At work the other day we were commissioning some new control panels that had ethernet relays that could be controlled from a central DCS. This got me thinking about their application in our world of home brewing. These particular modules do not have any self control (i.e PID or fuzzy logic). They simply take a command from either a web page soft switch or retransmit a discrete input from another control system..
So, to my point... I am designing a 50amp panel with single loop PID controllers and after seeing these relay modules, got to thinking about how nice would it be if you had everything set up the night before and when you wake up in the morning all you had to do was hit a button on your smart phone or pc to "enable" your heating elements.. I suppose this would be a simpler version of the the BCS systems from years past, however it would only be a dry contact to let the PIDs begin heating the strike water.. I would still have my local switches for the elements (as seen in the electric brewer type panels), but instead of a 2 way selector, it would be a 3 way (Local, Off, Auto) switch.
Perhaps it would be nice to enable the system as your crawling out of bed, head fuzzy breath stinking.. click a button.. then once your showered and sipping some coffee you walk outside or down to the basement and you're already up to temp...
if you already have a proven concept similar to this idea sound off.. I know there are several IIOT, and web based PLC control schemes out there (I.E. Automation Direct Click or Do More, or a more costly route would be Allen Bradley Compact or MicroLogix), to which, at this moment is not where I am ready to commit to...
So, to my point... I am designing a 50amp panel with single loop PID controllers and after seeing these relay modules, got to thinking about how nice would it be if you had everything set up the night before and when you wake up in the morning all you had to do was hit a button on your smart phone or pc to "enable" your heating elements.. I suppose this would be a simpler version of the the BCS systems from years past, however it would only be a dry contact to let the PIDs begin heating the strike water.. I would still have my local switches for the elements (as seen in the electric brewer type panels), but instead of a 2 way selector, it would be a 3 way (Local, Off, Auto) switch.
Perhaps it would be nice to enable the system as your crawling out of bed, head fuzzy breath stinking.. click a button.. then once your showered and sipping some coffee you walk outside or down to the basement and you're already up to temp...
if you already have a proven concept similar to this idea sound off.. I know there are several IIOT, and web based PLC control schemes out there (I.E. Automation Direct Click or Do More, or a more costly route would be Allen Bradley Compact or MicroLogix), to which, at this moment is not where I am ready to commit to...
