Applying radar chart for process control behavior

Abstract

This paper presents the technique to show the controller parameters value that can support decision making of controller action and instruments, actuator operation. In addition, energy consumption is detected of any points of process operation. The paper describes method to detect and collect the assigned process control parameters from process components then display their parameters by radar chart. All of assigned parameters are used to construct the plotted of radar figure. The paper designs background and foreground by representation with rectangular array and length of each spoke in radar chart is proportional to magnitude of set value(SV), manipulate value(MV), process value(PV) of PID controller parameters. In addition, watt power (W) of energy consumption in the process is detected and stored. Each spoke of radar chart represents each parameter that converts to scale as 0–100%. The script functions are developed at the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) station to detect, collect and scale, then store detected parameters in database. The experiments perform in case study of level loop control of water tank processes by using a proportion-integral-derivative (PID) function in the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and Wonderware InTouch SCADA software. The technique can apply for exiting SCADA to create the radar chart. Nevertheless, the new version of SCADA software can support the feature but it depends on cost license fee. Moreover, the technique can support the operators and engineers to make decision of process devices performance (instrument, actuator, controller), process operation and condition.