SIMPLE CLOSED-LOOP SYSTEMS

A very few types of closed loop systems will work correctly. The reason for this is that in
order for the machine’s operating point to be near to the value of the SP, the proportional
gain kp must be high. However, when a high gain is used, the system becomes unstable
and will not adjust its CV correctly. Additionally, if the controlled machine has a delay
between the time a CV signal is sent to the machine and the time the machine responds,
the control system will tend to overcompensate and over-correct for the error.

To see why these are potential problems, consider a closed-loop system that controls the
speed of a DC motor as shown in Figure 10-2. In this system, the output of the proportional
gain amplifier powers the DC motor. The PV for the system is provided by a tacho-
generator connected to the motor shaft. The tacho-generator simply outputs a DC voltage
proportional to the rotating speed of the shaft. It appears that if we make the SP the same
as the tacho-generator’s output (the PV) at the desired speed, the controller will operate the
motor at that speed. However, this is not the case.
When the operator inputs a new SP value to change the motor speed, the control system
begins automatically adjusting the motor’s speed in an attempt to make the PVmatch the
SP. However, if the proportional gain amplifier has a low gain kp, the response to the new
SP is slow, sluggish, and inaccurate. The reason for this is that as soon as the motor begins
accelerating, the tacho-generator begins outputting an increasing voltage as the PV. When
this increasing PV voltage is subtracted from the fixed SP, it produces a decreasing error.
This means the CV will also decrease which, in turn, will cause the motor speed to increase
at a slower rate. This causes the response to be sluggish. Additionally, in our example, let
us assume that in order to operate the motor in the desired direction of rotation the CV must
be a positive voltage. This means the error must also be some positive voltage. The only
way the error voltage can be positive is for the PV voltage to be less than the SP. In other
words, the motor speed will “level off” at some value that is less than the SP. It will never
reach the desired speed.
Figure 10-3 is a graph of the speed of a DC motor with respect to time. the motor is
accelerated with low proportional gain. the motor acceleration is reduced as the motor
speed increases which causes the system to take over 90 seconds to settle,. This error is
called offset
In an attempt to improve both the sluggish response and the offset in our motor speed
control, we will now increase the proportional gain kp.

However, this system still takes more than a minute to settle and the offset is more
We will now try a large increase in the proportional gain. Figure 10-5 shows the
response of our system with the gain kp increased by a factor of 10. here that the offset is
smaller however the response now oscillates to both sides of the SP before finally
settling. This decaying oscillation is called hunting It can potentially damage machines
with the overstress of mechanical systems and the overspeed of motors.

If we increase the proportional gain even more, the system becomes unstable. Figure 10-6
shows which is called oscillation. It is extremely undesirable and Any further increase in
the proportional gain will cause higher amplitudes of oscillations.
 INDUSTRIAL PROCESS EXAMPLES
The PLC can be used in industrial departments of all the developed countries in industries
like chemical industry, automobile industry, steel industry and electricity industry. Based
on the development of all these technologies, functionality and application, the scope of
the PLC increases dramatically.
1) PLC in Glass Industry
With the development of PLC and increasing demand in the real world, the control mode
of the programmable-logic controller with an intelligent device is applied in the glass
industry. In making of a float glass, PLC itself cannot finish some controlling tasks because
of the complexity of the control system and processing of huge data. For the production of
glass, we make use of bus technology to construct the control mode of a PLC with a
distributed-control system. This control system deals with analog controlling and data
recording; the PLC is also used for digital quality control and position control.
2) PLC in Cement Industry
Along with the best-quality raw materials, the accurate data regarding process variables,
especially during mixing processes within the kiln, ensures that the output provided should
be of the best possible quality. Nowadays a DCS with bus technology is used in the
production and management industry. By using this existing DCS control system, the PLC
is in user mode of SCADA. This mode comprises PLC and configuration software. This
SCADA mode comprises the PLC and host computer. The host computer consists of slave
and master station. The PLC is used for controlling the ball milling, shaft kiln and Kiln of
coal.
 3) Paper industry
In the paper industry, PLCs are used in various processes. These include controlling the
machines that produce paper products at high speeds.
For instance, a PLC controls and monitors the production of book pages or newspapers in
offset web printing.

4) CNC Machine
1) CNC machine tools using a variety of switch quantity control the movement of the
machine tool, including the control switch, trip switch, close to switch, pressure switch,
temperature switch, etc., through all kinds of switch signal to the PLC, and after PLC logic
operations, to control the signal output to the object. (2) PLC output signal via the relay,
contactor,
hydraulic or pneumatic solenoid valve, control knife library manipulator and rotary center
workbench, etc. (3) PLC collects all kinds of fault signal, the warning signs in the
appropriate position, issued by the CNC system alarm or alarm text signal. (4) PLC is to
achieve CNC machine tools (MT) of switch control through the communication between
the CNC system(CNC) and the machine tool (MT), namely the exchange of information
between PLC and CNC, PLC and MT.

5) PLC’s are used in wide range of industries like petrochemical, biomedical, distillery
,beverages, food industries and any other industry that seek less human help to produce
the product. With the help of PLC some of the process we can do is listed below
1.Continuous bottle filling system
2.Batch mixing system
3.stage air conditioning system
4.Traffic control

PLC INTERFACE

PLC interfaces numerous types of external electrical and electronic signals. These signals
can be AC or DC currents or voltages. Typically, they range from 4 to 20 milliamperes
(mA) or 0 to 120VAC, and 0 to 48VDC. These signals are referred to as I/O
(input/output) points. Their total is called the PLC's I/O capability. From an electronic
point-of-view, this number is based on how many points the PLC's CPU is able to look
at, or scan, in a specified amount of time. This performance characteristic is called scan
time. From the practical perspective of the user, however, the number of I/O modules
needed as well as the number of I/O points contained on each I/O module will drive what
the system's I/O capability should be.
It's important to have sufficient I/O capability in your PLC system. It's better to have
more than less so that, when more I/O points are required at a future time, it's easier to
write the existing spare I/O points into the software (since the hardware is already there).
There's no harm to the operating system in having spare I/O points; the software can be
programmed to ignore them, and these points will have a negligible effect on the PLC's
scan time.