School of Engineering

5405ELE Instrumentation and

Control Engineering
Dr Qian Zhang
[email protected]
Room 504A, Byrom Street
Week 1
Introduction
Introduction to module 5405ELE

AIM
To develop an understanding of components and the principles of control systems, basic design
and analysis techniques, and practice some control applications to industrial systems.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
On successful completion of the module students should be able to demonstrate:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the basic concepts of dynamic system response and closed
loop control.
2. Develop models for simple dynamic plant with appropriate software.
3. Demonstrate ability to design controllers and analyse system stability.
4. Simulate control systems with appropriate software and assess system performance.
5. Demonstrate understanding of system components and controller realisation.
Introduction to module 5405ELE
CONTENT
• What is Control Engineering? The importance of Feedback.

• Review and Revision of the Laplace Transform.

• The Transfer Function.

• Introducing Feedback into a System – advantages and performance requirements.

• Introduce some basic tools for control system analysis and design.

• Classical control architectures: Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) Control.

• Instrumentation
 Introduction to module 5405ELE
Week Lecture Tutorial Practical Comments
18 Introduction to control Lecture related MATLAB basics: Vectors,
Functions and Plotting
19 Laplace transform Lecture related Matrices, and Using m-files
20 System modelling and transfer function Lecture related Polynomials as Vectors
21 Block diagram Lecture related Transfer functions in MATLAB Assignment hand out
22 Stability and Routh-Hurwitz method Lecture related SIMULINK
23 Time response Lecture related Catch-up session
24 No session No session No session Directed Study week
25 Root locus and PID control Lecture related Control systems with SIMULINK
26 Instrumentation Lecture related Control systems with SIMULINK
27 Tracking and disturbance Lecture related Control systems with SIMULINK
28 State space representation Lecture related Assignment completion
29 Revision Revision Assignment completion Assignment hand in
30-31 No session No session No session Spring Break
32-33 No session No session No session Exam weeks
Introduction to module 5405ELE

Assessment
Assessment Type Hand out Hand in Feedback
1 Assignment (Report and Program) Week 21 Week 29 Week 33

2 Exam Final Exam N/A N/A

Period

SUGGESTED READING

1. Modern Control Systems - Eleventh Edition, Richard C. Dorf and Robert H. Bishop, ISBN 0-13-
227028-5
2. Control Systems Engineering - Fifth Edition, Norman S. Nise, ISBN-10: 0470169974
3. Modern Control Engineering, Katsuhiko Ogata, ISBN-10: 0136156738
4. Feedback Control of Dynamic Systems, Gene Franklin, J.D. Powell and Abbas Emami-Naeini,
ISBN-10: 013507181X
Why Control? Feedback
• Control is the engineering discipline that focuses on the modelling, analysis
and design of a diverse range of dynamic systems. Controllers are developed
to ensure a given system (such as a robot or aircraft), which may not behave
appropriately, is forced to behave in the desired manner.

• Much of control involves introducing feedback loops, which effectively modify

the dynamics of the original system. Fundamental control methods such as we
develop in this course (and as used by many industries) assume systems are
linear, or can be approximated to some desired degree by a linear system. You
will see some similarities with the network theory and communication theory
you have met elsewhere in the course.
Why Control? Feedback
• A control system is often represented by a series of subsystems. For example,
a satellite tracking system may be considered to be formed by subsystems
involving amplifier electronics, gearing, motor, structure, measurement device.

• The ability to take measurements is key; elements that take measurements are
usually called sensors.

• The ability to apply a corrective control action when a measurement indicates

the system is not behaving appropriately is also key. These devices are called
actuators.
Why Control? Feedback
The Open Loop System

Input Output
Process

An open-loop controlled system (without feedback)

• An open-loop system does not use knowledge of the output to decide upon an appropriate
input
• An example of an open-loop system is an electric heater which does not have a thermostat.
• The output of an open-loop system will change in the presence of disturbances or process
changes
• If the outside temperature drops, you have to manually change the setting on the electric
heater if you wish to maintain room temperature
The Closed-Loop Feedback Control System
A closed-loop control system uses measurement and feedback of the output signal. This is
compared with a desired output level (reference or command). Any error between the two
signals is used to adjust the input to the process.

Desired output
Comparison Controller Process Output
response

Measurement

Closed-loop system

• Control is an essential element of many engineering systems

• The process inputs are variables that are manipulated by the controller
• The process outputs are the variables to be controlled/ quantities of interest
• With appropriately designed feedback control, the output will behave as desired in the presence of
disturbances or process changes
• An example of a closed-loop system is a thermostatically controlled heating system, where the actual
temperature is compared to a desired level and used to adjust the heat input to the room.
Feedback Control Loop
• The difference between the desired output response and measurement of the actual output
response is called the tracking error

• Minimising this error and ensuring good tracking accuracy is one of the primary requirements
of any feedback control system

• An example is an industrial robot that is required to perform a particular task in a rapid and
energy efficient manner – it must exhibit good tracking of a reference command in order to paint
a panel, for example

Difference
(error)
Desired output + Controller Process
Actual
response output
- response
Measurement
Device

Closed-loop feedback system

History
• Before 1940: open-loop systems and closed-loop systems, trial and error
design.

• 1940 - 1960: Frequency analyses, root-locus method based on Laplace

Transform (LT) and s-plane. PID control.

• 1960 - 1980: State space method was developed in the time domain.

• Since 1980: With the powerful digital computers the advanced control
techniques were developed, such as adaptive control, robust control, intelligent
control, etc.
A Real-life Control System: Open-loop Control
• Take “temperature control of a room” as an example:

Disturbance
(outside
temperature)
+ d y
r u +
Human Servo room
operator valve
Controller Actuator Plant

r ---- set-point (required temperature)

u ---- manipulated variable (or control variable)
d ---- disturbance
y ---- system output (variable to be controlled)

• Plant: equipment or a machine, a room, a tank, etc. to be controlled.

• Actuator: equipment through which the control action is applied to the plant.
• Controller: a designed component to generate a proper value to achieve the control task.
A Real-life Control System: Open-loop Control
• Take “temperature control of a room” as an example:

Disturbance
(outside
temperature)
+ d y
r u +
Human Servo room
operator valve
Controller Actuator Plant

• The task of a control system is to control the plant such that the plant output equals the set-
point even the system is subjected to the disturbance.
• In open-loop system, controller can be tuned such that the output equals the set-point.
However, when system is subjected to a disturbance, controller cannot compensate for the
disturbance effect. Open-loop system is simple and easy to tune, but is not robust to
disturbance and time varying effects.
A Real-life Control System: Closed-loop Control
• The plant output is measured and fed back to compare with the set-point. The error is given to
the controller to control the plant. In this way the effects of disturbance on the plant output can
be compensated.

Disturbance
d
e u
Set-point + Temperature
r Controller Radiator + Room y
(actuator) (Plant)
+
-
Feedback
Thermometer
(sensor)
Another Everyday Feedback Control System

C. Dorf, p10
Schematic Diagrams Identification
• Example 1: A DC motor is used to drive a shaft that is, in turn, to drive several machine tools as the load.
The rotary velocity of the shaft is controlled in a closed-loop mode with a tachometer connected with the
shaft to measure shaft rotary speed. A controller is used to tune the voltage input of the motor. Identify the
plant, actuator, sensor and disturbance. Then, draw a schematic diagram for the speed control system of
the drive.
• Solution: The plant is the shaft. The actuator is the DC motor. The sensor is the tachometer. The
disturbance is mainly the load. The schematic is as follows:

Load
(disturbance)
d
e u
Set-point + Rotary speed
r Controller DC motor + Shaft y
(actuator) (Plant)
+
-
Feedb
ack
Tachometer
(sensor)
Control System Design
• Set-point tracking system: the objective is to control the system output such that it tracks the
set-point.
• Regulation System: the set-point is constant, while the system output is to be maintained at
the constant set-point against disturbance.

• Set-point tracking system is also called servo system. For example, speed control of a DC
motor drive system is a servo system, where the shaft speed is controlled to follow the given
speed.

• Regulation systems are often found in process control. For example, temperature control of a
chemical reactor. Usually, a chemical reaction releases or absorbs heat energy, so that affects
the temperature in the tank. The temperature in the tank is maintained at the set-point value by
tuning the flow rate of circulated hot water or cool water to heat or cool the reactor against
variable disturbance.
Static Systems and Dynamic Systems
• Systems including physical systems, social systems, economic systems, etc. can be divided
into two classes: Static systems and dynamic systems.

• Static systems: When system input has a sudden change, its output changes immediately to
its corresponding value. For example, a resistance network is a static system, as the current or
voltage in the network will immediately respond to a sudden change in the source voltage and
changes to its static value.

• Dynamic systems: For a dynamic system, its output will gradually, rather than immediately,
change in responding to a sudden change in the input, and the change will last for a period of
time. For example, a circuit including capacitors or inductors is a dynamic system, as the
current or voltage in the circuit cannot jump when the source voltage jumps.

• How to identify that a system is static system or a dynamic system? Mainly is to see if the
system involves the energy-storing components. If involves, the system is dynamic,
otherwise is static. For example, in addition to the capacitors or inductors in a circuit system, a
tank in a liquid flow system is an energy-storing component, while an object with non-negligible
mass in a rotating system is an energy-storing component.
Important Considerations in Controller Design
Reference command
4
•Stability Transient response

Steady-state
error
• Time Response
Steady-state
response
-Transient dynamics

-Steady-state error
1 Time
•Robustness
Elevator response

- Error in models used for controller design eg. Parameters on a data sheet for an electric motor
may be quoted to an accuracy of +/-15%

-Non-linear and variable process dynamics eg. A UAV (unmanned air vehicle) may be required
to fly at different speeds – aerodynamic characteristics will vary with speed

-Effects of disturbances eg. Aircraft subject to turbulance

Transient dynamics
• The figure shows output of a dynamic system when the input has sudden change.

1.5
s(t)
Mp
95% -- 98%
1

0.5

0
0 tr 2 tp 4 6 tf 8 t 10

• It can be seen after a period of time, tf, the output reaches a constant value. tf is called settling time. The
response before tf is called transient state, while after tf called steady state.
• tr ---- rise time
• tp ---- peak time
• Mp ---- maximum overshoot in percentage
Control System Design (Process) Steps
• The design of control
systems is a specific 1. Study the system and establish control objectives
application of engineering
design
2. Model the system and analyse the model

3. Decide the variables are to be controlled , sensors and actuators

4. Select the control configuration and decide on the type of

controller to be used

5. Decide on the performance specifications, based

If the performance on overall control objectives
does not meet the
specifications then
iterate
6. Design a controller

6. Analyse and simulate the performance

If the performance meets the

Specifications, then finalise the design