ADAMSON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

PNEUMATIC CONTROLLERS

Electives 3 Industrial Automation and Control

Submitted by:

#11 Cu, Amiel Benedict C.

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

201211041

Submitted to:

Dr. Walter A. Joaquin

Introduction

Pneumatic controls are powered by compressed air.

Pneumatic Process controls are safer than Electronic controllers, when used in
explosive atmosphere like chemical or petrochemical plants because its easy to
maintain and more reliable.

Pneumatic Controllers

1. Flapper Nozzle

2. Volume Booster

3. Force Balance Principle

1. Flapper Nozzle

The nozzle and flapper mechanism is a displacement type detector which

converts mechanical movement into a pressure signal, by covering the orifice of
a nozzle with a flat plate called the flapper. This restricts the nozzle fluid flow and
generates a pressure signal. The operating principle makes use of the high gain effect
when a "flapper" plate is placed a small distance from a small pressurized nozzle emitting a
fluid. The industry standard ranges of either 3-15 psi or 0.2 - 1.0 bar, is normally used in
pneumatic PID controllers, valve positioner servomechanisms and force balance
transducers.
2. Volume Booster

A pneumatic air volume booster reproduce a low flow control signal with a higher
regulated flow output pressure. It uses an unregulated input pressure to maintain a
regulated output pressure under flowing and non-flowing conditions.

The volume booster is connected to the supply line and the output plumbing. It
receives a pneumatic control signal, however, from another device, such as a transducer,
valve positioner or other control means.

This pneumatic signal controls the pressure into and out of the booster, while
allowing the booster to flow the maximum volume of the supply line. Boosters may also be
referred to as pilot-operated regulators, as your control or pilot signal maintains the
pressure control..
3. Force Balance Principle

Air Relay - an increase in input signal cause air to pas from the supply to the load,
while a decreasing input signal cause air to vent from the load

Balance Principle - The force from the feedback bellows match the force from the
input signal bellows and output pressure directly proportional to (P1-P2)

Reference:

http://iamechatronics.com/notes/general-engineering/450-pneumatic-pid-controllers

http://nptel.ac.in/courses/112103174/module6/lec5/3.html

https://www.festo.com/cat/en-au_au/products_060100