CHAPTER ONE

1. Introduction to Control
Engineering
 Introduction
• Control engineering or control systems engineering: is an engineering discipline
that applies control theories to design systems with desired behaviors in control
environments.
• It is the process of designing, analyzing, implementing and optimizing a control
system; So as it is a set of devices that regulates the behavior of other devices or
systems.
• Control theories commonly used today are:
Classical control theory (also called conventional control theory),
Modern control theory, and
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Classical control theory:- deals only with single-input, single-output
systems.
Modern control theory: the system which deals with many inputs and
outputs, and the description of a modern control system requires a large
number of equations.
• Modern control theory is based on time-domain analysis of differential
equation systems.
• Modern control theory made the design of control systems simpler because
the theory is based on a model of an actual control system.
• However, the system’s stability is sensitive to the error between the actual
system and its model.

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• This means that when the designed controller based on a model is applied to the actual
system, the system may not be stable.

• To avoid this situation, we design the control system by first setting up the range of
possible errors and then designing the controller in such a way that, if the error of the
system stays within the assumed range, the designed control system will stay stable. The
design method based on this principle is called robust control theory.

• It is an approach to controller design that explicitly deals with uncertainty.

• In this theory, the controller is designed to work by assuming that certain variables
will be unknown but bounded.

• This theory incorporates both the frequency response approach and the time-domain
approach. The theory is mathematically very complex.

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 A control system is an interconnection of components forming a system

configuration that will provide a desired system response, or

A control System is a device, or set of devices to manage, command,

direct or regulate the behavior of other device(s) or system(s).

Systems designed to perform without requiring human input are called

automatic control systems

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• In this system, 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 manner in which the automatic controller
produces the control signal is called the control action.

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Modern control engineering includes the use of control design

strategies for improving manufacturing processes, the efficiency of

energy use, and advanced automobile control.

Control system engineers are concerned with understanding and

controlling segments of their environment, often called systems, to

provide useful economic products for society.

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• The discipline of controls overlaps and is usually taught along with electrical
engineering, and mechanical engineering at many institutions around the
world.

• A control system engineer is responsible for analyzing, designing,

developing and implementing solutions that to control a dynamic systems,
while Dynamic systems are systems that constantly change.

• The aim of a control system engineer is to bring stability to these constantly

changing systems to produce the desired outcome.

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• Multi-disciplinary in nature, control systems engineering activities
focus on implementation of control systems mainly derived by
mathematical modeling of a diverse range of dynamic systems.

• Plants: A plant may be a piece of equipment, perhaps just a set of

machine parts functioning together, the purpose of which is to perform
a particular operation. we may call any physical object to be controlled
(such as a mechanical device, a heating furnace, a chemical reactor, or
a spacecraft) a plant.

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 System is a combination or an arrangement of different physical
components which act together as an entire unit to achieve a certain
objective.

It is a collection, set, or arrangement of elements (subsystems).

It include physical, biological, organizational, and other entities, and

combinations thereof, which can be represented through a common
mathematical symbolism.

The study of feedback control systems is essentially a study of an

important aspect of systems engineering and its application.
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 r(t) : Reference input
c(t): Controlled variable

Input: The input is the stimulus, excitation or command applied to a control system.
The input is an applied signal or an excitation signal applied to a control system
from an external energy source in order to produce a specified output.
Output: The output is the actual response obtained from a control system when an
input is applied. It may or may not be equal to the specified response implied by the
input.

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Process – The device, plant, or system under control. it is
progressively continuing operation that consists of a series of
controlled actions or movements systematically directed toward a
particular result or end. we call any operation to be controlled as a
process. For Examples; chemical, economic, and biological processes.
The input and output relationship represents the cause-and-effect
relationship of the process.

 Why is control system important (for production process / for the

plants)?

1. Safety:-Prevent injury to plant personnel, protect the environment by

preventing emission and minimizing waste and prevent damage to the
process equipment
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2. Maintain product quality (composition, purity, color, etc.) on a
continuous basis and with minimum cost.

3. Maintain the plant production rate at minimum cost.

Therefore, the reasons for automation of process plants are to provide safety
and at the same time maintain desired product quality, high plant
throughput, and reduce demand for human labor.

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 Types of Control System
1. Natural Control
System
– Universe
– Human Body
2. Manmade Control
System
– Vehicles
– Aero planes

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 Natural / Manmade / Combinational Control System
• The systems inside a human being or a biological system are known as natural control
systems. For example, the human eye has a biological (or natural) control system that
varies the pupil diameter to maintain constant light intensity to the retina.

• As the light intensity increases, the optical nerve sends a signal to the brain, which
commands internal eye muscles to decrease the pupil’s eye diameter. When the light
intensity decreases, the pupil diameter increases.

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• The various systems that are designed and developed or manufactured by
human beings are known as manmade control systems. An automobile
system with gears, accelerators, the braking system is a good example of
the manmade control system.

• The combination of a natural control system and a manmade control

system is known as a combinational control system. A driver driving a car
is an example of combinational control systems. In such a system, for the
successful operation of the system, it is necessary that natural systems of
the drive along with systems in vehicles which are manmade must be
active.
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 Manmade Control System
- Aero planes
- Chemical Processes
- Production processes

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 Open-loop and Closed-loop Control Systems
Open-Loop Control Systems: is the system which does not measure the actual output
and there is no correction to make that output conform to the desired output.

 Utilize a controller or control actuator to obtain the desired response.

 Output has no effect on the control action

 In other words output is neither measured nor feedback.

Examples:- Motor starter, TV Remove, Calling bell, Washing Machine, Toaster, Electric Fan

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Two outstanding features of open-loop control systems are:

• Their ability to perform accurately is determined by their calibration. To

calibrate means to establish or reestablish the input-output relation to
obtain the desired system accuracy.

• They are not usually troubled with problems of instability.

The distinguishing characteristic of an open-loop control system is that it

cannot compensate for any disturbances that add to the controller’s driving
signal and plant output signal

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The performance of open loop system is severely affected by the presence of
disturbances, or variation in operating/ environment

System Disturbances
• A disturbance is a signal that tends to adversely affect the value of the
output of a system.

• If a disturbance is generated within the system, it is called internal

disturbance, while an external disturbance is generated outside the system
and is an input.

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Advantages of Open-Loop Control System
• Simple in construction and design.
• These systems are economical.
• Easy for maintenance
• Convenient to use when output is difficult to measure.
Disadvantages of Open-Loop Control System
• These systems are not accurate and reliable because of their accuracy
depends on the accuracy of the calibration.
• In these systems, inaccuracy results are obtained with parameter variations
i.e. internal disturbances.
• Recalibration of the controller is required from time to time for maintaining
quality and accuracy.

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 Closed-loop control system
 In contrast to an open-loop control system, a closed-loop control system
utilizes an additional measure of the actual output to compare the actual
output with the desired output response.

 The measure of the output is called the feedback signal.

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Feedback control refers to an operation that, in the presence of disturbances,
tends to reduce the difference between the output of a system and some
reference input and does so on the basis of this difference. Here only
unpredictable disturbances are so specified, since predictable or known
disturbances can always be compensated for within the system.

A feedback control system is a control system that tends to maintain a

prescribed relationship of one system variable to another by comparing
functions of these variables and using the difference as a means of control.
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The feedback concept has been the foundation for control system analysis
and design.

A closed-loop control system uses a measurement of the output and

feedback of this signal to compare it with the desired output (reference or

command).

Control systems that have the property of measurement and correction of

disturbances are called closed-loop (feedback) control systems.

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• The closed-loop system compensates for disturbances by measuring the
output response, feeding that measurement back through a feedback path,
and comparing that response to the input at the summing junction.

• If there is any difference between the two responses, the system drives the
plant, via the actuating signal, to make a correction.

• If there is no difference, the system does not drive the plant, since the
plant’s response is already the desired response.

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Advantages of Closed-Loop Control System

• In these systems, accuracy is very high due to the correction of any arising error.

• Since these systems sense environmental changes as well as internal disturbances,

the errors are modified.

• There is a reduced effect of nonlinearity in these systems.

• Systems have high bandwidth i.e. high operating frequency zone.

Disadvantages of Closed-Loop Control System

• Systems are complicated in design and, hence, costlier.

• Systems may be unstable.

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A system that maintains a prescribed relationship between the output and some
reference input by comparing them and using the difference (i.e. error) as a
means of control is called a feedback control system.
Example: Automotive Cruise
Controlling System

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 Comparison of open-loop and closed-loop systems

Open Loop Closed Loop

Any change in output has no effect on the input
i.e. feedback does not exist.
Output measurement is not required for the operation of
the system.
Feedback element is absent.
The error detector is absent.
It is inaccurate and unreliable.
Highly sensitive to the disturbances.
Highly sensitive to environmental changes.
Highly affected by nonlinearities.
Simple to construct and cheap.
Generally stable in nature.
Changes in output affect the input which is possible by
the use of feedback.
Output measurement is necessary.
Feedback element is present.
The error detector is necessary.
Highly accurate and reliable.
Less sensitive to the disturbances.
Less sensitive to environmental changes.
Reduced effect of nonlinearities.
Complicated to design and hence costly.
Stability is a major consideration while designing.

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 Control System basic Components
i. Reference input
• Represents the desired output
ii. Actuators
• Converts the control signal to a power signal
iii. System, plant or process
• To be controlled
iv. Sensors
• Provides measurement of the system output
V. Actual Output

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Controlled Variable– It is the quantity or condition that is measured and
Controlled. Normally controlled variable is the output of the control system.

Manipulated Variable – It is the quantity of the condition that is varied by

the controller so as to affect the value of controlled variable.

Control –means measuring the value of controlled variable of the system and
applying the manipulated variable to the system to correct or limit the
deviation of the measured value from a desired value.

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 Control System Design Processes
1. Establish control goals
2. Identify the variables to control
3. Write the specifications for the variables
4. Establish the system configuration and identify the actuator
5. Obtain a model of the process, the actuator and the sensor
6. Describe a controller and select key parameters to be adjusted
7. Optimize the parameters and analyze the performance

If the performance meet the specifications, then finalize design

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 Analysis and Design objectives of a control System
• Analysing of Transient response of the system
• Analysing of steady-state response of the system.
• Reliability and stability of the system
Control Engineering Application
Modern control theory is concerned with systems that have self-organizing,
adaptive, robust, learning, and deliver optimum qualities.
Control of an industrial process (manufacturing, production, and so on)
chemical, electric power, paper, automobile, and steel industries

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Fig. Missile launcher controlling mechanism
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 End!
THANK YOU!

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