CONTROL SYSTEMS: Theory
and Applications
Lecture 02
Closed Loop Systems
Engr. Rionel B. Caldo, MPA, MScECE
Outline
■ Open-loop vs. closed-loop.
■ Advantages and disadvantages of a
closed-loop system.
■ Control system design overview.
Recall Room Heating example
Why Feedback?
■ How can we control the system?
■ for different actions (at the input), determine the effects (at
the output) on the system.
■ we have an input to output map of the system.
■ we want the output behave a specific way.
■ invert the input to output relationship, i.e., determine for a
given output what the necessary input is.
■ For the room heating example, we want the output
temperatures for different valve settings.
■ We then set the valve to the corresponding
temperature we want.
Why Feedback?
■ This control solution is termed inversion.
■ Problem :
■ what if the number of people in the room
increases?
■ what if somebody opens a window?
■ Result : temperature change.
■ Even though our valve is at the "right"
setting, the room temperature is not at the
desired level.
■ The model changed.
Why Feedback?
■ In general, inversion does not usually lead to a
satisfactory solution unless
■ we have a very good representation of the plant,
■ the plant model and its inverse are stable, and
■ disturbances and initial conditions are negligible.
■ We need to find an alternative solution to inversion.
■ Solution: monitor the room temperature.
■ Change the gas valve position such that
■ LOW TEMP 🡪 more gas.
■ HIGH TEMP 🡪 less gas.
Open vs. Closed Loop Systems
■ Comparison
■ We will see later that a properly designed
closed-loop system works similar to
inversion but without the problems.
Open vs. Closed Loop Systems
■ Advantages ■ Disadvantages
■ output is less sensitive ■ controller and sensor
to DISTURBANCES (e.g. cost money.
more people in room, ■ system may become
window opens). unstable if improperly
■ output is less sensitive designed (e.g. steam
to PLANT CHANGES governor, Mars rover).
(e.g. aging furnace,
improved insulation).
■ output is more accurate
with respect to desired
value.
Open vs. Closed Loop Systems
■ Steam governor.
■ Becomes unstable if
mechanisms are too
smooth.
Open vs. Closed Loop Systems
■ Mars rover - too much delay leads to
"instability."
Control System Design
Flowchart
Control system: Objectives
■ What do you want the control to achieve?
■ enhance quality.
■ energy reduction.
■ increase yield.
■ What variables need to be controlled to
achieve the objectives?
■ What level of performance is necessary?
■ accuracy (error < 5%).
■ speed (system needs to settle in 1 minute).
Control system: Modeling
■ Gaining understanding of how the process
operates. The model is usually expressed in
mathematical form.
■ Finding the right model is key to proper design.
■ the model must be simple enough so as not to
complicate the controller design.
■ the model must also be accurate enough to provide a
good understanding how the process works.
■ Example. Diode model.
■ You need to determine the appropriate model for the
circuit you are designing.
Control System Design
■ It is often necessary to go back one or
more steps and repeat the process.
■ What controller?
■ classical, fuzzy, neural.
■ does it take into account modeling errors?
■ how does it react to disturbances and
noise?
■ cost and complexity.
Next Meeting
■ Mathematical modeling of dynamic
systems
■ What is a model? What is a dynamic
system?
■ Examples of Mathematical modeling