Automated Distilling Controller

[clearwaterbrewer]

I am a homebrewer happens to have opened a legit distillery, I have used the following controllers in both environment:

BCS-462

Pro:

One stop shop
8 temp sensors
many programs and steps per program
web interface​

Con:

End of Sale
no RTD
no analog out (4-20mA) which is great for controlling reflux condenser
​

Auber DSPR series (convertible between mashing and distilling)

Pro:

inexpensive
RTD
a few steps (warm up, distill, shutoff)​

Con:

single channel
single temp display
no web interface​

Stilldragon DYI controller...

Pro:

super cheap​

Con:

no automation or web interface
​

I started looking at Raspberry Pi when i got the pi ZeroW to monitor my Tilt hydrometers, and bought a few more Zero W's and a 3B. I also ordered 3.1 and 5.0 blank PCB's and components such as the DS18B20's, transistors, resistors, and have a 8-channel relay board (low-signal, that I bought as a mistake for the BCS to use) so will definitey put it together and do something and learn.

I think this will work, but I will have to modify craftBeerPi software and it is not as industrially reliable as Arduino..


So I looked at Arduino :

BruControl, I looked, however I refuse to have a windows server, a breakout board, an Arduino, and a wifi add-on board all going in my distillery all the time for a task so damn simple...

ArdBir, still need the wifi and breakout boards...

​

I ran across the ESP8266 in the BrewPi@ESP8266, no need of RPI and Arduino thread by @pocketmon as the module used by many Arduino folks and see it has logic of it's own, I found his wordpress and github sites, and want to give a go at the off-shoot D1 Mini Pro and a PCF8574 and maybe a oLED..


Here is a synopsis of what the controller will do:


1 ssr PWM output (can be slow)

1 faster(100+ hz?) PID PWM (will convert to analog output)

4 outputs to drive powered relay board

5 temps via DS18b20 (8 would be better)


What is monitored or controlled on our particular still:
Boiler temp
Vapor temp above the liquid
vapor temp at top of column below reflux condenser
vapor temp above reflux condenser
cooling water entering system
cooling water exiting product condenser
coolign water exiting reflux condenser
cooling water *in* reflux condenser (used to control flow in closed loop fashion with a proportional valve)
product temperature (safety)

PWM SSR heating of Electric element(s)
Contactor heating of additional elements
pump for recirc cooling water
solenoid for city cooling water
drain pump
alarm
analog output (4020mA or 0/2-10v johnson proportional valve)


Old panel has and new panel will have 'hand-off-auto' switches on all outputs


IO assignment (ok to change, just first guess)

D0 - Dout0 Buzzer Driver
D1 - Dout1 i2c PCF8574/oLED
D2 - Dout2 i2c
D3 - Dout3 relay board 3 cooling pump
D4 - Dout4 relay board 2 cooling solenoid
D5 - Dout5 relay board 1 extra heating contactor
D6 - Din6 DS18B20 temperature sensors
D7 - Dout7 SSR heating PWM
D8 - Dout8 PID PWM pseudo analog out
D9 - ?
D10 - ?
D11 - ?


oLED Display:
prg x st y hh:mm:ss
Out7 xx% T1 xxx.xF
Out8 xx% T2 xxx.xF
Out4 Out3 T3 xxx.xF
Out5 mm:ss T4 xxx.xF



multiple programs(Here are 2):

program 1 -

step 1
Dout7 on 100%
Dout5 on
-exit to step 2:
Temp1 >190F
Temp2 >170F

step 2
Dout7 on 100%
Dout3 on
-exit to step 3:
Temp2 >209F

step 3
Dout3 on
-exit to OFF:
timer1 > 00:02:00




Program 2 -

step 1
Dout7 on 100%
Dout5 on
-exit to step 2:
Temp1 >190F
Temp4 >150F

step 2
-exit to step 3:
timer1 > 00:03:00

step 3
Dout7 on 100%
Dout3 on
Dout8 - PID control temp 5 to 151F
-exit to step 4:
Temp2 >206F

step 4
Dout3 on
-exit to OFF:
timer1 > 00:02:00

 

[pocketmon]

Interesting. I don’t distill but have been asked about distilling now and then. The distilling procedure is a result of discussion with a friend. It consists of pre-head, head, heart, and tail, defined by temperature ranges. The main difference between distilling and beer brewing is control of heat output, so called PWM mode.
Your method seems different from the procedure already implemented. I wonder wether there is a universal procedure or not.