homemade stoker


 
J

Jason H.

TVWBB Member
All,

I am planning on making my own plc based stoker system. One thing that I found was interesting was that most of the current systems (correct me if I am wrong) are digital control so the fan is either on full speed or off. One thing I would like to try with mine is an analog control where the speed of fan is adjusted as needed. Has anyone played with this?
 
I seem to recall reading about someone who built one and found it to be pretty difficult to get it to accurately control his temps. It took a lot of tuning, and the author suggested its not for the faint of heart and when adding in time, you don't really save much.

Additionally, I met the inventor of the guru at a comp. He spent his career working with industrial temp controls. Talking to him gave me new insight into his product. Having the dig switch may possibly be a cost saving move, but this guy knows his stuff, so I would think they've considered an analog control.

have you considered using a pid?

good luck I wish you the best!
 
j,

I agree that PID (proportional/integral/derivative) control loops are not for the faint of heart. I graduated as a EE from GT in 2002 and since then the majority of my career has been plc/hmi programming including quite a few pid loops for everything from a small 3 zone oven up to an oven the length of a football field that car parts went through. Tuning those loops is half science and half art. Thats what makes it so much fun! Of course I have to get my wsm first and then will start playing with a forced air system.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Of course I have to get my wsm first and then will start playing with a forced air system. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

a ha! now we are getting somewhere. I'm not trying to discourage you, I'm a tinkerer myself and know there's just as much fun in the journey as in the destination. However, I think once you get the hang of using the wsm, you might discover, as many of us have, that its beauty is in its simplicity. It chugs along at a steady temp all day with out any fuss. It may not be your ideal temp, but once you find out that the range of ideal temps is pretty wide, you sit back, crack a cold one, and let the wsm make beautiful barbecue at its own pace.

I get pretty wound up when I'm competing and keep thinking I should invest in a stoker to give me some piece of mind, but then when I actually get around to using the cooker and it holds steady for hours, I rethink the purchase.

btw, Chris A should move this to the atc area where you might actually attract some stoker builders and users who can actually help you out
icon_biggrin.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top