Students here are using a battery-powered PLC (with an HMI display) to monitor the pulse rate generated by a wind speed anemometer as they drive at set speeds in a car. The anemometer is hung out the passenger-side window, and the pulse rate viewed on the HMI screen at different speeds. This data will be used to calculate a “k-factor” relating miles per hour (MPH) to pulses per minute (PPM), which will later be used in the PLC program to display miles per hour windspeed directly.
Unfortunately, there were some bugs in the HMI programming (some of the function key buttons were not programmed to do what they should have), and the test had to be aborted. Still, it’s a cool demonstration of industrial technology being used in a novel application, and shows how students apply their knowledge to practical measurement scenarios.
Duration : 0:1:10
[youtube hXic9A1YiCo]