FlowLogic — Molasses Tank Digital Controller

Overview

A digital control system for an industrial molasses tank, deriving outlet-valve behavior purely from combinational logic — level and temperature sensor states plus previous-state feedback — with explicit fault-detection scenarios built into the design, not bolted on afterward.

Architecture

State-dependent combinational logic driven by level (LL/LH) and temperature (Tc) sensor inputs plus feedback from the valve's previous state, using active-low signal conventions.

Key Features

• K-map minimized combinational logic for valve actuation.
• State-feedback logic ensuring realistic, non-erratic valve behavior under changing conditions.
• Explicit fault-detection scenarios for sensor failure conditions.
• LED-based output verification for all tested scenarios.

Development Process

• Enumerated all input combinations (level, temperature, previous state) before minimizing logic.
• Applied Karnaugh Map minimization to reduce the resulting truth table to practical gate logic.
• Simulated normal, fault and alarm scenarios independently in Proteus/Multisim.
• Verified all outputs against LED indicators for each tested case.

Challenges & Solutions

Results & Impact

The controller correctly manages outlet valve actuation and fault detection across normal, temperature-constrained and sensor-failure scenarios, verified via LED-based output checks in simulation.

Future Improvements

• Extend to sequential logic for more complex multi-state fault handling.
• Add a physical sensor-interface prototype.
• Log fault events for post-hoc analysis.