EMERSONTest Platform for Automation System

gets an input from the pressure transmitter. 

The Operator Interface 

The tool for creating an operator interface is object based. It contains images of valves, 

engines, fire etc. The objects can be animated which makes it possible to create an 

operator environment in which the operator can easily get an impression of the state of 

the process. 

1.3 Report Outline 

This report is arranged as follows: 

Chapter 2 - The platform and the course material presents how the hardware as well as 

the software for the test platform have been developed. 

Chapter 3 - Results presents the result, i.e. the finished test platform. 

Chapter 4 - Conclusions presents the conclusions of this project. The chapter also 

presents a few suggestions on how the test platform can be improved.

Chapter 2 

The platform and the course material 

The following chapter will present the platform and the system design; firstly the devices 

that are present and how the physical process works and secondly the course material. 

2.1 The system design 

When choosing the system design the requirements presented in Section 1.2.4 were 

first 

and foremost taken into account. When considering the purpose of the test platform an 

addition was made to the requirements: 

• To make a process that is easy to understand, but that is adequately advanced 

for using advanced control tools in DeltaV. 

With these requirements a system design was developed. The principle of the process is 

briefly described below. Figure 2.1 illustrates of the principle of the process. 

A pressure tank with a needle valve is filled half way up with water. When the control 

system starts, air flows into a tank through a mass flow controller and the pressure in the 

tank is controlled to stabilize around ~1500 mbar. 

When the pressure has been held around 1500 mbar for a specified time a pneumatic 

valve will open and tap out water into an open tank that is placed below the pressure 

tank. The valve will stay open until a level sensor indicates that the tank is full. 

When the open tank is full a heating plate will start to heat up the water. The 

temperature is controlled with on/off controlling to ~35 ºC. 

To continue the process the open tank has to be removed, emptied and put back in 

place. This will restart the process. This can be repeated until the pressure tank is 

empty. 

• Buttons 

The button device consists of one red button with red light and one green button 

with green light. The buttons can also be lit. 

Devices connected to Foundation Fieldbus

• Pressure transmitter 

A pressure transmitter measures and transmits the pressure value. 

• Temperature transmitter 

A temperature transmitter measures and transmits the temperature. 

Devices connected to Profibus

• Mass Flow Controller 

A mass flow controller controls the inflow of gas from one place to another. 

Devices connected to Discrete Out

• Relays 

A relay is a device that can control other devices with on and off. 

 Devices connected to relays 

 Light bulb 

 Heat plate 

• Valve Island 

A Valve Island is a device with several electrically controlled valves. The valves 

are normally closed, but they open when they receive a signal from the controller. 

Devices connected to Discrete In

• Capacitive Proximity Sensor (Level Transmitter) 

A capacitive proximity sensor is used for detecting objects that are proximal to the 

sensor. 

Other objects in the test platform

• Pressure tank 

A pressure tank was constructed for the test platform. It is designed to be able to 

handle a pressure of 10 bar and to contain both water and air. It has four 

connections; one that can be connected to the mass flow controller, one that can 

be connected to the pressure transmitter, one that can be connected to the 

needle valve and one that can be connected to a pneumatic valve. It also has one 

inflow so that it can be filled with water. 

• Open tank 

The open tank is a much less advanced tank than the pressure tank. It is open 

and therefore it must not be able to handle any pressure and it does not have any 

connections. It is metallic so that it can be detected by an inductive proximity 

sensor. 

• Pneumatic Valve 

A pneumatic valve is normally closed, but opens if it is exposed to pressurized air. 

• Compressor / Pressurized air media 

Depending on where the platform is used a compressor or pressurized air media 

is used. A compressor is used when there is no pressurized air media available. 

Since a compressor has a high sound level and in addition is heavy to carry it is 

only meant to be used when there is no other option.

Detailed description of the Physical Process 

1. DeltaV controller, I/O and 

fieldbus cards 

2. Pressure transmitter 

3. Mass Flow Controller 

4. Valve island 

5. Inductive Proximity Sensor 

6. Capacitive Proximity Sensor