Developing and testing control algorithms for frequency driven air coolers

Fan driven air-coolers are seen in many different sectors varying from industrial applications to consumer goods. The earliest control methods that have been implemented in fan driven air-coolers are simple on/off regulation to control the amount of cooling done which may not always be the most efficient way of control regarding power consumption. In a world where society strives for greener and more sustainable way of co-habitation with nature, making industries less power consuming is a requirement. This thesis paper attempts to find better regulator algorithms to make a fan driven air-cooler together with a frequency converter more efficient at cooling hydraulic fluid flowing through a radiator. A detailed experimental plan had to be set up due to lab restrictions and safety procedures and to ensure that the collected data was reliable. By conducting these experiments, the most suitable regulator could be evaluated through a scoring, based on a product specification, where the PID regulator scored highest. A simulation was also implemented attempting to mirror the experimental results to further solidify the behavior of the regulators.