Three Term Control: PID Speed Control System Example
Three Term Control: PID Speed Control System Example
On/Off control could be thought of as starting the engine (G(s)) of the car
(Plant), pressing the accelerator (Output) to the floor until the desired speed
(SP) of 80 kph is reached as indicated on the speedometer (PV), then taking
your foot completely off the accelerator.
When the speed drops below 80 kph the accelerator is again depressed to
the floor until 80 kph is again reached.
Proportional (Gain)
The error is multiplied by a negative (for reverse action) proportional constant P, and
added to the current output.
P represents the band over which a controller's output is proportional to the error of
the system. E.g. for a heater, a controller with a proportional band of 10 deg C and a
setpoint of 100 deg C would have an output of 100% up to 90 deg C, 50% at 95 Deg C
and 10% at 99 deg C.
If the temperature overshoots the setpoint value, the heating power would be cut
back further.
Proportional only control can provide a stable process temperature but there will
always be an error between the required setpoint and the actual process temperature.
Integral (Reset)
The error is integrated (averaged) over a period of time, and then multiplied by a
constant I, and added to the current control output.
I represents the steady state error of the system and will remove setpoint / measured
value errors.
Derivative (Rate)
The rate of change of the error is calculated with respect to time, multiplied by
another constant D, and added to the output.
The derivative term is used to determine a controller's response to a change or
disturbance of the process temperature.
The larger the derivative term, the more rapidly the controller will respond to changes
in the process value.
The P, I and D terms need to be "tuned" to suit the dynamics of the process being
controlled.