Hello - this is my first post. I am a Swedish homebrewer but not a BCS-owner yet.
My question is about controlling inductionplates with a BCS. In the the following link you look at an inductionplate which has become popular among german homebrewers.
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Hendi-Gastro-Ind ... 0960776368
Why? There is only a turning knob to Control it. This knob operates an on/off-switch and a potentiometer. From this you get 0-5V DC to the rest of the plate.
If you look inside there are four leaders with a MOLEX-contact connecting the pot and switch to the rest of the plate.
Some germans have simply cut off wires here and put in relays etc. But after what I have read about BCS there can bee a possibility to directly control the plate with a BCS without any relay,SSR between.
Can this be possible?
Björn
Induction plate
Re: Induction plate
You could control it but WITH a relay. The Voltage of the BCS is only a control 5 vdc at the milliamp range. You cannot use it to "power anything" . It is enough to control a relay only, not provide power. I do not see why the BCS could not control an induction plate as you can control heating elements, air conditioners, and freezers (all through a RELAY!) Your power for the induction plate is Anschluss 230V / 50 Hz / 3500Watt not 5 volts
Re: Induction plate
You would also need a Temperature probe.
The BCS uses a Temperature INPUT for PWM control of an OUT (Normally a Relay). There are several control methods associated with a PWM Out, but with a Temperature Control you have PID and Hysteresis control.
You could not use the Temp Gauge on the Induction plate as it is simply a rheostat and not a Temperature Gauge (and even if it was, it would likely not be compatible with the BCS as a lot of probes are not) (And how to wire to the BCS anyway?).
In Order to control the plate with a BCS, You would need a 230 vac 20 Amp SSR with a 5vdc control
Like this (a 25 amp one) http://www.amazon.com/Solid-State-Relay ... ywords=ssr
You would also need a temp probe like the ones they sell at Brewer’s Hardware:
https://www.brewershardware.com/1-2-MPT ... 6-M12.html
and the BCS and wiring.
The BCS uses a Temperature INPUT for PWM control of an OUT (Normally a Relay). There are several control methods associated with a PWM Out, but with a Temperature Control you have PID and Hysteresis control.
You could not use the Temp Gauge on the Induction plate as it is simply a rheostat and not a Temperature Gauge (and even if it was, it would likely not be compatible with the BCS as a lot of probes are not) (And how to wire to the BCS anyway?).
In Order to control the plate with a BCS, You would need a 230 vac 20 Amp SSR with a 5vdc control
Like this (a 25 amp one) http://www.amazon.com/Solid-State-Relay ... ywords=ssr
You would also need a temp probe like the ones they sell at Brewer’s Hardware:
https://www.brewershardware.com/1-2-MPT ... 6-M12.html
and the BCS and wiring.
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barney the bear
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2014 2:07 pm
- Bot?: No
Re: Induction plate
? There is only max 5 V DC over the switch and potentiometer - not 230V AC. Some Germans has pulled out the MOLEX with four leaders and put in Arduinos instead - they say it works. Well, I understand that I need probes and I know what PWM and hysteresis is.
The Germans understand that you should not switch the incoming 230V AC current on and off frequently in a fast rate, there are fans in the plate for cooling and I do not think the electronics i the plate like it.
The 230V current is only the power source and is converted by the electronics in the plate to other voltages and frequencies. Maybe only the fans run at 230V. The effect is controlled with a max 5V DC current into the electronics of the plate. There is no heat generated in the plate itself but in the vessel by a magnetic field created by the coil in the plate.
The Germans understand that you should not switch the incoming 230V AC current on and off frequently in a fast rate, there are fans in the plate for cooling and I do not think the electronics i the plate like it.
The 230V current is only the power source and is converted by the electronics in the plate to other voltages and frequencies. Maybe only the fans run at 230V. The effect is controlled with a max 5V DC current into the electronics of the plate. There is no heat generated in the plate itself but in the vessel by a magnetic field created by the coil in the plate.
Last edited by barney the bear on Tue Nov 18, 2014 5:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Induction plate
Maybe some are using the rheostat voltage to control the temperature. I am not that familar with the Adrino but the BCS is set to control an OUT with the input of the temperature Probe and does not vary the control voltage as far as I know. I am not sure how the internals work on the BCS as I am not an engineer or that knowledgeable about PWM. I would assume that you could use Hysteresis to control the temp. I assume you would want this for MASHING and not boiling. I have thought about getting a WORT GRANT that was set on an induction plate but I would control it by setting the dial and not use a temp probe as I already have a HERMS setup for the WORT temperature control. The induction plate would just be to help, not control the temp of the WORT. Maybe someone with more internal knowledge of the BCS will respond as well.
The BCS is not an OPEN system where you can truly program at the controller level. It is basically a set of pre programed commands that are set and cannot be changed. That does not mean that the BCS cannot be "programmed" to your brewery, it can. But you are more limited (and do not need to know a program language) to set up the BCS your way. The control you have with the BCS is very good and you can normally figure out a logical way to use the BCS to control your brewery the way you want to. It does not have all the sensors (for example a Flow Meter) that you can have with an Adrino, but it is a great tool for semi automation and also for logging data.
The BCS is not an OPEN system where you can truly program at the controller level. It is basically a set of pre programed commands that are set and cannot be changed. That does not mean that the BCS cannot be "programmed" to your brewery, it can. But you are more limited (and do not need to know a program language) to set up the BCS your way. The control you have with the BCS is very good and you can normally figure out a logical way to use the BCS to control your brewery the way you want to. It does not have all the sensors (for example a Flow Meter) that you can have with an Adrino, but it is a great tool for semi automation and also for logging data.