Control Dynamics designed this control system to automate bulk product transfer from a delivery truck to outdoor vessels and from outdoor vessels to indoor vessels. For this project, an electrical panel was designed, built and installed, controller being connected to field devices such as valves, flow meter, flow switch and VFD that controlled the transfer pump.
Due to the nature of the product being handled, some of the electrical installation was done in a hazardous area and requirements for explosion proof installation were followed.
By implementing this automated product transfer system, the customer was able to easily select the source and destination tanks, enter the desired amount of product to be transferred, and then perform other activities while the transfer was taking place without the need of monitoring the process. The need for changing hose hookups was eliminated and replaced with divert valves that opened or closed based on operator selections. The accurate product delivery was ensured by constant monitoring of a flow meter and by adjusting the transfer pump speed when the system approached the final value.
The operator interface allowed both operators and maintenance personnel to easily view system operation and quickly identify if a certain piece of equipment was not operating properly. To allow for further troubleshooting, a historical trend was presented for product flow and manual control over the equipment was granted to authorized personnel.
