Diverter DGAP/PTC Logic

This program was designed to control a hydraulic diverter gate between conveyors. The diverter would direct ore in varying degree to a recycle crusher (350 ton/hr, 500Hp motor). The hydraulic pump motor was wired into a reversing contactor and a positioning transducer returned an analog signal. The original use of a DCS control block resulted in too long a lag time between setpoint reached, setpoint sensed, and stop command issued. We then rewired the transducer signal into the Allen-Bradley PLC rather than DCS I/O. I created the first half of the below logic and some improvement was seen. Unfortunately, error was still in the 3% range. The second set of logic managed to lower this closer to 1%.

All the below integer amounts are scaled 0-4095 (representing 0-100%):

N:A is an integer position command from the DCS
N:B is the amount of error or tolerance in the outer band of control
N:D is the amount of error or tolerance in the inner band of control
N:G is an integer position indication from the diverter
N:K is the amount of error or tolerance for the PTC portion of logic



First Try

The Differential Gap (DGAP) Control



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
     |THESE 4 RUNGS TAKE DIVERTER POSITION COMMAND AND ADD/SUB THE GAP/DGAP VALUES.                                                |
     |THIS LOGIC IS BASED LOOSELY ON THE DCS DGAP CONTROLLER.  SEE PG. 272-273                                                     |
     |OF DCS VOL. 5 FOR ROUGH IDEA.  THE DGAP VALUE WILL BE REDUCED AS MUCH AS                                                     |
     |POSSIBLE TO ALLOW MANUAL CONTROL.  THE GAP VALUE MUST BE GREATER THAN DGAP                                                   |
     |AND WILL PROTECT FROM LARGE COMMAND FLUCTUATIONS IN AUTO AT DCS.  2/25/99 -WA                                                |
     |                                                                                                          GAP HIGH           |
     |                                                                                                          SUM                |
     |                                                                                                          DIVERTER           |
     |                                                                                                          +--ADD-----------+ |
   26|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|Add             |-|
     |                                                                                                          |A:       N:A    | |
     |                                                                                                          |            4095| |
     |                                                                                                          |B:       N:B    | |
     |                                                                                                          |             140| |
     |                                                                                                          |Dest:    N:C    | |
     |                                                                                                          |            4235| |
     |                                                                                                          +----------------+ |
     |                                                                                                          DGAP HIGH          |
     |                                                                                                          SUM                |
     |                                                                                                          DIVERTER           |
     |                                                                                                          +--ADD-----------+ |
   27|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|Add             |-|
     |                                                                                                          |A:       N:A    | |
     |                                                                                                          |            4095| |
     |                                                                                                          |B:       N:D    | |
     |                                                                                                          |              70| |
     |                                                                                                          |Dest:    N:E    | |
     |                                                                                                          |            4165| |
     |                                                                                                          +----------------+ |
     |                                                                                                          DGAP LOW           |
     |                                                                                                          SUBTRACT           |
     |                                                                                                          DIVERTER           |
     |                                                                                                          +--SUB-----------+ |
   28|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|Sub             |-|
     |                                                                                                          |A:       N:A    | |
     |                                                                                                          |            4095| |
     |                                                                                                          |B:       N:D    | |
     |                                                                                                          |              70| |
     |                                                                                                          |Dest:    N:J    | |
     |                                                                                                          |            4025| |
     |                                                                                                          +----------------+ |
     |                                                                                                          GAP LOW            |
     |                                                                                                          SUBTRACT           |
     |                                                                                                          DIVERTER           |
     |                                                                                                          +--SUB-----------+ |
   29|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|Sub             |-|
     |                                                                                                          |A:       N:A    | |
     |                                                                                                          |            4095| |
     |                                                                                                          |B:       N:B    | |
     |                                                                                                          |             140| |
     |                                                                                                          |Dest:    N:F    | |
     |                                                                                                          |            3955| |
     |                                                                                                          +----------------+ |
     |THE NEXT FOUR RUNGS TAKE THE ABOVE COMPUTED VALUES AND COMPARE THEM                                                          |
     |WITH THE ACTUAL POSITION INDICATION TO BOTH START/STOP DECREMENT OR                                                          |
     |INCREMENT                                                                                                                    |
     |DIVERTER                                                                                                                     |
     |POSITION             DIVERTER                                                                                     DECREMENT  |
     |INDICATION           FULLY                                                                                        START      |
     |                     RETRACTED                                                                                    DIVERTER   |
     |+--GRT-------------+    I:A                                                                                          N:H     |
   30||Greater Than (A>B)|-----|/|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------( )----|
     ||A:          N:G   |      05                                                                                           0     |
     ||              4059|     IAD                                                                                                 |
     ||B:         N:C    |                                                                                                         |
     ||              4235|                                                                                                         |
     |+------------------+                                                                                                         |
     |  DIVERTER                                                                                                                   |
     |  POSITION                                                                                                        DECREMENT  |
     |  INDICATION                                                                                                      STOP       |
     |                                                                                                                  DIVERTER   |
     |  +--LES-----------+                                                                                                N:H      |
   31|-+|Less Than (A<B) |-+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------( )----|
     | ||A:        N:G   | |                                                                                                 1     |
     | ||            4059| |                                                                                                       |
     | ||B:       N:E    | |                                                                                                       |
     | ||            4165| |                                                                                                       |
     | |+----------------+ |                                                                                                       |
     | |DIVERTER           |                                                                                                       |
     | |FULLY              |                                                                                                       |
     | |RETRACTED          |                                                                                                       |
     | |   I:A             |                                                                                                       |
     | +----| |------------+                                                                                                       |
     |       05                                                                                                                    |
     |      IAD                                                                                                                    |
     |  DIVERTER                                                                                                                   |
     |  POSITION                                                                                                        INCREMENT  |
     |  INDICATION                                                                                                      STOP       |
     |                                                                                                                  DIVERTER   |
     |  +--GRT-------------+                                                                                              N:H      |
   32|-+|Greater Than (A>B)|-+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------( )----|
     | ||A:          N:G   | |                                                                                               3     |
     | ||              4059| |                                                                                                     |
     | ||B:         N:J    | |                                                                                                     |
     | ||              4025| |                                                                                                     |
     | |+------------------+ |                                                                                                     |
     | |DIVERTER             |                                                                                                     |
     | |FULLY                |                                                                                                     |
     | |EXTENDED             |                                                                                                     |
     | |                     |                                                                                                     |
     | |   I:A                |                                                                                                    |
     | +----| |--------------+                                                                                                     |
     |       04                                                                                                                    |
     |      IAD                                                                                                                    |
     |DIVERTER                                                                                                                     |
     |POSITION           DIVERTER                                                                                       INCREMENT  |
     |INDICATION         FULLY                                                                                          START      |
     |                   EXTENDED                                                                                       DIVERTER   |
     |+--LES-----------+    I:A                                                                                           N:H      |
   33||Less Than (A<B) |-----|/|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------( )----|
     ||A:        N:G   |      04                                                                                             2     |
     ||            4059|     IAD                                                                                                   |
     ||B:       N:F    |                                                                                                           |
     ||            3955|                                                                                                           |
     |+----------------+                                                                                                           |
     |THIS RUNG ACTUALLY CREATES THE FINAL DECREMENT COMMAND TO                                                                    |
     |GO UP INTO THE RETRACT RUNG IN EARLIER LOGIC IN THIS FILE                                                                    |
     |  DECREMENT            DECREMENT                                                                                             |
     |  START                STOP                                                                                 RETRACT COMMAND  |
     |  DIVERTER   DONE      DIVERTER                                                                             FROM PLC DGAP    |
     |             BIT                  DONE BIT                                                                  LOGIC            |
     |    N:H      T:A         N:H       T:B                                                                           N:H         |
   34|-+----| |------| |---+-----|/|-------| |---------------------------------------------------------------------------( )-------|
     | |     0        DN   |      1         DN                                                                            4        |
     | |RETRACT COMMAND    |                                                                                                       |
     | |FROM PLC DGAP      |                                                                                                       |
     | |LOGIC              |                                                                                                       |
     | |     N:H           |                                                                                                       |
     | +-------| |---------+                                                                                                       |
     |          4                                                                                                                  |
     |OFF TIMER WILL KEEP THE INCREMENT OR DECREMENT COMMAND FROM STARTING                                                         |
     |WITHIN 5 SECONDS OF A STOPPED DECREMENT                                                                                      |
     |                                                                                                     "ANTI-                  |
     |                                                                                                     CHATTER"                |
     |RETRACT COMMAND                                                                                      TIMER                   |
     |FROM PLC DGAP                                                                                        DIVERTER                |
     |LOGIC                                                                                                                        |
     |     N:H                                                                                             +--TON-----------+      |
   35|-------|/|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|Timer On Delay  |-(EN)-|
     |        4                                                                                            |Timer:   T:A    |      |
     |                                                                                                     |Base (SEC):  1.0|-(DN) |
     |                                                                                                     |Preset:        5|      |
     |                                                                                                     |Accum:         5|      |
     |                                                                                                     +----------------+      |
     |THIS COMMAND GIVES A FINAL INCREMENT COMMAND TO FEED INTO THE                                                                |
     |EXTEND RUNG IN EARLIER LOGIC OF THIS FILE                                                                                    |
     |                                                                                                            EXTEND COMMAND   |
     |  INCREMENT              INCREMENT                                                                          FROM PLC DGAP    |
     |  START                  STOP                                                                               LOGIC            |
     |  DIVERTER               DIVERTER   DONE                                                                                     |
     |             DONE BIT               BIT                                                                                      |
     |    N:H       T:B          N:H      T:A                                                                          N:H         |
   36|-+----| |-------| |----+-----|/|------| |--------------------------------------------------------------------------( )-------|
     | |     2         DN    |      3        DN                                                                           5        |
     | |EXTEND COMMAND       |                                                                                                     |
     | |FROM PLC DGAP        |                                                                                                     |
     | |LOGIC                |                                                                                                     |
     | |     N:H             |                                                                                                     |
     | +-------| |-----------+                                                                                                     |
     |          5                                                                                                                  |
     |OFF TIMER TO KEEP AN INCREMENT OR DECREMENT FROM STARTING WITHIN                                                             |
     |5 SECONDS OF A STOPPED INCREMENT                                                                                             |
     |EXTEND COMMAND                                                                                       "ANTI-                  |
     |FROM PLC DGAP                                                                                        CHATTER"                |
     |LOGIC                                                                                                TIMER                   |
     |                                                                                                     DIVERTER                |
     |                                                                                                                             |
     |     N:H                                                                                             +--TON-----------+      |
   37|-------|/|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|Timer On Delay  |-(EN)-|
     |        5                                                                                            |Timer:   T:B    |      |
     |                                                                                                     |Base (SEC):  1.0|-(DN) |
     |                                                                                                     |Preset:        5|      |
     |                                                                                                     |Accum:         5|      |
     |                                                                                                     +----------------+      |


Second Try, Success


The Proportional Time Constant (PTC) Control


|THE FOLLOWING RUNGS WERE ADDED TO TRY AND IMPROVE ON DGAP LOGIC ABOVE. | |WHEN OUTSIDE OF THIS DEADBAND GAP, THE DIVERTER WILL ESTIMATE THE TIME | |THAT IT NEEDS TO RUN TO REACH SETPOINT. AFTER RUNNING FOR THAT TIME, | |IT WILL SEE IF IT IS INSIDE THE GAP AND IF NOT, IT WILL GO AGAIN. THE | |TIME WILL BE DETERMINED BY HOW FAR OFF IT IS FROM SETPOINT. -WA 3/20/1999 | | +--ADD-----------+ | 38|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|Add |-| | |A: N:A | | | | 4095| | | |B: N:K | | | | 40| | | |Dest: N:L | | | | 4135| | | +----------------+ | |THE RUNGS ABOVE AND BELOW EITHER ADD OR SUBTRACT THE GAP NUMBER FROM | |THE ACTUAL POSITION COMMAND COMING FROM DCS. RAW COUNT USED INSTEAD | |OF A RESPANNED PERCENTAGE NUMBER FOR THE GREATEST ACCURACY. | | +--SUB-----------+ | 39|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|Sub |-| | |A: N:A | | | | 4095| | | |B: N:K | | | | 40| | | |Dest: N:M | | | | 4055| | | +----------------+ | |THE NEXT TWO RUNGS DETERMINE WHETHER THE ACTUAL POSITION IS OUTSIDE | |THE DCS POSITION COMMAND GAP AND IF SO INITIATE THE TIMED RUN | |SEQUENCE | |DIVERTER | |POSITION DIVERTER DECREMENT | |INDICATION FULLY RUN | | RETRACTED DIVERTER | | | |+--GRT-------------+ I:A N:H | 40||Greater Than (A>B)|-----|/|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------( )----| ||A: N:G | 05 6 | || 4059| IAD | ||B: N:L | | || 4135| | |+------------------+ | |DIVERTER | |POSITION DIVERTER INCREMENT | |INDICATION FULLY RUN | | EXTENDED DIVERTER | | | |+--LES-----------+ I:A N:H | 41||Less Than (A<B) |-----|/|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------( )----| ||A: N:G | 04 7 | || 4059| IAD | ||B: N:M | | || 4055| | |+----------------+ | |THIS RUNG CALCULATES THE ESTIMATED TIME THE EXTEND OR RETRACT SHOULD | |LAST FOR. A COMPUTE BLOCK WAS NOT USED BECAUSE OF THE ONE SHOT. | | DIVERTER DIVERTER | | DECREMENT CALCULATE READY TO CALCULATE | | RUN TIME EXTEND ERROR | | DIVERTER DONE ONE SHOT DIVERTER BUFFER | | BIT | | N:H T:C BA N:P +--SUB------------+ | 42|-+----| |----+---|/|------[ONS]-------| |--------------------------------+|Sub |-------------------------------+-| | | 6 | DN 480 7 ||A: N:G | | | | | | || 4059| | | | |INCREMENT | ||B: N:A | | | | |RUN | || 4095| | | | |DIVERTER | ||Dest: N:Q | | | | | | || 226| | | | | | |+----------------+ | | | | N:H | |DIVERTER DIVERTER | | | +----| |----+ |POSITION CALCULATE | | | 7 |INDICATION ERROR | | | | BUFFER | | | | | | | |+--LES-----------+ +--NEG-----------+ | | | ||Less Than (A<B) |-|Negate |------------| | | ||A: N:G | |Source: N:Q | | | | || 4059| | 226| | | | ||B: N:A | |Dest: N:Q | | | | || 4095| | 226| | | | |+----------------+ +----------------+ | | | |DIVERTER | | | |CALCULATE | | | |ERROR | | | |BUFFER | | | | | | | |+--GRT-------------+ +--MUL-------------+ | | | ||Greater Than (A>B)|-|Mul |--------| | | ||A: N:Q | |A: 0.7| | | | || 226| | | | | | ||B: 100| |B: N:Q | | | | || | | 226| | | | |+------------------+ |Dest: T:C.PRE | | | | | | 158| | | | | +------------------+ | | | |DIVERTER | | | |CALCULATE | | | |ERROR | | | |BUFFER | | | | | | | |+--LEQ--------------------+ +--MUL-------------+ | | | +|Less Than or Equal (A<=B)|-|Mul |-+ | | |A: N:Q | |A: 0.4| | | | 226| | | | | |B: 100| |B: N:Q | | | | | | 226| | | +-------------------------+ |Dest: T:C.PRE | | | | 158| | | +------------------+ | |RUNG WITH THE ACTUAL RUN TIMER | | RETRACT/ | | DECREMENT READY TO EXTEND | | RUN EXTEND TIMER | | DIVERTER DONE DIVERTER DIVERTER | | BIT | | N:H T:D N:P +--TON------------+ | 43|-+-+----| |----+---| |---+-----| |------------------------------------------------------------------|Timer On Delay |-(EN)-| | | | 6 | DN | 7 |Timer: T:C | | | | | | | |Base (SEC): 0.01|-(DN) | | | |INCREMENT | | |Preset: 158| | | | |RUN | | |Accum: 0| | | | |DIVERTER | | +-----------------+ | | | | | | | | | | N:H | | | | | +----| |----+ | | | | 7 | | | |TIMER | | | |TIMING | | | |T:C | | | +--| |------------------+ | | TT | |THIS RUNG ACTUALLY OUTPUTS EITHER THE EXTEND OR RUNG COMMAND FROM | |THIS SECTION OF LOGIC UP INTO THE ACTUAL EXTEND OR RETRACT OUTPUTS | |HIGHER IN THIS FILE. | | DECREMENT RETRACT | | RUN COMMAND | |TIMER DIVERTER FROM PTC | |TIMING LOGIC | |T:C N:H N:H | 44|--| |------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+----| |-------( )----+-| | TT | 6 8 | | | |INCREMENT EXTEND | | | |RUN COMMAND | | | |DIVERTER FROM PTC | | | | LOGIC | | | | N:H N:H | | | +----| |-------( )----+ | | 7 9 | |THIS RUNG KEEPS ANOTHER INCREMENT OR DECREMENT FROM OCCURING UNTIL | |AFTER THE LAST MOVE HAD ENDED FOR 5 SECONDS. | | ANTI- | |RETRACT EXTEND CHATTER | |COMMAND COMMAND TIMER | |FROM PTC FROM PTC DIVERTER | |LOGIC LOGIC | | N:H N:H +--TON-----------+ | 45|---|/|-------|/|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|Timer On Delay |-(EN)-| | 8 9 |Timer: T:D | | | |Base (SEC): 1.0|-(DN) | | |Preset: 20| | | |Accum: 0| | | +----------------+ | | +--RET-----------+ | 46|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|Return |-| | +----------------+ | 47|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[END]-|

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