Quick Background: We often boast about the cross-platform capabilities of our brilliant engineering team here at our factory in Dombivli (near Mumbai). One of our core competency is the NI LabVIEW platform and CompactRIO. We have been doing large-scale projects in LabVIEW and LabVIEW with PLCs since 2006. Although this blog is dedicated to Industrial Internet of Things by us, we would like to outline a recent project we have successfully done for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) using LabVIEW and CompactRIO.
Pressure Testing of Gas Bottles & Propellant Tanks used in Space Launch Vehicles & Satellites
The Automated Pressure Testing System (APTS) is made to carryout the hydro-pressure testing activities on Gas bottles and Propellant tanks used in various launch vehicles and satellites of India Space Program. This system comprises of a Hydraulic Console, NI CompactRIO based Data Acquisition & Control System, Yokogawa Instrumentation and Software based on LabVIEW, LabVIEW Real-time & LabVIEW FPGA. It facilitates the generation of pressure test profiles, execution of the same through different testing modes, data-acquisition, display and processing of test data. Overall it assures of product performance and personal safety.
If you are interested in a demonstration or wish to send a purchase inquiry, please email to mone@svinstruments.co.in as well as sureview.mone[AT]pm[DOT]me . We have included an overview here.
Operation:
The product pressurization and de-pressurization rates are controlled by the Pneumatically operated Hydraulic pumps and Pneumatically operated Hydraulic pressure regulators. Air supply to both pumps are regulators are controlled using Electronic Proportional Regulators (EPR). The output air supply of EPR is in-turn controlled using the Analogue input. The product pressure is fed to the PID control logic of the software to accomplish the closed loop pressurization control. At all times, in all tests, all Analog Readings, Results etc. are recorded in MySQL & TDMS (The normal back-end is MySQL although we can work with Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server).
About Automatic Mode:
- User can select any profile, which is created in profile setting tab.
- In Auto, the machine will run as per defined profile.
- User needs to select the no. of repeat cycles & delay between 2 adjacent cycles.
- User needs to select the test type – Auto, Segment-wise or Burst test.
Segment wise Control Mode:
- User can select segments in profile to run
- User can switch from running profile or segment to another profile while test is in progress by using the ‘switch test profile’ tab.
Burst Test:
- User needs to create the profile at the time of conducting Burst test.
- In burst, user can define ‘n’ levels. If the DUT is not busted at Level 1, the system will prompt to continue to next, or to abort; this will go on till last level.
- This Machine can generate maximum 1000 bar. (Your machine will be customized to your requirement).
- If the DUT isn’t busted till 1000 Bar, the system will prompt to release pressure.
System Health Monitoring:
- Open loop verification or System Health Monitoring [SHM], is nothing but a manual mode through which user can control the process interactively.
- User can manually Open & Close the valves, control the Pump & Regulator output pressure.
- User can record the operation with respect to pressure and control signal.
- This data can be used for checking the system health.
- It is always suggested to use this mode very carefully; Admin or Supervisor level user privilege are necessary.
- In Open Loop Verification or SHM mode, all the records get saved in excel data in a format that is readily usable for checking purpose (The normal back-end is MySQL and we can work with Oracle or Microsoft SQL Server).
- At all times, in all tests, all Analog Readings, Results etc. are recorded in MySQL & TDMS
- After stopping the recording, user can export the recorded data to excel format and save the same.
Interlock Settings:
- All the interlocks and safety checks are triple-sure fail-safe – using the code on FPGA, a dedicated module (which will kick-in if power fails/fluctuates) and via battery-backed controllers.
- On this screen user can set the safety interlocks.
- User can set the values to enable warning and critical alarms.
- User can set the LP Pump max. pressure, prefilling pressure and no. of settings.
- Certain other software related settings
We have made provisions to generate parametric reports for viewing results in HTML, MS Word, MS Excel, PDF and Rich text format. There are many intuitive report formats built-in. However if your department or test agency requires a different format, we can always provide a custom-made module. We are very proficient in Microsoft Visual Studio (ASP, C# & C++), Web technologies, Mobile Apps, C/C++ (for embedded systems) and Matlab.
We will now explain the system with some lucid diagrams and select user-interface photographs instead of tedious text based description (Please write to us on the email addresses provided if you need a detailed description or more information on a particular diagram).
If you wish to download all images, diagrams, screens & illustrations in full resolution, they are available in this cloud space – https://app.box.com/s/ss000bb786ersfjiubp7fg5y34jaslr4
Test data generation and management:
The major modules and functions in this section is as follows:
| Test Profile generation | This feature enables the user to generate & modify the test profiles. The generated test profiles can be saved in a data base and the same can be called in test control module | |
| Test details logging | User can input the test parameters such as type of test, test id, product details etc. Same will be stored in a data base for future reference. This data is also migrated into test report generation module | |
| Test data logging | The captured test data during test will be logged and stored in data base | |
| Test report generation | From the available tests details test report will be generated. User can export and modify the same. |
Test control:
Major modules of Test control:
| SL NO | Mode | Description |
| 1 | Segment-wise control mode | This feature enables to select custom segments form selected profile and run test. |
| 2 | Auto control mode | This feature enables to run all segments of selected profile with multiple times. Given provision to user enter no of repeat cycles. |
| 3 | Manual control mode | This feature enables to user can set pressure and all valve operate manually. |
| 4 | Burst test control mode | In the Burst test given provision to set Pressure in 4 steps, Step 1: Ramp up pressure gradually starting from 0bar up to 200bar with user defined Ramp Rate. Step Dwell: Set constant pressure 200bar for dwell step for user defined time period Level 1: Ramp up pressure gradually starting from actual pressure up to user defined set pressure with user defined Ramp Rate. Level 2 3 & 4: similar to level 1. During level1 to level4 product was burst then declared test pass otherwise test fail or test over. |
Calibration & Maintenance:
| SL NO | Mode | Description |
| 1 | Software Calibration mode | In Software Calibration mode given provision to calibrate set offset for all analog inputs. |
| 2 | Open loop verification / System Health monitoring | This feature enables to user can set pressure and operate all valves manually & same time record data in excel in the pc. |
| 3 | Maintenance module | In The Maintenance mode displayed all Analog Inputs, Analog Outputs, Digital Inputs, Digital Outputs for debugging or to check all system hardware ok or not. |
| 4 | Activity logging module |
User management:
| SL NO | Mode | Description |
| 1 | Administrator | Provided all Software authorities to Administrator. Administrator can be access all & maintain user management. |
| 2 | Supervisor | Provided all Software authorities to Supervisor. Supervisor can be access all screens but not access for maintain user management. |
| 3 | Operator | Operator can access only test screen and avoid some valve operations like burst test, test vent valve, vent vale in System health monitoring and Manual mode |
Interlocks Settings:
| SL NO | Mode | Description |
| 1 | Interlocks module | Feature enables all interlocks like Air pressure, Water Level, Expansion water level, accumulator Pressure, line Pressure, Pressurization Rate, Transducer difference, Test bay 1 & 2 Door lock Status, water filling valve On/Off Limits. |
| 2 | Other settings | Feature enables all Other settings like Low pressure pump limits, Idle running time, prefilling pressure, Depressurization Rate, maximum ITV Limits, Tolerance For Pressurization/Depressurization. Regulator Output Selection, User defined reports save location, Time period for Visual, Talking and Buzzer Alarms. |
PID Settings:
| SL NO | Mode | Description |
| 1 | PID Management Setting | Feature enables to decide Proportional gain, Integral gain and Derivative gain values and save entire PID Values in Database. All values are different for every different volume of product. |
| 2 | Mimic in PID Management | Display all pressure Analog indicators and in Valve positions in mimic Diagram. |
Alarm & Logged Management:
| SL NO | Mode | Description |
| 1 | View Alarm | Feature enables to Display all Alarms Details And provision to acknowledge pending Alarms. |
| 2 | Export Data Module | Give provision to export logged data into Excel Format with user Define File Location. |
| 3 | Logged Users | This feature enables to view all user activities from user login to user logout. This activities generated automatically when user gone any screen. |
Dilution Scale Setting
| SL NO | Mode | Description |
| 1 | Dilution Module | Feature enables to set scale for dilution. Read Strains from ‘Yokogawa MW100’ and converted into Dilution. Formulas: Dilutions = Strains * Scales. Provision to save all scales in database and used saved scales in the test screen to display dilutions. |
We provide full documentation and complete source code as part of supply. If you are interested in a demonstration or wish to send a purchase inquiry, please email to mone@svinstruments.co.in as well as sureview.mone[AT]pm[DOT]me
Overall, it is an immense pleasure working along-side the great scientists at ISRO. (As a tax-payer, you should be particularly delighted of their efficiency, efficacy & excellence.)
Some of our past projects are here. Our recent products can be seen on our website, including those that we have developed for the first time in India – Pulsed Electric Field Generator and Fuel-cell Test Equipment. Thank you for reading this post. Related posts are here:
