Temperature Control for Research and Industry High Power Temperature Controllers User Manual for Models HCC-130 HCC-215 HCC-230
Warranty J-KEM Scientific, Inc. warrants this unit to be free of defects in materials and workmanship and to give satisfactory service for a period of 12 months from date of purchase. If the unit should malfunction, it must be returned to the factory for evaluation. If the unit is found to be defective upon examination by J-KEM, it will be repaired or replaced at no charge.
INDEX SECTION PAGE 1. QUICK OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 2. ADJUSTING THE CONTROLLER FOR STABLE CONTROL WITH DIFFERENT HEATERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 What is Tuning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 Autotuning Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.3 Tuning for Heating Mantles: A Special Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Section 1: Quick Operating Instructions The three steps below are the basics of using your temperature controller. The User’s Manual is a reference that explains the controller more fully as well as some of its more sophisticated features. It’s recommended that new users unfamiliar with process controllers read the entire manual carefully. The controller is preprogrammed for use with heating mantles fitted to round bottomed flasks running “typical” organic reactions (i.e.
Section 2: Adjusting The Controller For Stable Control With Different Heaters [NOTE: The discussion is Section 2 only applies to the Setpoint Controller (i.e., the meter on the far left). The setpoint controller regulates heating of the reaction. The Limit Controller (the meter on the right) only acts in the event of an over-temperature condition but will have no effect on temperature regulation of the reaction. Only the setpoint controller should be tuned as described below. 2.1 What is Tuning.
It’s important to understand that this controller isn’t a simple ON/OFF type controller (i.e. ON when below the set point, OFF when above [though it can be made to work this way, see Section 3.13]). Rather it’s a predictive controller. Based on the shape (slope) of the heating curve, the controller predicts (calculates) the percent of power to apply to the heater now to control the shape of the heating curve minutes in advance.
New tuning values loaded into memory Temp Set Point 75% of set point Start AT The autotune sequence. Heat to set point after entering new parameters OS1 OS2 US During T1 - 4 the controller measures heating delays and rates of heating and cooling T1 T2 T3 T4 During autotune the controller heats to 75% of the set point temperature, where it oscillates for several cycles before loading the new tuning parameters. After the tuning parameters are loaded it heats to the set point temperature.
Autotune Errors. The autotune routine can fail for several reasons. If it fails, the controller displays the error message “tunE” “FAiL”. To remove this message, turn the controller off for 10 seconds. Try the procedure titled “Autotuning the Controller for Very Fine Control” above. If autotune fails again, call and discuss your application with one of our engineers. A common problem when tuning at high temperatures or with large volumes is for the heater to be underpowered.
Section 3: 3.1 Operations Guide Front Panel Description. 15 11 13 14 10 9 6 12 8 Setpoint Controller 1 2 3 4 Limit Con troller 5 7 Figure 1 1. Temperature Display. Shows temperature of the process as the default display. Shows set point temperature (i.e. desired temperature) when ‘*’ button is pressed. 2. Control Key. When pressed, the display shows the set point temperature.
3.2 10. Controller On/Off switch. For maximum accuracy of the displayed temperature, turn the controller on 10 minutes prior to use. WARNING: Due to the nature of solid-state relays, a small amount of output voltage is present on the outlets even when the controller is not heating. Take appropriate precautions to avoid electrical shock. 11. Power Reduction Circuit. Limits the maximum power delivered to the heater. See Sections 3.7 and 4.1. 12.
3.3 Setting the Controller for Safe Operation. Two completely separate controllers are contained in the J-KEM Model HCC and it’s important to understand what each controller does in order to take full advantage of the Model HCC’s safety benefits. Setpoint Controller 8 0. 0 o C The meter on the far left, labeled Setpoint Controller is the main process controller and is responsible for all aspects of temperature control including, heating, cooling, maintaining the temperature, tuning, etc.
Ramp-to-Setpoint & Soak Feature. A new feature of J-KEM’s controllers called ‘Ramp-To-Setpoint’ allows the controller to heat at a specific heating rate (e.g., heat to 120o C at a rate of 5o C/Hour), a second feature called ‘Soak’ allows the controller to be programmed to stay at that temperature for a user specified period of time before turning off. NOTE: This feature should be used on the Setpoint Controller only (not on the Limit Controller).
Important Points to Know 1. While the Ramp-to-Setpoint feature in activated, the display alternates between the current reaction temperature and the word “SPr” to indicate that a “SetPoint Ramp” is active. 2. Setting a ramp rate will not guarantee that the reaction temperature is at the specified ramp temperature since heating is dependent on the power of the heater. For example, if a ramp rate of 1200 deg/Hr (i.e.
3.5 Timer Controls. The timer section turns the heating outlets either ON or OFF in an unattended operation when the time in the counter expires. To enter a value into the timer press the up or down buttons (12) to increase or decrease the displayed time. The format of the display is ‘Hr : Min’. A simple way to know whether the heating outlets are ON or OFF is by the state of LED 14 which is lit when the outlets are ON and not lit when they’re OFF.
Heating Liquids. Each power level is associated with a volume range, which acts as a guide when heating solutions with heating mantles. When solutions are heated with heating mantles set the power switch to the range that includes the volume of solution being heated [Note: this switch is set to the volume of solution, not the size of the flask].
3.8 Effect of Power Setting on Heating Profile. The following graphs show the effect of selected power levels on heating performance in a variety of situations. Each example contains 1 optimal and 1 or 2 less optimal settings demonstrating use of the power reduction circuit. 80 Graph 1 70 o Conditions: Set point = 75 C Laboratory oven 60 Temp oC This graph shows typical heating profiles for a laboratory oven and an HPLC column.
Set point = 155o C Power = > 2 L (100% power) 170 Graph 3 Another factor affecting the choice of power setting is the set point temperature. For set points near room temperature a low power level is adequate. For average temperatures (50 - 100o) the volume is printed on the front of the controller is a good guide. For high temperatures, the next higher power setting might be needed to supply the heater with additional power.
3.10 Resetting the Controller for Use With Heating Mantles. If you want to use your controller with heating mantles after it’s been tuned for a different style heater, rather than autotuning the controller with the heating mantle, J-KEM recommends that the controller be manually tuned by following the procedure below. Procedure 1. Perform when using heating mantles with round bottom flasks. [This procedure takes about 2 minutes to perform] 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
3.13 Changing Between PID and ON/OFF Operating Modes. The controller can heat in either of 2 operating modes, PID (Proportional, Integral, Derivative) or ON/OFF mode. The difference between them is the way they supply power to the heater. In ON/OFF mode (the simplest heating mode), the controller is ON when it’s below the set point and OFF when above.
3.14 Troubleshooting. Problem Large over shoot of the set point (> 3o) during initial warm-up or unstable temperature control. The process heats too slowly. Cause Corrective Action Output power level is set too high. Set the output power level to a lower setting (see Section 3.7). Controller is not tuned for process being heated. Output power level is set too low. Tune the controller as outlined in Section 2. The heater doesn’t have enough power. The controller comes on, but does not heat.
Section 4: Application Notes Supplemental application notes on the following topics are available by contacting J-KEM. Application Note AN1 AN2 AN3 AN4 AN5 4.1 Subject How to heat oil baths with your controller. (Included in Appendix) Changing the controller’s thermocouple type. Changing the heating outlet into a cooling outlet. Using the controller for unattended fractional distillations. Using the controller with inductive (motors, valves) loads. Theory of How the Controller Works – Simply.
Imagine heating a gallon of water to 80o C in a 5-quart pan on an electric range. Placing the pan on the range and turning the heat to ‘high’ you’d observe a delay in heating while the range coil warmedup. This delay might be a little annoying, but it's really no problem. The real problem comes as the water temperature approaches 80o C.
After the controller is reprogrammed, place a fine gage wire thermocouple (≈ 1/3 the size of kite string; available from J-KEM) in the bottom third of the heating mantle and fit the flask snugly on top so that the thermocouple is in intimate contact with the heating mantle. Set the power reduction circuit to the power level shown in the table at the right. Turn the controller on and enter the set point.
Table 1 Tuning Parameters for Various Heaters Fill in values determined for your equipment for quick reference. Proportional Integral Time Derivative Time Band (Reset) (Rate) “bAnd” “int.t” “dEr.t” Instrument Heating Mantles 10 10 50 (Factory Default) Heat Lamp Oven Vacuum Oven Oven Hot Plate 24 Derivative Approach Cont. “dAC” Cycle Time “CyC.
Appendix I. Safety Considerations and Accurate Temperature Control For safety critical and non-typical organic reactions (especially polymeric reactions) or for use with heaters other than heating mantles the user must either 1) monitor the reaction closely to verify the tuning parameters are appropriate for the current application, or 2) autotune the controller for the application. For any safety critical or high value reaction, call J-KEM to discuss your application with an engineer prior to beginning.
II. Resetting the Controller to Original Factory Settings J-KEM manufactures the most technically advanced temperature controller available and should give you consistently flawless control. If you have difficulty with your controller, a good place to start to correct the problem is by loading the original factory settings into the setpoint controller (i.e., the meter on the left). If you still have difficulty with your controller, our Engineering department will help you resolve the problem.
