National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST)

SMME

Lab Report 10

COURSE: Control engineering lab

SUBMITTED BY: Zain Ahmed (428451)

SECTION: ME-14 B

SUBMITTED To: Sir Usman Ghani

ON-OFF control of temperature and effect of hysteresis on
the temperature control system.
Objectives:
 To measure the temperature using an ON-OFF controller.
 To understand the concept of hysteresis and effect of hysteresis on the temperature.
 To get familiarize yourself with ON-OFF controller.

Apparatus:
The apparatus used in this experiment is temperature control module / trainer.

Figure 1: Temperature control module

Procedure:
The following steps need to be followed to conduct this experiment:
 First the system's circuitry was assembled for the heating process.
 Connect the set point to ON-off controller point 3 and other input to ON-OFF
controller from output of sensor interface, connect 11 to 11 and 12 to 12 (heater driver
interface), connect 1 to 1 and 2 to 2 (temperature sensor interface).
 The apparatus was powered on using the main switch.
  The 15V variable voltage source was turned on completely so that the heater would
start heating the water in the process tank.
 As the temperature of the water in the process tank increased, the voltage reading
given by the thermocouple thermometer increased. This was also accompanied by an
increase in the temperature reading also provided by the thermocouple thermometer.
 This was recorded on video until the temperature increased from 30 C to 40 C.
 The temperature and the corresponding voltage readings were extracted from video
and tabulated.
 Once the temperature reached above 40 C, the apparatus was turned off and the
circuitry was changed so that it powered the water pump instead of the heater.
 Connect the set point to 8 (water pump interface) 9 to 9 and 10 to 10 (Water pump
interface)
 The apparatus was turned back on, and the variable power output was adjusted very
slightly so the water pump was turned on, but the water flow rate was not large
enough to cause major vibrations within the process tank.
 With the water pump turned on, water started getting pumped to the condenser were
heat was dispersed from the water. This is reflected in a change in temperature.
 As the water temperature dropped, so did the voltage. This change was recorded on
video and subsequently tabulated for a change in temperature change from 40 C to
30C
 Once the temperature reached 30 C, the apparatus was turned off.

Circuit representation:

Figure 2: Circuit setup diagram for heater driver

 Figure 3: Water pump interface

Circuit setup:
To heat the water, we need to power the heater, so the connections are
 Set point to 3 (ON-OFF controller)
 4 (sensor interface) to 4 (ON-OFF controller)
 5 (ON-OFF controller) to 8 (Heater driver)
 11 to 11 (heater of driver)
 12 to 12 (heater of driver)
 1 to 1 (temperature sensor interface)
 2 to 2 (temperature sensor interface)
 3 to multimeter and ground to ground of multimeter
To cool down the water, we need to power the water pump to circulate water
 Set point to 8 (water pump driver)
 9 to 9 (water pump driver)
 10 to 10 (water pump driver)

Tabular data:
Without hysteresis With hysteresis

set point (V) 4.26 4.26

upper limit set point

4.3 4.5
(V)

uprising time (s) 1 min 1 min 55 s

lower limit set point

4.25 4.16
(V)

lowering time (s) 1 min 1 min 55 s

Graph:

Figure 4: Without hysteresis

Figure 5: With hysteresis

Discussion:
The experiment successfully demonstrated the impact of hysteresis on the behaviour of an
ON-OFF temperature control system. When no hysteresis was applied, the system responded
quickly to changes in temperature but exhibited frequent switching of heater. This behaviour,
while responsive, can cause wear and tear on the system components due to excessive
switching.
When hysteresis was introduced, the system showed a delayed response, as evidenced by the
increased rising and lowering times. This delay, caused by the defined upper and lower
thresholds, reduced the switching frequency. As a result, the system became more stable but
slower in adjusting the temperature. This observation highlights the trade-off between system
responsiveness and stability.
Overall, the experiment emphasized how hysteresis improves system stability by reducing
switching frequency at the cost of delayed temperature response. This is a critical
consideration in designing control systems where component longevity and operational
efficiency are priorities.

Conclusion:
The experiment demonstrated the significance of hysteresis in temperature control systems.
Without hysteresis, the control system responded quickly but experienced frequent switching,
which can lead to operational inefficiencies. Conversely, introducing hysteresis resulted in a
slower yet more stable system, reducing component wear and improving durability.

Safety precautions:
 Always check the connections before usage
 Don’t try to make wrong connections.
 Don’t work on any apparatus if you are not familiar with it.
 Make sure that the power is off when working on electrical circuit.
 Keep liquids away from the electrical circuit.