Controls (M J Rhoades)

I am going to work up the controls for a paddle wheel generator. These will include
frequency control, alarms, and indicators, sluice valve control circuits, heater circuits for
the sluice mechanism, and other circuits required by the assignment. First I will draw a
diagram of the complete system without specific control circuits and then address each
control as required. Also note the calculation for number of poles required for the
generator.
Sluice gate/valve
control motor
Paddle wheel house

Frequency based Output shaft to more

open/close signal pulleys for grain
grinding and saw mill

Water supply from

flowing spring

10 rpm wheel@ ≈50% open

Generator Alarms
on gate valve / sluice
control board
Gen
120 volt, 60 Hz
to house ckt bkr
Ckt
bkr
Wheel pond

20 to 1 ratio
36 pole 120 volt AC wheel pulley
generator, 200 RPM system

𝑓
P = 120 where: f = frequency
𝑁
N = No of revolutions All controls for the generator are in the wheel
P = No of poles house. The only circuits that leave the wheel house
are two alarms in the house. Those are, generator
60𝐻𝑧 high temperature, and low / high frequency alarm.
P = 120 = 36 poles
200 Also located outside the wheel house are the sluice
control valve and motor operator, heat tracing and
temperature sensor at the sluice gate / valve area.
 The heart of my system for control of the generator frequency is the DI 503 controller.
(See below)

It takes the output from the generator and determines the frequency as well as giving
indication locally, and alarm functions at the control board and in the house.

Local
alarm and
to house

Pulley and belt from wheel pulley

 To show the entire circuit loop for the frequency control of the wheel / sluice gate, and
thus the generator, the following drawing is provided.

Toothed rod to
gate and geared
sluice gate drive
motor
DC reversible motor (slow
speed) for raising and
lowering sluice gate valve

Sluice gate

Motor anti hunt

Manual control of
ckt, 5 second
sluice gate motor
pulse time, 20
Open Close second delay

Auto
manual
DC power DC reversible
Batt supply relay box
AC
charger (Battery)
Inputs from
generator; ±3Hz
Volts and
frequency
Local alarm @ ± 5 Hz
for;
Indication, Alarm to house
alarms, and
control
Heat trace ckt Ckt
DC to DC and AC
bkr
On off convertor
AC to
house

Bridge ckt / DC to AC Amplifier Hi gen temp

Generator balancing and alarm alarm 1450 F
convertor
RTD input motor bi-stables
Chart recorder To house
Control panel
 For the description of this system that would work on a real world paddle wheel
generator, the following system start up and circuit functions would occur as follows:
Initial conditions: Sluice gate shut, wheel not turning, no power to house. Make sure the
auto / manual switch is in manual, and the circuit breaker to the house is open. Hook up
the deep cycle tractor battery (12V). This supplies power to the DC to DC and AC power
convertor which in turn power ups the DI-503 controller, the RTD and bridge circuits,
and heat tracing power. Power is also supplied for manual control of the sluice gate drive
motor. Bump the open / close (spring return to mid position) switch to open for a couple
of seconds to start opening the sluice gate. The paddle wheel will start to turn as well as
the generator. You should start to see voltage and frequency start to climb on the 503
indicators. If not, you will have to flash the field using a jumper from the battery to the
field of the generator paying attention to polarity.

Keep bumping the open switch for the sluice motor until 120V, and 60 cycles is
displayed. Place the auto / manual switch to auto. Close the breaker on the control panel
for house power. The frequency and voltage will drop some as the generator picks up the
load. The 503 controller will then start getting feedback from the generator that it is
slowing down. This will cause the smart relay in the 503 to energize, which will then pick
up the open relay in the DC reversible relay box. This in turn will energize the 5 second
anti hunt timer, and it will supply a 5 second open signal to the sluice gate motor. After 5
seconds the timer will de-energize the sluice motor for 20 seconds. If the open signal is
still present from the 503, the cycle will continue until the frequency is 60 ± 3 Hz. This
also works the same way when frequency goes high by over 3 Hz except the 503
energizes the shut relay for the valve.

At the same time, the generator is supplying power to the battery charger keeping the
battery fully charged. When the generator frequency has stabilized, the alarm cut out
switches can be placed back in alarm position. As the generator warms up, check the
graph recorder for normal display and if required you may energize the heat tracing to
make sure that no ice forms around the sluice gate bearings. Shut down of the system is
the reverse of the start up.