MEC308

CONTROLS THEORY
Lecture 15
Controllers: Introduction and Types
Automatic Controllers
An automatic controller compares the actual value of the plant
output with the reference input (desired value), determines the
deviation, and produces a control signal that will reduce the
deviation to zero or to a small value.
The controller detects the actuating error signal, which is usually at a very low
power level, and amplifies it to a sufficiently high level.

The output of an automatic controller is fed to an actuator.

The actuator is a power device such as an electric motor, a hydraulic motor, or a
pneumatic motor or valve that produces the input to the plant according to the
control signal.


Based on the control action
(1) Two-position or on-off controllers
(2) Proportional controllers
(3) Integral controllers
(4) Proportional-plus-integral controllers
(5) Proportional-plus-derivative controllers
(6) Proportional-plus-integral-plus-derivative
controllers(PID controllers)
Types of Controllers:
Based on the type of Power employed
Types of Controllers:
(1)Pneumatic controllers employs pressurised
gas or air

(2) Hydraulic controllers employs pressurised liquid

(3) Electronic controllers-employs electricity,
and so on



(1) Two-position or on-off controllers:
eg. Electrical devices
u(t) = U
1
for e(t)

>0
= U
2
for e(t)

<0

Where U
1
and U
2
are constants
Let, e(t) be the actuating error signal and u(t) be the output signal from the
controller also called control signal.
(2) Proportional Controllers: essentially an
amplifier with adjustable gain
Eg. Fan regulator, brake, flush tank
u(t) = K
p
e(t)

Or, in Laplace transformed quantities,




Where K
p
is termed the proportional gain.
Let, e(t) be the actuating error signal and u(t) be the output signal from the
controller also called control signal.
p
K
) s ( E
) s ( U
=
(3) Integral Controllers:




Or, in Laplace transformed quantities,





Where K
i
is an adjustable constant
Let, e(t) be the actuating error signal and u(t) be the output signal from the
controller also called control signal.
}
=
t
0
i
dt ) t ( e K ) t ( u
s
K
) s ( E
) s ( U
i
=
(4) Proportional plus Integral Controllers: Its control action is
defined by:




Or, in Laplace transformed quantities,





Where T
i
is called the integral time
}
+ =
t
0
i
p
p
dt ) t ( e
T
K
) t ( e K ) t ( u
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
s T
1
1 K
) s ( E
) s ( U
i
p
(5) Proportional plus Derivative Controllers: Its control action is
defined by:




Or, in Laplace transformed quantities,





Where T
d
is called the derivative time
dt
) t ( de
T K ) t ( e K ) t ( u
d p p
+ =
( ) s T 1 K
) s ( E
) s ( U
d p
+ =
(6) Proportional plus Integral plus Derivative Controllers: Its
control action is defined by:




Or, in Laplace transformed quantities,





Where K
p
is the proportional gain, T
i
is called the integral time
and T
d
is called the derivative time.
dt
) t ( de
T K dt ) t ( e
T
K
) t ( e K ) t ( u
d p
t
0
i
p
p
+
}
+ =
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ + = s T
s T
1
1 K
) s ( E
) s ( U
d
i
p
The output of a PID controller, equal to the control input to the plant, in the time-
domain is as follows:
Suppose we have a simple mass, spring, and damper problem.

The modeling equation of this system is:
F kx x b x M = + +

k bs Ms s F
s X
+ +
=
2
1
) (
) (
Its transfer function is given by:
k bs Ms + +
2
1
) (s X
) (s F
Its block diagram representation is given by:
Let,
M = 1 kg, b = 10 N s/m, k = 20 N/m
Plugging these values into the above transfer function,
We have:

If we use the unit step input,
F(t) = 1 N; Or, F(s) = 1/s

then,
) 20 10 (
1 1
) (
2
+ +
=
s s s
s X
% MATLAB COMMAND TO OBTAIN RESPONSE

s = tf('s');
P = 1/(s^2 + 10*s + 20);
step(P)
If we use the following MATLAB command we get the response as shown in
fig. on next slide:
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
0
0.005
0.01
0.015
0.02
0.025
0.03
0.035
0.04
0.045
0.05
Step Response
Time (sec)
A
m
p
l
i
t
u
d
e
Open-Loop Step Response
Block Diagram of an Automatic closed loop
control system

CONTROLLER
(thermostat)
PLANT
(air conditioner)
INPUT
(desired
temperature)
OUTPUT
(temperature)
ERROR
DETECTOR
(processor)
FEEDBACK ELEMENT
(thermometer)
Signal to
thermostat
Temperature Control System of a Room
EFFECT OF PROPORTIONAL CONTROLLER:
The closed-loop transfer function of the above system with a proportional
controller is:
% MATLAB COMMAND TO OBTAIN RESPONSE
s = tf('s');
P = 300/(s^2 + 10*s +320);
step(P)
The plot shows that
the proportional
controller:

reduced both
the rise time and
the steady-state
error,

increased the
overshoot, and

decreased the
settling time by
small amount.
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
Step Response
Time (sec)
A
m
p
l
i
t
u
d
e
Closed-Loop Step Response with
Proportional Controller(K
p
):

EFFECT OF PROPORTIONAL DERIVATIVE (PD) CONTROLLER:
% MATLAB COMMAND TO OBTAIN RESPONSE
%Assume K
p
= 300 and K
d
= 10;

s = tf('s');
P = (300+10*s)/(s^2 + 20*s +320);
step(P)
Closed-Loop Step Response with
Proportional Derivative(PD)Controller(K
p
+sK
d
):

The plot shows that
the proportional
derivative controller:

reduced both the
overshoot and the
settling time,

small effect on rise
time and steady
state error.
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
Step Response
Time (sec)
A
m
p
l
i
t
u
d
e
EFFECT OF PROPORTIONAL CUM INTEGRAL (PI) CONTROLLER:
CLOSED
LOOP
RESPONSE
RISE TIME OVERSHOOT
SETTLING
TIME
STEADY STATE
ERROR
K
p
Decrease Increase
Small
Change
Decrease
K
i
Decrease Increase Increase Eliminate
K
d
Small Change Decrease Decrease No Change
The effects of each of controller parameters, K
p
, K
d
and K
i
on a closed-loop system
are summarized in the table below.

EFFECTS OF EACH OF CONTROLLER PARAMETERS:
Transient Response Specifications
The desired performance characteristics of control
systems are specified in terms of time-domain quantities.

Systems with energy storage cannot respond instantaneously
and will exhibit transient responses whenever they are
subjected to inputs or disturbances.

Frequently, the performance characteristics of a control
system are specified in terms of the transient response to a
unit -step input since it is easy to generate and is sufficiently
drastic.
Following specifications are commonly used to specify the
transient response characteristics of a control system to a unit
step input:

(i) Delay time, t
d
: It is the time required for the response to
reach half the final value(desired value) the very first time.

(ii) Rise time, t
r
: It is the time required for the response to
reach from 0% to 100% of the final value(desired value)
for underdamped second order systems and from 10% to
90% for overdamped second order systems.

(iii) Peak time, t
p
: It is the time required for the response to
reach the first peak of the overshoot.

(iv) Maximum(percent) overshoot, M
p
: It is given by:
% 100
) ( c
) ( c ) t ( c
M
p
p

=
(v) Settling time, t
s
: It is the time required for the response
curve to reach and stay within a range usually 2% or 5%
of the final or desired value.
The goal of this problem is to show you how each of K
p
, K
d
and K
i

contributes to obtain
Fast rise time
Minimum overshoot
No steady-state error

Open-loop step response:
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
0
0.005
0.01
0.015
0.02
0.025
0.03
0.035
0.04
0.045
0.05
Step Response
Time (sec)
A
m
p
l
i
t
u
d
e