EZboil, Power Regulator for Boiling Process Automation

Holiday sale ends on 12/1/2024!

EZboil^® is a digital power regulator designed to automate the liquid boiling and mashing processes. In boil mode, it can bring the liquid to boil in the maximum speed, automatically reduce the power to maintain the boil at a desired level, and shut off power after maintaining at boiling for a predetermined time. This controller can be used for wort boiling during the beer brewing process or for cooking food that involves a long simmering time. 

The EZboil^® can also be used as a temperature controller for mashing. In mash mode, its temperature control function utilizes an artificial intelligence algorithm optimized for mashing application. It is easier to understand and more convenient to operate than a PID controller. Regular PID controllers may have overshoot or slow response issues when not properly tuned. However, for most mashing systems, EZboil^® can hold the temperature within one degree right out of the box. 

This controller was developed based on our Digital SSR Power Regulator (DSPR1). It provides linear and uniform power output with 1% resolution. The power adjustment is done with a rotary encoder that is easier to operate than the press button adjustment type. The major improvements of this new controller are the addition of temperature sensor input and programmable timer function. Unlike DSPR1, the built-in temperature measurement capability allows temperature-triggered power output adjustment as well as the timed output shut-off.

It is nearly impossible to control the boiling process with a regular PID temperature controller. The boiling point is not just determined by the type of liquid and its chemical composition, but also by the altitude of the location, and the barometric pressure. In addition, there is no temperature difference between weak boil, rolling boil, and vigorous boil. The most practical way to control the boil level is by adjusting the power applied to the heating element.

“A watched pot never boils”… many people have had this experience because they like to bring the pot to a boil quickly using high power to save time. As soon as the liquid starts to boil, they need to reduce the power to prevent boiling over, reduce evaporation, and prevent fire hazard. For example, in home brewing, a brewer would like to bring the wort to boil as soon as possible, and then adjust the power to maintain a nice rolling boil but not letting the wort to boil over. Similarly, a cook may want to bring a pot of soup/stew to boil and then reduce the power to let the soup/stew simmering for a long time. This time consuming process can be taken over by EZboil^®.

The EZboil^® eliminates the hassle of waiting and watching a boiling kettle or a cooking pot. It is especially useful when using it to repeat the same heating/boiling process. Other than just manually tuning the output level, a feature that is already available on DSPR1, EZboil^® has three additional parameters to control the boiling process:

1) Acceleration Temperature Set Point (ATSP), 2) Acceleration Output Power (OUTH), and 3) a timer to shut off the output. The parameter ATSP is a temperature threshold below which the controller will send out high power at a level that is defined by OUTH. Once the temperature reaches ATSP, the power level will be automatically reduced to the setting level displayed on the bottom line of the LED display. This setting is controlled by the rotary knob. A timer can also be activated when a set temperature is reached so the controller will shut off the output after certain time. For users who prefer a less automated boiling process, the acceleration phase can be eliminated by setting ATSP to a very low temperature. The temperature display can be used as a regular thermometer for reference. The timer can be manually reset just like a single event timer.

DSPR120	DSPR300

Two versions of the EZboil^® are offered at this time. DSPR120 is the standard model with one SSR control output. DSPR300 is the advanced model with two additional programmable relay outputs.  These relays can be programmed to engage at specific temperature or time. They are very versatile and can be used for many different types of applications. Following are some examples.

The relay can be set to synchronize with alarm conditions. If you feel the internal buzzer is not sufficient, you can connect a flashing buzzer to the relay. It allows you to get both audio and visual alarm notifications. You can set a specific alarm duration, or add a switch in the loop so that you can disable it at any time. 

The relay can be set to the latching mode and be looped into the control output so that it functions as an temperature overage protection mechanism.

The relay can also be set to act at a specific temperature range to control other devices such as a circulation pumps.

Relay #1 can be set in synchronization with the acceleration heating phase of the main control output. User can use it to drive a contactor that is connected to extra heating elements. For a 12KW three heating elements system, user can have two 4kw elements controlled by relay #1, and one 4kw element controlled by a 25A SSR. This configuration reduces the SSR heatsink size for the heat dissipation, making the system more compact and reliable.

Relay #2 can be set in synchronization with the timer for mashing or boiling. So once the boil is complete, a chiller pump can be turned on. 

Application Example for DSPR120
Set ATSP = 200°F (96°C) and OUTH = 100%, set boiling output dial to 65%, and the timer to start at 210°F (99°C) for 60 minutes. When the controller is powered up, it will heat the liquid with full power capacity of the heating element. After the water temperature reaches 200°F, the power is automatically reduced to 65%. As soon the temperature climbs to 210°F, the timer is activated. Sixty minutes later, the power will be turned off and the controller will send long beeps and flashing "End" on the display. During the boil, the user can use the rotary knob to fine tune the boil at any time. There is also a programmable alarm that can be set to an important temperature to notify the user to take action. The figure below shows how the power is correlated to the temperature and time.

Figure 1. Power output correction with temperature and time.
 

Tutorial Video (For DSPR110)

Specifications:
Power input: 90-260VAC, 50 Hz or 60 Hz.
Control resolution: 1%.
Control mode: burst firing mode* (see note below)
Temperature sensor input: Pt100 RTD.
Temperature display resolution:1  °C or °F,   
Timer range: 99 hr 59 minutes with 1 min resolution..
Output: 12VDC, 80 mA. (It can drive up to 6 SSRs in parallel)
SSR requirement: Zero-cross, DC triggered AC SSR.