Prolific’s Training Program

Controllers

2005

Prolific Systems and Technologies Pvt Ltd

 How do Temperature Controllers work?

 A temperature controller gets input from temperature

sensor such as a thermocouple or RTD.

 It compares the actual temperature to the desired control

temperature, or set point,

 and provides an output in the form of transistor output

or relay
 What Are the Different Types of Controllers ?

There are three basic types of controllers:

 On-Off,
 Proportional
 PID.
 On-Off Controller

It is the simplest form of temperature control device.

The output from it is either ON or OFF, with no middle state.
 It will switch the output only when the temperature crosses the set
point.
 For heating control, the output is ON when the temperature is below
the set point, and OFF above set point.
 Since the temperature crosses the set point to change the output state,
the process temperature will be cycling continually, going from
below set point to above, and back below.
 On-off control is usually used where a precise control is not
necessary, where the mass of the system is so great that temperatures
change extremely slowly, or for a temperature alarm.
 Proportional Control

 Proportional controls are designed to eliminate the cycling

associated with on-off control.
 A proportional controller decreases the average power supplied to
the heater as the temperature approaches set point.
 This has the effect of slowing down the heater so that it will not
overshoot the set point, but will approach the set point slowly and
maintain a stable temperature.
 This proportioning action can be accomplished by turning the output
ON and OFF for short time intervals.
 This “time proportioning” varies the ratio of “on” time to “off” time
to control the temperature.
 The proportioning action occurs within a “proportional band”
around the set point temperature. Outside this band, the controller
functions as an on-off unit, with the output either fully on (below the
band) or fully off (above the band). However, within the band, the
output is turned on and off in the ratio of the measurement difference
from the set point.
 Proportional Control

 At the set point (the midpoint of the proportional band), the output
on:-off ratio is 1:1; that is, the on-time and off-time are equal. if the
temperature is further from the set point, the on- and off-times vary
in proportion to the temperature difference.

 If the temperature is below set point, the output will be ON longer; if

the temperature is too high, the output will be OFF longer.
 PID Control

 PID controller provides proportional action with l with two

additional adjustments, integral and derivative, which helps the
unit automatically compensate for changes in the system.
 Integral and derivative, are expressed in time-based units; they are
also referred as RESET and RATE.
 The proportional, integral and derivative terms must be
individually adjusted or “tuned” to a particular system using trial
and error.
 It provides the most accurate and stable control of the three
controller types, and is best used in systems which have a
relatively small mass and those which react quickly to changes in
the energy added to the process.
 It is recommended in systems where the load changes often and
the controller is expected to compensate automatically the amount
of energy available, or the mass to be controlled.
 PID Controller

PID controllers are process controllers with the following

characteristics:

 Continuous process control Analog input

(also known as "measurement" or "Process Variable" or "PV")
 Analog output (referred to simply as "output")
 Set point (SP)
 Proportional (P), Integral (I), and / or Derivative (D) constants
 PID CONTROLLER

 Once the PID controller has the process variable equal to the
set point, a good PID controller will not vary the output.

 It is desired to maintain the output very steady (not

changing).

 If the valve (motor, or other control element) are constantly

changing, instead of maintaining a constant value, this could
case more wear on the control element.
 PID Controller

 Examples of "continuous process control" are

temperature, pressure, flow, and level control.

 PID controller functionality is a common feature

of programmable logic controllers (PLC).
Software PID loops are the most stable, because
they do not wear out as compared to mechanical
control systems.
 PID Controller

 Proportional Band is referred to as

Gain

 Integral Band is referred to as

Reset

 Derivative Band is referred to as

Rate
 PID Controller

 The analog output is often simply referred to as

"output“ and is given as 0 to 100%.

 (In this heating example, it would mean is the valve

totally closed,(0 %) or totally open (100 %).

 The set point (SP) is simply -- what process value do

you want.
 PID Controller

 Set point - the desired value of the controlled variable X

 Error - control error. This is the difference between the set point and
the measured real controlled value.

 Y - the controller output

 V - delayed controller output ( the Delay and Process blocks form the
model of the controlled process)

 X - controlled value. This is the output of the controlled process, for

example temperature, pressure, motor velocity, flow etc.

 Xm - the measurement result. The measurement instrument may

have the gain different from zero and a first order inertia, given by its
time constant.
PROLIFIC
In the diagram the valve could be

 controlling the gas going to a heater,

 the chilling of a cooler,
 the pressure in a pipe,
 the flow through a pipe,
 the level in a tank,
 or any other process control system.
 PID Controller

 So there are these two contradictory goals.

 Fast response (fast change in output) when there
is a "process upset",
 but slow response (steady output) when the PV
is close to the set point
 PID Controller

 When there is a "process upset", meaning, when the process variable OR

the set point quickly changes -- the PID controller has to quickly
change the output to get the process variable back equal to the set
point. For example in a walk-in cooler with a PID controller someone
opens the door and walks in, the temperature (process variable)
could rise very quickly. Therefore the PID controller has to increase
the cooling (output) to compensate for this rise in temperature.
 PID Controller

1. What the PID controller is looking at is the difference

(or "error") between the PV and the SP.
2. It looks at the absolute error and the rate of change
of error.

 Absolute error means -- is there a big difference in the PV

and SP or a little difference?
 Rate of change of error means -- is the difference between
the PV or SP getting smaller or larger as time goes on.
 PID Controller- Explanation

 Note that the output often goes past (over shoots) the
steady-state output to get the process back to the set point.
 For example, a cooler may normally have it's cooling valve
open 34% to maintain zero degrees (after the cooler has been
closed up and the temperature settled down).
 If someone opens the cooler, walks in, walks around to find
something, then walks back out, and then closes the cooler
door -- the PID controller is freaking out because the
temperature may have raised 20 degrees!
 So it may crank the cooling valve open to 50, 75, or even 100
percent -- to hurry up and cool the cooler back down --
before slowly closing the cooling valve back down to 34
percent.
 PID Controller

Gas Heater Example

 The PID controller would receive as input the actual

temperature and control a valve that regulates the flow of gas
to the heater.
 The PID controller automatically finds the correct (constant)
flow of gas to the heater that keeps the temperature steady at
the set point. Instead of the temperature bouncing back and
forth between two points, the temperature is held steady.
 If the set point is lowered, then the PID controller automatically
reduces the amount of gas flowing to the heater.
 If the set point is raised, then the PID controller automatically
increases the amount of gas flowing to the heater.
 PID CONTROLLER
Accuracy Explanation

 The analog input (measurement) is called the "process variable"

or "PV". You want the PV to be a highly accurate indication of
the process parameter you are trying to control.

For example, if you want to maintain a temperature of + or - one

degree then we typically strive for at least ten times that or one-
tenth of a degree. If the analog input is a 12 bit analog input
and the temperature range for the sensor is 0 to 400 degrees
then our "theoretical" accuracy is calculated to be 400 degrees
divided by 4,096 (12 bits) = 0.09765625 degrees. We say
"theoretical" because it would assume there was no noise and
error in our temperature sensor, wiring, and analog converter --
even with the usual amount of noise and other problems -- one
degree of accuracy should easily be attainable.