Arduino Electronics Governor for Steam Engine

Projects General Guidance
1

We have a small homemade steam engine of max 3500 RPM. We already made a tachometer to sense engine RPM by Arduino Nano, LCD, IR Sensor. Now we want to make an electronics governor with Arduino, Servo, LCD for maintaining a pre-defined constant speed by controlling the steam inlet valve. There will be a 3x4 keypad to enter set speed value (set value & actual rpm will be displayed in LCD) which the governor will maintain.

Is it possible? If so

Then please provide the complete wiring diagram, parts lists, code and tuning procedure.

Thanks

2

sdas700020:
Then please provide the complete wiring diagram, parts lists, code and tuning procedure.

Although it sounds like an interesting project, we don't provide complete anythings here.

If you want to develop your system and you run into problems with your programming or with interfacing to a sensor or actuator we will try to help.

There is a lot of non-Arduino stuff in what you mention but, if you are prepared to pay for advice and assistance it may be worht asking in the Gigs and Collaborations section.

Radio control for model live-steam railway locomotives is very common. You may get ideas for parts and systems from a website that deals with that.

...R

3

Can anyone provide the schematic diagram & code for automatic engine rpm controller??

Thanks

4

Have you got as far as identifying an existing, commercially available electrically controlled steam inlet valve ? Or are you going to make one ? Once you have that, the rest should be relatively easy.

//pseudocode
Loop() {
   Read motor speed
   If motor speed too high, operate speed control valve one negative increment.
   Else if motor speed too low, operate speed control valve one positive increment.
}
5

6v6gt:
Once you have that, the rest should be relatively easy.

My thought too: what the OP's asking for- schematic and code- is entirely dependent on the actual valve and your pseudocode is all that can be provided absent more details.

6

sdas700020:
Can anyone provide the schematic diagram & code for automatic engine rpm controller??

Did you read Reply #1?

...R

7

1.I can make tachometer with arduino uno/nano, IR sensor LM358, 16x2 LCD.

2.I know how to interface servo & keypad with arduino.

3.I know how to interface potentiometer with arduino to modulate this servo.

Please advice me, in addition to the above mentioned parts any other parts will be required to make automatic engine rpm controller ? And help me to write code for it (I already have separate code for rpm sensor and servo interfacing and keypad interfacing.)

Thanks

8

sdas700020:
Please advice me, in addition to the above mentioned parts any other parts will be required to make automatic engine rpm controller ?

Nobody can help with that until you have details of the steam valve. If you need help on designing that, you would probably be better off on a steam enthusiasts' forum

sdas700020:
And help me to write code for it

And nobody can help with code until you have an electrical interface specified for the valve.

9

It is a small homemade engine.

Its has a small ball valve (Open-close/90 deg-0 deg).

Electrical interface of the valve is "SERVO" which will modulate the ball valve.

SERVO will get signal from Ardouno whether to close or open.

Arduino generate signal by comparing set speed & actual speed which is sensed by the IR sensor as I already told.

Thanks

10

A servo, as in a normal servo that can be run by the servo library? You could have saved a lot of time and frustration if you had said that before.

So you just have an "if" and if the speed is too high do a servo.write(0) else servo.write(90). Something like this:

if (actualSpeed > setSpeed)
{
    myServo.write(0)
}
else
{
    myServo.write(90)
}