Gemini Control Systems were appointed to design and build a four-floor standing control panel. The client required the panel to operate as a booster set control system incorporating Hydrovar Variable Speed Drives (VSDs). This was a fully bespoke project, with Gemini Control Systems responsible for the research, design, and manufacture, of the entire system.
Gemini Control Systems Ltd implemented a tailored approach to meet the client’s objectives efficiently and effectively, managing the project’s design, manufacturing, and testing phases to deliver a bespoke control system.
Gemini delivered a custom control system incorporating a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) and a Human Machine Interface (HMI). The PLC was designed to interface directly with the Hydrovar units, receiving and processing signals for display on the HMI and providing feedback control to the Hydrovar system.
The system was designed by Gemini Control Systems to meet the client’s specific operational requirements - a fully bespoke design with no comparable off-the-shelf alternative.
Gemini also ensured seamless integration of the PLC with the onsite fibre network and established communication with the main MCC PLC via Profibus. Additionally, the PLC was configured to provide a reset function accessible either from the HMI or remotely over the site network.
We ensured the HMI displayed all the relevant information and a P&ID screen that needed to be produced with interactive buttons and values that can be altered to enter the necessary information on site. Programming was also done from scratch, and we ensured that we developed the PLC software that met the client requirements.
As the system was fully customised to the client’s needs, no comparable solution existed on the market. All wiring diagrams and PLC programming were developed specifically for this project, representing a major technological step forward for booster control panels.
A key challenge was integrating the new control system with the existing onsite infrastructure, which operated on a fibre network. This was addressed through detailed research into the PLC components and the additional equipment required for seamless communication.
During commissioning, the HMI display initially failed to operate correctly due to a software issue, which was resolved through targeted adjustments to the PLC program. Additionally, initial communication issues between the two systems were traced to conflicting node addresses within the advanced PLC configuration, which were successfully corrected to establish full connectivity.
Our client now benefits from:
A fully integrated control system: One that advances beyond the basic functionality of traditional booster panes.
Enhanced functionality and usability: A PLC-based design featuring adjustable setpoints and a live P&ID display on the HMI.