Flotation-tank control system
Embedded control for a flotation process — the thesis project behind SD-PLC.
held to target Controlled variable
software + hardware Validation
embedded control Platform
A control-systems thesis: designing, implementing, and validating the embedded control for a flotation tank. The work grounds the vendor-neutral thinking that later became SD-PLC — standard control logic, tested rigorously in software before it drives real hardware.
Context
Flotation processes depend on holding physical variables inside tight operating windows; drift shows up directly in process performance. The thesis took this as a control problem: model the plant, design a controller against it, and prove the behaviour before committing it to hardware — rather than tuning by hand on a live rig.
Approach
- Modelled the flotation-tank plant dynamics as the basis for controller design
- Implemented the control logic against a standard, portable programming model
- Validated in software first, then against hardware, to catch issues off the rig
- Instrumented the loop so the controlled variable could be measured against target
Outcome
- A working, validated controller for the flotation-tank process
- A software-first workflow that made the control logic testable and reviewable
- The architectural seed of SD-PLC: control code that isn’t welded to one vendor’s stack