for testing and optimising stand-alone and cascadable fresh water controllers
At KATEK Memmingen, the development of fresh water controllers is based from the very beginning on the two foundations of theory and practice. The physical technical considerations are first set up in the electronic laboratory in order to find the optimum hardware and software solutions with respect to the requirements and the area of application.
Further theoretical observations and examinations are performed in collaboration with a technical college in order to check the basic interconnection possibilities of several fresh water stations and to refine the control systems to an optimum unit. These examinations are performed using thermodynamic simulations that also account for a range of additional criteria. These simulation results are then compared to each other, assessed and then used to implement corresponding controller algorithms.
Testing and optimising of the functional methods used by the controller is followed by a very important step, the testing and improvement of the control algorithm in a practical context. KATEK Memmingen has constructed a new laboratory for this purpose, where stand-alone and cascadable fresh water stations of various capacities can be tested and optimised using different thermodynamic influences and different parameter values.
The test stand has been designed for a hot water draw-off flow rate of 150 litres per minute, whereby up to four cascaded fresh water stations can be operated on each of two strings at the same time. Using preset flow rate limiters, almost any desired draw-off profile, including sudden changes in draw-off flow rates, can be repeatedly simulated via a draw-off distribution array.
Measurements are acquired at 24 temperature measurement positions and 6 flow rate measurement positions, and these are then analysed using appropriate software. Based on these measurements and other empirical observations the controller algorithm is once more adapted to suit the thermodynamic properties of the respective pump assembly.