Precision Actuator Control for on/off Type Solenoid Valves using Pid Control Loop

This paper emphasizes on the control system approach of converting an on/off type solenoid valve into a step-wise proportional solenoid valve which is aimed to be an external approach to control the solenoid actuator positions without any modifications in the architecture of the solenoid which can provide better features to the operation of the solenoid and makes the total system cost effective when compared to the proportional solenoids available. The system makes use of PID with a hall-effect transducer as its feedback device. The experimentation is conducted using 24V DC Solenoid valve and the results are plotted graphically based on the hall sensor outputs.