Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
For our home heating process, the control objective is to keep the measured process
variable (PV)
at the set point value (SP) in spite of unmeasured disturbances (D).
For our home heating system:
•PV = process variable is house temperature
•CO = controller output signal from thermostat to furnace valve
•SP = set point is the desired temperature set on the thermostat by the home owner
•D = heat loss disturbances from doors, walls and windows; changing outdoor
temperature; sunrise and sunset; rain…
To achieve this control objective, the measured process variable is compared to the thermostat
set point.
The difference between the two is the controller error, which is used in a control algorithm
such as a PID (proportional-integral-derivative) controller to compute a CO signal to the final
control element (FCE).
The change in the controller output (CO) signal causes a response in the final control element
(fuel flow valve),
which subsequently causes a change in the manipulated process variable (flow of fuel to the
furnace).
If the manipulated process variable is moved in the right direction and by the right amount,
the measured process variable will be maintained at set point, thus satisfying the control
objective.
This example, like all in process control, involves a measurement, computation and action:
• is the measured temp colder than set point (SP – PV > 0)? Then open the valve.
• is the measured temp hotter than set point (SP – PV < 0)? Then close the valve.
Note that computing the necessary controller action is based on controller error,
or the difference between the set point and the measured process variable, i.e.
e(t) = SP – PV (error = set point – measured process variable)
In a home heating process, control is an on/off or open/close decision.
And as outlined above, it is a straightforward decision to make.
The price of such simplicity, however, is that the capability to tightly regulate our measured
PV is rather limited.
One situation not addressed above is the action to take when PV = SP (i.e., e(t) = 0).
And in industrial practice, we are concerned with variable position final control elements,
so the challenge elevates to computing:
• the direction to move the valve, pump, compressor, heating element…
• how far to move it at this moment
• how long to wait before moving it again
• whether there should be a delay between measurement and action