Engineering Research Equipment Grant: Microprocessor-based controllers

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Within recent years, the United States' excess electrical generating capacity has diminished. In order to provide a dependable supply of electricity in the face of less generating margin, responsiveness, availability, and reliability of existing power plants need to be improved. To provide this improvement, a Bailey NETWORK 90 distributed microprocessor based control system is requested which will be interfaced with other computer capabilities at Penn State in order to create a multi-user laboratory for research in the field of intelligent distributed control for electric power generation. The new and unique research laboratory will be attuned with the current evolutionary trend in commercial power plant dynamic control system organization. In addition to digital forms of classical control algorithms, the full capabilities of digital control systems depend on implementation of advanced software applications: automation of routine equipment monitoring, process fault diagnostics, effective and reliable communication, rule-based programming, and modern control algorithms. The research need is to fully develop these software capabilities in the distributed control environment in order to achieve the desired improvement in power plant performance. Advanced control research for electric power generation requires an interdisciplinary approach and researchers from the Electrical, Mechanical, Industrial, and Nuclear Engineering departments will be involved.