billfloyd806
Member
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2013
- Messages
- 12
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I started this project after looking online and in stores for a kegerator for our bar at the lake house. After not liking any I seen for sale, I decided to just make my own. I had a 7.0 cubic ft deep freezer that we hardly used, so I measured it and its a perfect fit. I design control systems, hydraulic units and robotic cells to reduce labor so I knew this would be a simple task.
I removed the thermostat from the read of the unit and installed two relays (compressor control & tower cooling fan control). The relays are rated for 30 amp and small enough I can reuse the cover that was on the thermostat.
For the brains I went with a PLC (DL-06DR) and 6" Cmore micro touch screen from Automationdirect.
I designed the program to control the compressor until the temperature is at the set point entered in the screen (33.0 to 45.0) degrees. Then added two timers delaying the compressor from coming on and off. Is prevents the compressor from short cycling which would kill it. I have alarm set points which I can enter in that will flash the rope lights inside and on the outside of my bar in the event the keg or cooler gets too cold or too hot (outside the set points entered)
I put a full keg in and turned the system on. I also wrote ladder logic to capture the temperature at every hour, then display that value in a 24 graph so in the event I wasn't there and wanted to see if the system had an issues. As you can see I can control it with 1.2 degrees of the set point. I'm sure I can adjust the start and stop timers more if I wanted to get this closer, but for me that's good enough.
I purchased a 40cfm 24VDC fan from McMaster Carr and a plastic enclosure for less then $25. This will be mounted in the cooler. I plan on using 2 food grade tubes 1/2" and 3/4". The 1/2" will supply the beer to the automated filling station (in R&D now) the 1/2" line will be feed through the 3/4" line which will be connected to the fan enclosure. I have installed a thermocouple in the tower head. If the tower temperature goes above the set point entered the fan will force cold air from the cooler in to the 3/4" line surrounding the 1/2" line all the way up to the tower. The 3/4" is also wrapped with 3/4 cpvc pipe insulation to help keep the tubing cold.
Screen shot of the alarm set points and the option to flash the bar lights upon a fault if wanted.
Tower temperature actual and set point settings. All system screens and set points are password protected to keep kids from messing around with the temperature or someone else (a drunk) lol.
This snow balled in to even more. I've designed a automatic filling station (photos coming soon after R&D). I purchased a 24vdc gear motor from McMaster Carr for $34 which will raise and lower the filling nozzle in the glass. I'm using a proximity sensor to count the gears on the small gear rack so I can adjust the height of the glass if needed. Tomorrow I'll receive the flow meter which will track each pour so I'll know when my keg is getting low (200 12 oz pours per 5 gallons) and the PLC will turn on a solenoid valve to tart the pouring process. Once the PLC see's the beer flowing it will slowly start raising the filling station out of the glass and turn off the flow when 12 oz is reached. I will also program a button on the screen to allow for manual pouring (picture or smaller then 12 oz) if wanted.
Great web site. Thinking about brewing my own beer next, the more I read about it the more I want to try it. My wife is trying to get me to sell this kegerator system. Lol
I removed the thermostat from the read of the unit and installed two relays (compressor control & tower cooling fan control). The relays are rated for 30 amp and small enough I can reuse the cover that was on the thermostat.
For the brains I went with a PLC (DL-06DR) and 6" Cmore micro touch screen from Automationdirect.
I designed the program to control the compressor until the temperature is at the set point entered in the screen (33.0 to 45.0) degrees. Then added two timers delaying the compressor from coming on and off. Is prevents the compressor from short cycling which would kill it. I have alarm set points which I can enter in that will flash the rope lights inside and on the outside of my bar in the event the keg or cooler gets too cold or too hot (outside the set points entered)
I put a full keg in and turned the system on. I also wrote ladder logic to capture the temperature at every hour, then display that value in a 24 graph so in the event I wasn't there and wanted to see if the system had an issues. As you can see I can control it with 1.2 degrees of the set point. I'm sure I can adjust the start and stop timers more if I wanted to get this closer, but for me that's good enough.
I purchased a 40cfm 24VDC fan from McMaster Carr and a plastic enclosure for less then $25. This will be mounted in the cooler. I plan on using 2 food grade tubes 1/2" and 3/4". The 1/2" will supply the beer to the automated filling station (in R&D now) the 1/2" line will be feed through the 3/4" line which will be connected to the fan enclosure. I have installed a thermocouple in the tower head. If the tower temperature goes above the set point entered the fan will force cold air from the cooler in to the 3/4" line surrounding the 1/2" line all the way up to the tower. The 3/4" is also wrapped with 3/4 cpvc pipe insulation to help keep the tubing cold.
Screen shot of the alarm set points and the option to flash the bar lights upon a fault if wanted.
Tower temperature actual and set point settings. All system screens and set points are password protected to keep kids from messing around with the temperature or someone else (a drunk) lol.
This snow balled in to even more. I've designed a automatic filling station (photos coming soon after R&D). I purchased a 24vdc gear motor from McMaster Carr for $34 which will raise and lower the filling nozzle in the glass. I'm using a proximity sensor to count the gears on the small gear rack so I can adjust the height of the glass if needed. Tomorrow I'll receive the flow meter which will track each pour so I'll know when my keg is getting low (200 12 oz pours per 5 gallons) and the PLC will turn on a solenoid valve to tart the pouring process. Once the PLC see's the beer flowing it will slowly start raising the filling station out of the glass and turn off the flow when 12 oz is reached. I will also program a button on the screen to allow for manual pouring (picture or smaller then 12 oz) if wanted.
Great web site. Thinking about brewing my own beer next, the more I read about it the more I want to try it. My wife is trying to get me to sell this kegerator system. Lol
