Networked control system for electrohydraulic flow control positioner using Neural Controller and Collaborative Network

Abstract

Electrohydraulic flow control valve is an essential element of an automated process industry where fluid control is applicable. The use of conventional controllers overan IP-communication network for controlling electrohydraulic flow control positioner to regulate mainline pressure and flow rate in pipeline transportation of petroleum products between two stations where downstream pressure of the pumping station fluctuates significantlyposes a problem of instability on the flowrate and the mainline pressure of the pipeline. Additionally, the effect of network induced, time-varying delay between the controller and the electrohydraulic flow control valves induces a problem of poor quality of control and inefficient system performance of the control loop. In this paper, we presented an application of neural network in processflow control using an electrohydraulic valve positionerand proposed a concept of collaborative network for networked control systems over IP-based networks.