Recap

A control system – variables

2. Manipulated
variables are adjusted Input Output
to counter the effect
of disturbances
Disturbance

Controlled
System/Process
Manipulated 3. To maintain the
controlled variable
1. Manipulated
variables are adjusted
How is the variable controlled?

Disturbance
Output/
controlled Set point
System/Process variable + -
Manipulated

Error signal

Used to adjust the manipulated variable via a controller

Lecture 2: Introduction
to control structures

Credit: slides from Prof. Raghunathan Rengaswamy’s NPTEL lectures

Control system configurations –
open loop control
Open-loop
control
Control system configurations –
open loop control
d

Open-loop Disturbance
control Model

Set point ++
Controller Process

Controller takes decisions using some internally generated

strategy without making use of any measurement information
from process.
Control system configurations –
open loop control
d

Open-loop Disturbance
control Model

• Simple and cost-effective

+ • Limited application because of low
Set point +
Controller Process accuracy, robustness, and adaptability

Controller takes decisions using some internally generated

strategy without making use of any measurement information
from process.
Feedforward control

Set point
d
+
Disturbance
Controller - Model

+
+ Output
Process y(t)
Feedforward control

Set point • Information about the incoming

d disturbance is fed to the controller
+
Disturbance
Controller - Model • Controller decision is taken before the
effect of disturbance is registered in
the process
+
+ Output
Process y(t) • Controller has no information about
the process output we wish to regulate
Feedforward control strategy for
liquid level system
Manipulated Input
- Fi
Controlled Variable
-h
Fi (m3/s) Disturbance
- FF0
C

h (m) F
T

Fo (m3/s)
A (m2)
Feedforward control strategy for
liquid level system
Manipulated Input
- Fi
Controlled Variable
-h
Disturbanc
Fi (m3/s) Disturbance e
- FF0 Fo
C
e
+
Controller -
Fo
h (m) F
T Liquid +
+ Output
level h
System
Fo (m3/s)
A (m2)
Shortcomings of feedforward control
• Need exact model to quantify disturbances and system
• Limited Effectiveness for Unpredictable Disturbances
• Controlled variable is not measured
Advantages of feedforward control –
quiz
• Can you guess one advantage of using feedforward
control strategy:
1. Only one disturbance variable needs to be measured
2. Model is easy to build
3. Fast correction for disturbances that are measures and
whose effect is known
Advantages of feedforward control –
quiz
• Can you guess one advantage of using feedforward
control strategy:
1. Only one disturbance variable needs to be measured
2. Model is easy to build
3. Fast correction for disturbances that are
measures and whose effect is known
Control system configurations --
closed loop control
Feedback Control
d

Disturbance
Model

+ Output - +
+
Process y(t)

Controller
Control system configurations --
closed loop control
Feedback Control
d

Disturbance
Model
• Information about the process output
is fed back to the controller

+ Output
Process
+
y(t)
- + • Controller decision is taken after the
effect of disturbance is registered in
the process
Controller
 Feedback control strategy for liquid
level system

Set Point
Manipulated Input
hS - Fi
Controlled Variable
L
C
-h
Disturbance
Fi (m3/s) - F0

L
T

h (m)

Fo (m3/s)
A (m2)
 Feedback control strategy for liquid
level system

Set Point
Manipulated Input
hS - Fi
Controlled Variable
L
C
-h Disturbanc
Disturbance e
Fo
Fi (m3/s) - F0
Liquid + Output - + Set point
Level
+
h hS
L System
T

h (m) Controller
e

Fo (m3/s)
A (m2)
Advantage of feedback control –
quiz
• Which of the following is an advantage of feedback
control strategy?
1. It is faster than feedforward and open loop control
2. Can effectively handle disturbances
3. It relies heavily on accurate models of the system
Advantage of feedback control –
quiz
• Which of the following is an advantage of feedback
control strategy?
1. It is faster than feedforward and open loop control
2. Can effectively handle disturbances
3. It relies heavily on accurate models of the system
Feedforward or feedback?
• In reality, both are used in combination for best overall
performance
Plant-wide control framework
Long term planning & Market demands/ Raw
Scheduling material availability

On-line Optimization

Set Controlled variables,

Points Manipulated
variables
Multivariable Control

Regulatory (PID) Control Rapid Load

SISO Control Changes
Disturbances
Manipulated Controlled
variables variables

Process

Adapted from https://nptel.ac.in/downloads/103101003

Essentials of process control
• Control objectives
• Mathematical description of process dynamics
• Controller configuration and control law
• Controller design, hardware and software
• Instrumentation
Summary of today’s lecture
• Open loop control
• Feedforward control
• Feedback control
• Plant-wide control framework
• Essentials of process control
Next lecture
Multiple-Input Multiple-Output control systems
No tutorial tomorrow – we will have a lecture instead
Do we still need office hours at 5 PM?