A critical part of a hot air turbine system is how it is started and controlled during operation. Our present DUO+ system uses an external PLC based controller. Whilst this works fine, it is bulky, expensive and software upgrades are more difficult to implement.
In 2015, we started the development of a purpose built mini-turbine controller called the HATSC. This controller uses the open access Python programming language and has the following key features:
- Three dedicated controllers for the master controller, safety watchdog controller and intelligent IO
- 15 x 0-10V voltage inputs
- 2 x 4-20mA current inputs
- 10 x RTD PT100 temperature inputs
- 5 x K-Type thermocouple inputs
- 3 x Relay digital outputs
- 3 x 0-10VDC voltage outputs
- CAN interface
This system has been fitted into our MINI-XP system for DSTG and will be used for our MONO-HCR system that will convert heat from a concentrated solar tower and produce elevctricity in Spain.