HERMS design and PID Controllers

[will_raymo2000]

I've been mulling over controllers for many days now and have come no closer to actually deciding what to get. I'm itching to get going yet all the choices seem to involve ridiculous delivery times from US or China.

Auber is looking the most promising and quality of the lot so far and on the budget side of things the 1512 looks the best. Is this going to be sufficient to run my HERMS set up? I plan on having a copper coil in a kettle driven by an SSR from the controller.

Secondly regarding the probe.. I know the best location is right at the exit of the heat exchanger but have no idea how to do this. Aubers' probes have NPT threads and I have found a T piece on BES http://www.bes.co.uk/products/149b.asp which has a BSP thread on one side. This would be perfect apart from the obvious issue of the incompatibility of threads. Anyone got any better plans?

Thirdly... Is an on/off controller suitable for controlling an HLT? Or would a PID be best for this too?

Thanks!

 

[Vossy1]

I've been mulling over controllers for many days now

:twisted:

I'm itching to get going yet all the choices seem to involve ridiculous delivery times from US or China.

They're actually really quick, less than a week in some of my purchases, never more than 2

Auber is looking the most promising and quality of the lot so far and on the budget side of things the 1512 looks the best.

TBH a lot of them are the same, just sold and branded differently. If you look at the buttons the decals give you a good idea :thumb:

the 1512 looks the best. Is this going to be sufficient to run my HERMS set up?

Yep, I use 2 of them.

 

[Vossy1]

Secondly regarding the probe.. I know the best location is right at the exit of the heat exchanger but have no idea how to do this. Aubers' probes have NPT threads and I have found a T piece on BES http://www.bes.co.uk/products/149b.asp which has a BSP thread on one side. This would be perfect apart from the obvious issue of the incompatibility of threads. Anyone got any better plans?

Don't buy the threaded probe, buy a plain one then use a T and any one of these that take your fancy

Thirdly... Is an on/off controller suitable for controlling an HLT? Or would a PID be best for this too?

Pass

 

[will_raymo2000]

Secondly regarding the probe.. I know the best location is right at the exit of the heat exchanger but have no idea how to do this. Aubers' probes have NPT threads and I have found a T piece on BES http://www.bes.co.uk/products/149b.asp which has a BSP thread on one side. This would be perfect apart from the obvious issue of the incompatibility of threads. Anyone got any better plans?

Don't buy the threaded probe, buy a plain one then use a T and any one of these that take your fancy
[quote:1j51vd2x]Thirdly... Is an on/off controller suitable for controlling an HLT? Or would a PID be best for this too?

Pass [/quote:1j51vd2x]

Right, sold on the 1512's then. The fittings you linked to.. Is the mm quoted on the page the size of the hole in the nut and tightening of this reduces the hole size.. eg clamps on to what is in the hole? Aubers plain probe says 4mm diameter yet the fittings you linked to are either 3mm or 4.5mm

Cheers for the advice V :

 

[Aleman]

For a HLT you may as well get the PID version rather than the On Off. If you are stirring or otherwise mixing the liquor then the on off approach works well otherwise the PID control is perhaps better.

I think I have one of the SYL-2342 (relay output) sat in my project box somewhere :hmm:

 

[will_raymo2000]

Aleman,

I have just ordered a 1512, basic pt100 from auber and a 25A ssr from them.

Would you be looking at possibly getting rid of your shelved PID?? :whistle:

Cheers

 

[prolix]

I got two of the 1512 they are great, I also got a 1/4 npt tap from ebay and cut threads for the pt100's in some brass bits I had floating around

 

[Vossy1]

The fittings you linked to.. Is the mm quoted on the page the size of the hole in the nut and tightening of this reduces the hole size.. eg clamps on to what is in the hole?

Yep. Usually the compression range is given, so it's a bit odd to be missing. If in doubt give them a call, I'd say the 4.5 is designed to compress on 4mm sensors.
To touch on what A said regards stirring, always a great idea to keep the hlt water on the move to avoid thermo clines (can't remmember if that's the right term) but basically it means temperature bands within the water column which can be as much as 5 deg, diff top to bottom for some folk.

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Anyone got a link to the controller site?

BB

 

[Vossy1]

Here BB :thumb:
EDIT The PIDS are cheaper from HK.

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Here BB :thumb:

Thanks' V :thumb: