Developing a Heat Engine for a Prototype

Description

In this project an NI CompactDAQ Chassis with four slots was utilized (NI cDAQ USB-9174). The slots were filled with the following modules: 
NI-9205 – 32 channels of analog input. 
NI-9264 – 16 channels of analog output
NI-9211 – 4 channels of thermocouples
NI-9203 – 8 channels of 4mA-20mA current values. 

The analog input channels were used to read a variety of sensors such as temperature sensors (thermistors), pressure sensors, hall sensors (to read engine positions and velocities), as well as other sensors. 
The analog output module operated the different devices, such as the stepper motor that was used as a scanner, a pump that was used to chill the system and a heater that was used to heat the system. The heater was operated by pulse width modulation (PWM) and worked in the PID mode, according to the thermistor (temperature) sensors. 
    Another engine was operated at different velocities, according to a linear operation profile. A hall sensor that measured the engine velocity was used to sample the real engine velocity and, according to the set-point velocity, was applied vie the analog output voltage. An additional analog output module was used as a binary button to enable/disable the configuration. 
    
    Ambient temperature values were acquired with a thermocouple module at different locations in the system. The current module was used to acquire signals from vibration sensor (for safety uses) and a calibrated pressure sensor in order to calibrate the internal pressure sensors. 

ReadyDAQ customized the order to meet the customer’s requirements, and since the software application was not build from scratch the software was delivered very fast and in reasonable budget.

• Date Published: 06/22/2016
• Categories: Computerized control and command software setup utilizing LabVIEW