Control Systems Timeline

A modern view of control systems is one of using feedback to control a system regardless of any
external disturbances. It is this durability that explains why control systems are all around usin
modern technology. Control Systems have widespread applications in a number of differentfields however
they are barely noticed, but without them many of today’s technologicaladvancements would not
be possible. They are found in our homes, cars, factories,communication, medical services,
transport, military, and space systems to name a few. Theevolution of the control system is a long and
interesting one, dating back to around 300 B.C.From then on control systems have played an essential
part in the development of wide varietyof technology."One interesting aspect in the history
of technology is the way in which an innovation wasdeveloped. In many cases, inventions were the result
of numerous people making smalladvances until a critical point was reached". (Bernstein and
Bushnell 2002 p22) ([38]). Thereare many examples of this throughout the history of control with inventions
being improved andadapted for different tasks. A couple of these examples are listed below:
•
The centrifugal governor began in the works of windmills, but found itself in thecontrol of
steam engines.
•
Leon Foucault first described the gyrocompass in 1852, but it wasn’t until 1908that H. Anschutz-Kampfe
developed the first practical gyroscopic compass basedon Foucault’s work. A couple of years
later Elmer A. Sperry developed agyrocompass that was an improvement over the Anschutz design.
Between workon the gyrocompass, Sperry created his gyroscope for the stabilization andsteering
of ships, which was also later used in aircraft. This gradual advancemarked the beginning of the
modern day autopilots and navigation systems.The examples above show that even though one person is credited
with the invention, it isusually the result and effort of many before them. As you read through
the following, and further enlighten your study on control systems engineering, you will become
aware of the wide varietyof applications and the opportunities that are presented by the use
of control systems.
270 B.C

Water clock invented by a Greek mechanician named Ktesibios. ([3]p112)([4] p4)

250 B.C

Philon of Byzantium used a float regulator to control the level of oil in a lamp.(Similar to the idea of liquid-
level control used by Ktesibios). ([4]p4)
1st Century A.D

Heron of Alexandria used the float valve principle to describe several devices inhis book
Pneumatica, including a wine dispenser and floating siphon. ([3],[11])
10th Century

Archimedes of Syracuse designed a water clock using float valves, withfeatures such as
adjustable day length and hourly events. ([11]p28-31)
12th Century

The south-pointing chariot and the drinking straw regulator invented in China.([6], [11]p49-51)

14th Century

The mechanical clock was invented sometime during the 14th century the trueinventor however is not
known. [6]
1620

Cornelis Drebbel constructed the first underwater vessel, the submarine. ([36])

Thermostat invented by Cornelis Drebbel. ([2]p9) ([3]p114)

Other temperature regulators invented probably depending on Drebbel’s

workare:1 6 8 0 J o h a n n J o a c h i m B e c h e r 1747-
1757Antoine
Ferchault Réaumur 1 7 7 1 W i l l i a m H e n r y ’ s " S e n t i n e l R e g i s t e
r " ( [11])1 7 8 3 B o n n e m a i n
1674

Hooke designed a mechanism for rotating a telescope at constant speed. ([1]p58)

1681

Safety Valve (pressure regulator) invented by Denis Papin. ([4]p5) ([5]p3) ([6])
1707

Papin used his safety valve as a regulating device on a steam engine. ([6] [11])
1717/1718

The safety valve becomes a standard accessory of steam engines and can befound on practically every steam
engine. ([11]p82)
1745

Fantail, device for the automatic control of windmills, invented by Edmund Lee.([3]p115) ([5] p3)
1758
James Brindley was the first to use the float valve regulator in a steam boiler.([11] p 77)
1765

In Russia, Ivan Ivanovich Polzunov developed a water float regulator for asteam engine. ([6])
([7]p4) ([11]p77-79)
1775

Float regulator was used in the first patents for the flush toilet. ([6] [11] p76)
1776

David Bushnell invented a hand-powered submarine called the Turtle. ([36])

1784

Float valve regulators continued to advance with Sutton Thomas Wood usingone for a steam engine in his
brewery. ([6] [11] p78)
1785

Robert Hilton took out the first patent for the lift tenter. ([11] p99)
1787

Thomas Mead invented the practical lift tenter. ([1]p10) ([3]p116)

1788

Centrifugal flyball governor for regulating the speed of a steam engine inventedby James Watt.
([5] p4,[11] p2)
1790

The brothers Périer of France came up with a float regulator to control thespeed of a steam
engine, but it was inferior to the Watt centrifugal governor,therefore not nearly as
successful. ([6], [11]p115-118)
1793

Abraham Louis Breguet invented a closed-loop feedback system to synchronizepocket watches.

([6], [11] p119)
1799
Papin’s pressure regulator was further improved by Robert Delap then MatthewMurray.
([6], [11]p85-87)
1803

Matthew Boulton and James Watt combined a pressure regulator with a floatregulator for use
in their steam engines. ([6])
1809

Sir Humphrey Davy demonstrated the arc lamp. ([1] p153) ([42])
1822

Mark Brunel devised a spring-loaded governor for marine steam engines. Morepractical versions
were later developed, including that of John Bourne (1834),Thomas Silver (1855) and
Thomas R. Pickering (1862). ([1]pp28,35) ([5]pp18,28)
1824

Joseph Von Fraunhofer constructed a large telescope at Dorpat. It’s constantrotation

(synchronous with that of the earth), was driven by clockwork andregulated by a friction
governor. ([1]p58)
1840

George Biddell Airy built a feedback device for a telescope to compensate for the
earth’s rotation. ([6]) ([1]p57)
1848

George Henry Corliss built the first successful automatic release cut-off controlfor the
valve gear of a steam engine, resulting in greatly improved engineefficiency. ([5]) p8-9).

W. Edward Staite and Leon Foucault simultaneously solved the problem of automatically
controlling the arc length in the arc lamp.([5]p105)
1851

H.A. Luttgens patents his steam engine speed regulator incorporating integralcontrol for
greatly improved accuracy. ([5] p16-17)
1852
Leon Foucault described the gyroscopic compass. ([5] p101)
1857

The first passenger elevator, invented by Elisha Otis, was installed at 488Broadway in
New York City. ([13], [43])

D.W. Snell and S.S. Bartlett invent and patent their “Bartlett Let-Off” mechanismfor
controlling and maintaining constant tension in yarn on power looms. It wasimplemented
in the “Model A Northrop” power loom (1895) which was also famous