Control Freak

[Meatheadinc]

I needed a new controller and thought it may be fun to try some semi automation and automatic shutdown

I know that this is unnecessary but I like to build things and this is a fun ( for me anyway) project.

I decided at this point to power the box on 2 individual control circuits to avoid rewiring my house and allow me to use it anywhere without problems.

The controller will include.

Grain brew controllers including chilling

voltage controlled elements *2 (changeable from PID controlled, voltage Controller and direct element)

auto shut off element 2 after heat up. -temp below dephleg

automatic dephleg control - exit water temp of dephleg + bypass

automatic tails shut down - vapour temp above dephleg

cooling water fail shutdown - flow/paddle switch

spill shutdown - rain sensor in overflow tray below collection vessel

and probably some more idiocy as I go..

still waiting on some parts but some pics so far

new controller.jpg

just missing pot dails

control panel back.jpg

slowly but getting there,

inside box.jpg

waiting on pieces

fan port.jpg

[1 2many]

Thread title says it all, I was planning on making a fancy controller but not to your extent and even have most of the parts, but then thought all I need to do is set a water valve easy... I just think it is to confusing and more of a chance that things may go wrong.

Having said that it looks full on like it and looking forward to some results. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Whiskyaugogo]

Super advanced, great work mate!

Don't think I would ever go down this path as I love the distilling process of adjusting flows etc. :think:

[Meatheadinc]

thanks guys

whiskyaugogo: this will never completely run a still and will likely give me more things to adjust and play with :D

[sp0rk]

Is that an Electric Brewery inspired build?

[Meatheadinc]

I have read that thread but its based on Swede and ODs work on other forms

[Meatheadinc]

plus some ideas pinched from Maritimer and of course some originality

[MacStill]

I thought it was said I was the only control freak around here ?

oh I get it now

:text-lol:

[Dingo Charlie]

um..... you lost me at "I needed"

[MacStill]

um..... you lost me at "I needed"

Copy that :handgestures-thumbupleft:

But nuttin wrong with turning a short motor into a drag spec monster of a power house if that's your thing :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Things people are doing with these FSD rigs lately is just blowing me away, I best start getting creative again if Im a gunna keep up to customer demands :-B

Simply awesome :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[wiifm]

What about emptying your parrot? :-B

[Meatheadinc]

@wiifm - emptying your parrot

Im not sure what you mean

[bayshine]

I think means a control valve for that as aswell :text-lol:

[res]

Love the build mate :handgestures-thumbupleft: I've been thinking about such things ever since I saw Swedes clip:
viewtopic.php?f=24&t=6158#p103492
Your controller sounds like the zenith, if you ever have the time to post up a schematic I for one would love to take a look ^:)^
Hope it works well for you.
Cheers. :greetings-waveyellow:

[Meatheadinc]

Thanks Res

umm.....schematic........ uummmm :?

It makes sense in my head :laughing-rolling:

I will try when I have it all finished :? although I am happy to talk to you about what Im doing anytime.
I look at each component/ sensor/trigger/etc as a small circuit then intergrate together. its in the integration that I have some problems
This is a learning project for myself and plans and scope of the project change daily with new knowledge and ideas.

[tipsy]

thanks guys

whiskyaugogo: this will never completely run a still and will likely give me more things to adjust and play with :D

Exactly what I have found...........your controller looks the nuts!

[Brendan]

That is nuts mate! Looks like a friggen space ship control panel! :scared-eek:

Hopefully it gives you some cool things to fiddle with, just don't get complacent and rely on your auto-shutdowns ;-)

Nice job on the wiring :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Maritimer]

Howdy, Meathead!

To readers: Meatheadinc asked me to comment on his plans.

I look at each component/ sensor/trigger/etc as a small circuit then intergrate together. its in the integration that I have some problems

Yes, your control box is like the body of a animal that needs a breath of life.

I don't know what level of electrical or computer savvy you are at, so I'll go through the historical ways that this would have been accomplished at different points in the last century.

Before electronics were the relays. The important aspect of relays is that they can amplify a signal. A current applied to the coil pulls an armature that connects many switches at once. Not only are a whole lot of switches pulled in, but the same amount are disconnected.

The contacts of many relays working together can do the work of a small, specialized computer. The relays can be wired to remember that they have been activated, or they can work in sequence. (I remember back around 1963 seeing a repairman working on the innards of a pin ball machine. There must have been 20 relays, and you could see them operating while the pinball machine was being played. It was utterly fascinating.) The inputs can be from sensors and the closing of a relay contact can activate some electrical device.

Now one of the things that relays need to do is to react to conditions that result from more than one sensor state. For example, if the flow switch turns off or the vent temperature goes too high, turn off the power to the elements. But if the vent temperature goes high because you are watching for boiling to start, turn on the coolant and turn down the power to equilibration level.

The next level of integration is using digital ICs to do the functions that the relays were wired to do. With ICs, though, you now have the equivalent of hundreds of relays performing logic based on the sensor outputs.

And, next is using an embedded computer. Instead of wiring up a lot of ICs to do a specific job, you write a program that uses the sensor values (which can be analogue, not just on-off) to control the elements, motors, and valves of you still.

After that is using an embedded computer to work with a laptop of desk PC.

And after that is sending and receiving data from the embedded computer to and from the internet. A program on a computer, tablet, etc, uses the internet to send and receive information and control of the still.

So, do any of these integration strategies interest you?

Maritimer

[Meatheadinc]

Thanks Maritimer,

Wasn't what I expected lol

I think that I will I will keep it as an on/off relay \contactor set up - you know keep it simple :laughing-rolling:
2 of the PID controls have an option for a voltage out so I may incorporate a proportional valve instead of a solenoid at a later point.

As I do not have a great deal (actually very little) experience with electronic so this is a steep learning curve

PM sent

parts still haven't arrived ( relays, contactors, sensors) so I cant do much over the weekend however I did test the front panel. It seems to operate and switch function correctly although I have not yet connected the triggers.

Best of all no magic electrical smoke escaped :handgestures-thumbupleft:

benchtest1.jpg

[Meatheadinc]

I preformed a test run of the reflux control system over the last few days and found it to work quite well overall. :-B
I did have a problem with a cheap switch not working due to the fact it melted :scared-eek: (contacts not contacting properly caused a hotspot) good thing was I wasn't drawing much power at that point, and as it smelt hot I shut it down before too much went wrong.
(if it continued it probably would have just melted till it deformed enough to short on the metal case and trigger the in built RCD protection.)

Apart from the above incident, everything worked. The reflux controller worked well and held reflux temp at tem plus or minus .5 degrees) I believe it will work better when I relocate the temp probe from the water outlet into its own fitting approx. 1/2 to 2/3 up the reflux condenser. I believe relocating the probe to a different position will reduce the " lag " experienced by the temp probe and aid in tuning.
The lag could also be eliminated by the use of a proportional valve, instead of the surging/on/off solenoid valve however I feel it will be far cheaper to add a extra port in a reflux condenser.

The heat up was fast and the second element turned off as the plates loaded :handgestures-thumbupleft: now its more waiting for more parts. (flow sensor/paddle switch, moisture sensor etc)
the contactor block has arrived. it will trigger power shutoffs if coolant flow is sensed to stop and if an overflow is detected.

I would like to say that this system is not designed to run a still unattended . A system like this will offer much data that can be used for consistency using real repeatable figures ( not 3 and 2/3 turns on my valve ...well unless its a hot day, cause then you will......... :laughing-rolling: ) and offer some added safety for the :angry-banghead: bonehead moments ( shit the phone rang and now there is a half litre of high proof whiskey dripping off the bench)
As "I" built this controller ( no real electrical experience) I would not leave this controller alone, let alone leave it responsible for my still and whiskey/rum. However this controller provides me with lots of pretty lights and more things to play with, fiddle with and f#*kup a run with :laughing-rolling:

I will add some more pics when its finished