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02 Introduction

This document provides an introduction to automatic control systems. It defines key terms like controlled variable, plant, system, and controller. It explains the differences between open-loop and closed-loop control systems. Open-loop systems do not use feedback to adjust the output, while closed-loop systems compare the output to a desired input and use feedback to reduce any error. The document also gives examples of speed control systems and discusses designing control systems to meet performance specifications through system compensation and adjusting compensator parameters.

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Ali Farhat
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33 views23 pages

02 Introduction

This document provides an introduction to automatic control systems. It defines key terms like controlled variable, plant, system, and controller. It explains the differences between open-loop and closed-loop control systems. Open-loop systems do not use feedback to adjust the output, while closed-loop systems compare the output to a desired input and use feedback to reduce any error. The document also gives examples of speed control systems and discusses designing control systems to meet performance specifications through system compensation and adjusting compensator parameters.

Uploaded by

Ali Farhat
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Introduction

Chapter 1

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 1


What is Automatic Control?

• Automatic Control is an Engineering discipline that


deals with:
(1) Modeling of dynamic systems.
(2) Study the natural response of the system.
(3) Design of controllers that cause these systems to behave
in the desired manner.

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 2


Definitions
• Controlled Variable: is a quantity or condition that is
measured and controlled (manipulated)
• Plant: is a piece of equipment, machine, or a physical object to
be controlled
• System: a combination of components that act together and
perform a certain objective
• Disturbance: a signal that tends to adversely affect the value
of the output of a system (internal / external)
• Controller: a piece of hardware or software that generate a
signal to the plant that affect the value of the output toward
the desired value

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 3


Example : Temperature Control Sys

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 4


Controlled & manipulated variables
• The controlled variable (usually output) is the
quantity that is measured & controlled.
• The manipulated variable (control variable) is the
quantity that is varied by the controller to affect the
value of the controlled variable.

Manipulated Controlled

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 5


Example : Temp Control Sys
Controlled variable (Temperature)

Manipulated
variable

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 6


Control

• CONTROL means measuring the value of the controlled


variable & manipulating the manipulated variable to
guide the control variable value to the desired value.

1 2

Control:
manipulate (1) to change (2) to desired value

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 7


Open-loop control system

• The output has no effect on the input.


• Output is neither measured nor fed back for
comparison with the input.
• An example is a washing machine that goes through a
pre-set cycle regardless of the cleanliness (output of
system) of the clothes.
• For each input there is an output, which is dependent
on the calibration of the system.

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 8


Open-loop control system
• An open-loop system can not compensate for
disturbances.
• In practice, open loop systems are used when the
relationship between input and output is known and no
internal or external disturbances exist.

Set dials Plant Collect


(washing machine) clothes

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 9


Open-loop advantages

• Simple construction and ease of maintenance


• Less expensive than a corresponding closed-loop
system.
• No stability problem
• Convenient when output hard to measure.

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 10


Open-loop disadvantages

• Disturbances and changes in calibration cause errors


and the output can be different than what is desired.
• To maintain high quality, recalibration is necessary
from time to time.

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 11


Closed-loop control system
• Same as feedback control systems
• The actuating error signal (difference between input
and output) is fed to the controller so as to reduce the
error and bring the output of the system to a desired
value.
• Closed loop signifies using feedback control action to
reduce system error.

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 12


Feedback control

• Feedback control refers to an operation that, in the


presence of unpredictable disturbances, tends to reduce
the difference between the output of a system and
some reference input, on the basis of this difference.

1 2
+ -

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 13


Feedback control systems

• A feedback control system is a system that maintains


a relationship between the output and reference input
by comparing them and using the difference as a
means of control.

set temperature room temperature


+ -

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 14


Closed-loop advantages

• Insensitive to external disturbances and internal


variations in system parameters.
• Can therefore use relatively inaccurate components
and still obtain accurate control of a plant.

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 15


Closed-loop disadvantages

• Stability is a big problem, where the system may tend


in some instances to overcorrect errors and cause
oscillations.
• More expensive than open-loop systems since it
involves more components.
• Relies on knowledge of the output, which is
sometimes difficult to measure.

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 16


Example 1 - Speed control system

Controlled variable
(velocity)

Manipulated plant
variable

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 17


Example - Speed control system

Controlled variable
(velocity)

Manipulated plant disturbance


variable

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 18


Example - Speed control system

Load
(disturbance)
Desired
speed E(s)
+- Engine

Measured
speed

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 19


Design of Control Systems
• Performance Specifications: Control systems are
designed to perform specific tasks that are spelled out
as performance specifications, which may be given in
terms of
– transient response
• the maximum overshoot
• settling time in step response
– steady-state
• steady-state error in following ramp input
– frequency-response terms

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 20


Design of Control Systems
• The specifications of a control system must be given
before the design process begins
• It is very important to state the performance
specifications precisely so that they will yield an
optimal design of the control system

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 21


Compensation of control systems
• System Compensation: Sometimes we redesign the
system (by modifying the structure or by
incorporating additional devices or components) to
alter the overall behavior so that the system will
behave as desired. Such a redesign or addition of a
suitable device is called compensation.

• A device inserted into the system for the purpose of


satisfying the specifications is called a compensator.

MECH 436 Introduction Slide 22


Design Procedures
– Set up a mathematical model of the control system
– Adjust the parameters of a compensator
– Check the system performance (very time consuming).
• The designer should use tools like MATLAB Simulink
– Once a satisfactory mathematical model has been obtained, the
designer must construct a prototype
– Performance of the prototype will probably differ from the
theoretical predictions (neglected loading effects, nonlinearities,
distributed parameters)
– The designer must adjust system parameters and make changes
in the prototype until the system meets the specifications
– Iterate

MECH 435 Introduction Slide 23

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