School of Engineering

ES2A9 Second Year Laboratory

Control of a hot air flow process
Experimental Results

Name …………………………………………………

Library card number …………………………………………………

Health and Safety

Before you begin the experiment, please complete the following table to demonstrate
that you have thought about and are aware of the potential hazards this experiment
poses, and the appropriate safe system of work.

Table 1: Safety Awareness Table

Hazard Countermeasure

N.B. During your assessment you may have concluded that many of the hazards in
the lab are to do with the other experiments going on around you:
 Wearing safety shoes will reduce the risk of a slip
 Wearing a lab coat will keep you and equipment clean
 Wearing safety glasses in a lab is good practice. In this case it reduces the
hazard posed by others operating experiments in the same laboratory, though
the risk posed by the hot air flow apparatus does not invoke the wearing of
safety glasses on its own.

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1. Proportional only Control

1.1. Magnitude of step applied …………….V

1.2. For the throttle opening of 6, with K C = 1, the difference between the initial
and final values of the closed loop step response = …..……...V
Hence, the closed loop steady state gain = ………..

1.3. For the throttle opening of 6, the value of KU = …………

The period of oscillation TU = ………….ms

1.4. For the throttle opening of 9, with the controller gain K C set to the value of KU
in 1.4, the difference between the initial and final values of the closed loop
step response = ………....V
Hence, the closed loop steady state gain = ………..

1.5. For the throttle opening of 6, 0.5 KU = ……………

The difference between the initial and final values of the closed loop step
response = …………..V
Hence, the closed loop steady state gain = ………..

2. Proportional + Integral Control

2.1 With  I = 11 seconds, the difference between the initial and final values of the
closed loop step response = ………….V
Hence, the closed loop steady state gain = ………..

2.2. With  I = 0.1 seconds, the period of oscillation = …..….seconds

2.3. The Ziegler-Nichols settings were K C = …….………….

 I = ……..…...seconds
The difference between the initial and final values of the closed loop step
response = …………..V
Hence, the closed loop steady state gain = …..……..

3. Proportional + Integral + Derivative Control

3.1. The Ziegler-Nichols settings were K C = ………..…….

 I = …………..…ms
 D = ……...……...ms
The difference between the initial and final values of the closed loop step
response = …..……..V
Hence, the closed loop steady state gain = ………..

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3.2. Maximum value of  D on the PID 150Y Control Unit = ………….…ms

With this value, the period of oscillation = …………………..ms

4. Open Loop Results

4.2. For the throttle opening of 6

Difference between the initial and final values of the open loop step response
= …………..V
Hence, the open loop steady state gain = ………..

4.3. For the throttle opening of 6

Estimate of the dead time  p = …………..ms

4.4. For the throttle opening of 9

Difference between the initial and final values of the open loop step response
= …………..V
Hence, the open loop steady state gain = ….……..
Estimate of the dead time  p = …………..ms

5. Calculations

Estimate of closed loop steady state gain with KC  1 = …………………..

Value of closed loop steady state gain with KC  1 , from 1.2 = …………………..

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Properties to be noted during measurements

P-controller

 Does the change in the controller gain reduce the error between the desired
and actual outputs?
 Does the controller bring the system to the desired set point?
 What happens with time of transient response?
 Do oscillations occur in the transient part of the response?
 Does an overshoot occur in the transient part?

PI-controller

 Does the adding of the I-part to the controller change rise and settling times?
 Does the controller eliminate the steady state error?
 Do you observe any oscillations in the transient response?

PID controller

 How does the derivative part improve transient and steady state responses?

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Conclusions from your experimental results

This space is provided for your to record the conclusions at the end of your laboratory
session; you are encouraged to discuss your experimental observations with present
academic/demonstrator

Conclusions for Proportional only Control:

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Conclusions for Proportional + Integral Control:

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Conclusions for Proportional + Integral + Derivative Control:

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Overall Comments from the Experiment

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NK, 2012, updated 2015; JT updated 2018