Chapter 1

Introduction to Control Systems

Definition of Control System

A control system consists of subsystems and processes (plants) assembled for the purpose of controlling the outputs of the processes A plant may be a piece of equipment or a set of machines that function together to perform a particular task or operation A system is a combination of components that act together and perform a certain objective Processes are progressively continuing operation that consists of a series of controlled actions or movements systematically directed towards a particular result or end

Purpose
Power amplification To provide the needed output power through power amplification or power gain, e.g. in radar antenna Remote control Useful in dangerous environment, e.g. remote control of robot Convenience of input form To transform the input from 1 form to another , e.g. thermostat (from position input to thermal output) Compensation for disturbances To provide more accurate output

Examples @ home
Temperature regulation in a building/home for comfortable living

Control Systems in a Cars

Industrial Control

Discussion
What are other types of control systems? What are the advantages of control systems?

Basic Components of Control Systems

Input (Objective/ desired response)

Control Systems

Output

(Results/ actual response)

u G (s) y

Open loop system

The system which the output has no effect on the control system The output is not measured There is no feedback

Therefore, the open loop system cannot compensate for any disturbances Example: toaster, washing machine, control system that operates on time basis, e.g. traffic light

Closed-loop (Feedback control) system

Feedback control system measures the output The difference between the output and the reference input is used as a means of control Therefore, the closed-loop control system is able to compensate for any disturbances Example: temperature control system

Comparison
Open loop Closed loop

No feedback
Cannot compensate disturbance Cheap

Has feedback
Can compensate disturbance Expensive

Simple (in terms of stability)

Complicated

Response Characteristics
Example: Elevator

At ground floor, user pushes 4th floor button (step input) The elevator rises to 4th floor with a speed and floor-levelling accuracy designed for passengers comfort. (transient response) Elevator reaches 4th floor (steady-state response) If there is inaccuracy between the elevators response and the floor, the will be

error (steady-state error)

Analysis and Design Objectives

What did we see?
A control system is dynamic it responds to an input by undergoing a transient response before reaching steady-state response which generally resembles the input.

What do we want?
Main design objectives: a) Producing the desired transient response b) Reducing steady-state error c) Achieving stability

Transient response
For elevator,
Effects to passengers Slow transient response -> passengers impatient Excessively fast response -> uncomfortable If elevator oscillates about the arrival floor, how do you feel?
Structural reasons Too fast -> may cause permanent pysical damage

Steady-state response
What remains after the transients have decayed to zero

We care about accuracy!

No error accurately stop at 4th floor, elevator floor level with the floor Steady state error some inaccuracy occurs Therefore, analyze the error and design corrective action to reduce it

Stability
For a linear system Total response = Natural response + Forced response Control systems must be designed to be stable For a control system to be useful, the natural response must a) Decay to zero as time approaches infinity b) Oscillate In some systems, the natural response grows without bound rather than diminish o zero or oscillate Eventually, the natural response is so much greater than the forced response that the system is no longer controlled. This condition is instability ~ may lead to self-destruction of the physical device if there is no limit stops

Stability vs. Instability

*SAS system of active stability

Other considerations
Factors affecting hardware selection e.g. motor sizing to fulfill power requirements and choice of sensor for accuracy Finances Budget allocation and competitive pricing Robust design So that the system will not be sensitive to parameter changes

Case study: Antenna Azimuth

Type: position control system Converts a position input command to a position output response Other applications: antennas, robot arms and computer disk drive

Case study: Antenna Azimuth

Working Principle
The purpose of this system is to have the azimuth angle output of the antenna, , follow the input angle of the potentiometer, . The input command is an angular displacement. The potentiometer converts the angular displacement into a voltage. Similarly, the output angular displacement is converted to a voltage by the potentiometer in the feedback path. The signal and power amplifiers boost the difference between the input and output voltages. This amplified actuating signal drives the plant.

Control Perspective
The system normally operates to drive the error to zero. When the input and output match, the error will be zero, and the motor will not turn. Thus, the motor is driven only when the output and the input do not match. The greater the difference between the input and the output, the larger the motor input voltage, and the faster the motor will turn.

Transient Response
If we increase the gain of the signal amplifier, will there be an increase in the steady-state value of the output? If the gain is increased, then for a given actuating signal, the motor will be driven harder and it turns faster toward its final position.

Because of the increased speed, increased momentum could cause the motor to overshoot the final value and be forced by the system to return to the commanded position.
Thus, there is possibility for a transient response with damped oscillations (that is, a sinusoidal response whose amplitude diminishes with time) about the steady-state value if the gain is high.

Transient Response

Design Process

Summary
A control system has an input, a process and an output Control systems can be open loop or closed loop Closed loop systems are also known as feedback control systems Control systems analysis and design focuses on 3 primary objectives a) Producing the desired transient response b) Reducing steady-state errors c) Achieving stability