Electric Herms Schematic

Hi, just looking for some feedback on my diagram. I am hoping to begin building in the next week or two. 3 - 30 gallon kettles, HLT & BK each have 2 5500w elements. Panel will also serve as control for cooler and 2 - 15 gallon fermenters while not brewing as indicated in the schematic. Thanks for taking a look.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...hlZDMtMjBkNmRlNWU1YmVh&hl=en&authkey=CPbJxKwD

You might need to explain the notation you used on the schematic.

Like...

I get what "SSR" and "LED" are, but what are the "SS" and "CR" items?

SS = some kind of switch?

CR = receptacle maybe?

Sorry

SS = Selector Switch
SSR = Solid State Relay
CR = Contact Relay

Here is what the panel will look like to help with the electrical schematic...thanks electric brewery, definitely stole a little of your layout ideas.
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...FmMGUtZTU5NzUyZjE1NTcx&hl=en&authkey=CPWulvgK

I'm not understanding what you are doing with the relays inside the PIDs.

For the HLT/Fermenter#1 PID, both alarm relays are set-up so that one of them closing will cause the PID-side of the SS-2 to be active. I can see that this will cause a light and a buzzer to go off if SS-2 is selecting those items.

If SS-2 is set to select CR-7, then CR-7 will close when either one of the PID alarms fires. What does CR-7 control?

Oh... wait... is the circle CR-7 showing the coil and the | | CR-7 showing the load?

Sorry for the questions... this is just a slightly confusing schematic.

Yes, you got it, this is a single line schematic, not technically how every wire would run, but significantly easier to draw this way.

I guess I am confused about how many actual things you are plugging into this at one time and why there is so much flexibility. Not that flexibility is bad, just seems like it might be overdone here?

Example:

The PID labeled "HLT/Fermenter#1" has the ability to activate two SSRs. one of those feeds "HLT#1/Fermenter#1". one of them feeds "HLT#2".

Do you really have to HLTs?

Anyway... To really activate heat in HLT#2, you have to have SS-10 set to the "HLT#2" position. To really control HLT#1, you have to have SS-9 set to the "HLT#1" position.

So... it's possible here to have that one PID really heating both HLT elements at the same time with the switches in the right configuration.

Likewise, the PID for "BK/Fermenter#2" can control two boil kettles, but the selectors mentioned above have to be flipped the other way.

Do you really have two boil kettles?

I promise I am looking at this, and I see how it's wired.... I am just trying to figure out why it's wired that way.

Oh, wait! Do you have 2 element in the BK and 2 in the HLT and you wasn't to be able to distribute power in different ways? (2xHLT,1xHLT+1xBK, or 2xBK)

I am only bringing 2 30A 220V lines into the panel. I only have 1 HLT tank with two 5500w elements in it (HLT #1 & HLT #2), also I only have 1 BK tank with two 5500w elements in it (BK #1 & BK #2) Since I only have enough power to fire two elements at any one time I came up with that configuration, this way I can fire one element in the HLT and one in the BK or two in the HLT (none in the BK) or vice versa, depending on the selector switch position. Does this help explain? Thanks for your questions and time.

Just saw your reply once I posted, you beat me to it!

are your SSRs rated for something less than 50A? If they were 50A, you could eliminate two of them from the design.

They are rated 40a, but I don't think I can eliminate them because I need a way to call for power from either the HLT or BK, if I scale back to 2 relays how would I be able to communicate all four signals for which element I am firing?

I just looked at this again since you are definitely making me think. Take the HLT for example, since HLT #1 and HLT #2 are fired by 2 different 220v lines, I need both relays, same case for the BK. Even though I have the selector switches, I think I still need a gate to control where the power source is going. Does this make sense?

The PID+SSR is there to say when the heat needs to be on. Your selector switches and contact relays control how many and which elements respond to that control.

For example: if the SSRs were rated for 50A, then you could have used a single SSR on the HLT PID to feed into the 2 contact relays that drive the elements in the HLT. If one selector allowed current through to one HLT element, you get 5500W and 23A. If both selectors allowed current through to both elements, you get 11000W and 46A. All 46A would be coming through a single SSR.

pogolounge said:

I just looked at this again since you are definitely making me think. Take the HLT for example, since HLT #1 and HLT #2 are fired by 2 different 220v lines, I need both relays, same case for the BK. Even though I have the selector switches, I think I still need a gate to control where the power source is going. Does this make sense?

Click to expand...

whoops! I missed that you were feeding the system with two separate 30A sources. I thought you were using a single 50A source.

MY BAD!

I was racking my brain on your previous post! I could have brought in 50A but I already set up my garage a year ago with two 30A outlets, so for ease I am pulling off of them. Thanks again for your review!

I think it looks OK. I can't exactly match up everything in the schematic with the picture of the control panel, but I don't see any glaring problems with the design itself.

Walker said:

I think it looks OK. I can't exactly match up everything in the schematic with the picture of the control panel, but I don't see any glaring problems with the design itself.

Click to expand...

Thanks for taking the time to check it out, I appreciate it.