Not everything in process control is complicated. Some requirements can be fulfilled by the proper application of the right product.
Temperature control, the regulation of heat content, transfer of heat, or whatever else it may be called, is a ubiquitous operation in industrial, commercial, and institutional settings. The range of complexity or challenge in temperature control applications extends from very simple to almost blindingly complex. The key to finding the right solution for any of these applications lies in understanding how the process works, setting an appropriate measurement method for the process condition, establishing a control method or algorithm that adequately responds to the process, and integrating an output device capable of delivering heat or cooling in accordance with the controller commands.
Somewhere along the continuum of project complexity is a zone that is well served by simple and rugged devices that incorporate temperature measurement and control into a single device. Self-contained temperature regulators are pilot or directly operated units comprised of a filled bulb temperature sensor that operates a modulating valve that controls the flow of liquid or steam used to regulate the process temperature. The regulators offer a host of advantages.
- No external power source is required for the operation
- One device to specify, purchase, and install
- Installed by a single trade
- Low, almost no, maintenance
- Intrinsically safe operation