How to Enhance Chemical Control Efficiency with ODOT I/O System?
With the continuous advancement of industrial automation technology, more chemical tank farms are incorporating automated control systems and intelligent monitoring devices to achieve full-process automation management, from raw material storage to product dispatch. Automation and intelligence not only enhance production efficiency but also significantly reduce operational costs and minimize risks and errors associated with manual operations. 1. Current Status of Chemical Tank Farms
（1）Low Automation Level: Currently, many chemical tank farms have low levels of automation and still rely heavily on manual operations. This results in low efficiency, high costs, and an increased risk of human error. （2）Outdated Equipment: Some chemical tank farms use old and outdated equipment, which lacks necessary maintenance and upgrades. This leads to low production efficiency, significant safety hazards, and an inability to meet modern production demands. （3）High Safety Management Difficulty: Chemical tank farms handle a large number of flammable, explosive, and toxic substances, making safety management challenging. More comprehensive safety monitoring and emergency response systems are needed. （4）Environmental Protection Pressure: With increasingly stringent environmental regulations, chemical tank farms must use more environmentally friendly materials and processes to control pollution emissions and reduce environmental impact. 2. ODOT Application
A large chemical plant primarily engaged in the production and research of specialty chemicals based on long-chain fatty acids and their derivatives uses natural oils and fats as raw materials. ODOT products are integrated into the plant's tank farm control system, facilitating the automated centralized storage and retrieval of raw materials and chemical products. By using ODOT remote io, the plant has enhanced its automation level, improved its safety supervision system, and achieved cost reduction and efficiency improvements.
The original tank farm system used Siemens 200smart as the main station, which had limited IO points and a low level of automation, requiring significant manual control. In this upgrade, the CPU has been upgraded, and ODOT Remote IO is used for centralized control of valves and motors across the tank farm. The system now monitors the temperature and liquid levels of each storage tank in real-time, ensuring safe material storage and real-time allocation. This enhancement has increased automation and reduced the need for manual labor.
In this case, CN-8032-Lis used as a remote IO slave station distributed throughout the tank farm, enabling zoned control. The digital input moduleCT-121F is used to collect feedback states of valves and motors, and the liquid levels in the storage tanks. The digital output module CT-222F is used to control the start/stop of motors and the opening/closing of valves, as well as to control the indicator lights within the tank farm, providing inspection personnel with the current equipment status. The analog input module CT-3734 is used to collect temperature values from PT100 sensors, monitoring the temperature status of the storage tanks. The analog output module CT-4234 outputs current signals to control the regulating valve, managing the flow of heat transfer oil to maintain constant temperatures in the storage tanks. The analog input module CT-3238 is used to monitor feedback from the regulating valve and the material flow. By using the ODOT C-series remote IO, the factory achieved centralized control and real-time monitoring of the tank farm. As automation and intelligent technologies continue to advance, more chemical enterprises will benefit from these improvements, enhancing production efficiency and safety, and embracing a smarter and more environmentally friendly future.