Measurements and Control Technology

Lecture 1 Q & A Sheet

Problem 1) Define the following:
a- Automation: A term used to describe the automatic operation or control of a process.
b- Control System: A system that controls a certain variable to obtain the required value. In
other words, a system that keeps a variable (output) at the required value in spite of any
disturbances.
c- Static response: The response of a system to an input without any reference to time
taken to reach that response.
d- Dynamic response: The response of a system to an input with reference to time taken to
reach that response (Considers how the output changes with time).

Problem 2) What are the benefits of Control Systems? Give one example of a control system
and explain it, be sure to show how the benefits you wrote apply to your example.
The benefits of control systems are:
1- Greater consistency of product, and maximum efficiency.
2- Reduced operating costs due to.
3- Greater safety for operation personnel.
4- Maintaining the controlled conditions closer than could be achieved by manual
operation.
Lecture 1 has few examples to choose from, any of those examples would work as an answer
(or any other example you can think of). As for how the benefits apply to the example you
chose, that’s based on your understanding of the benefits of control systems.

Problem 3) The following figure shows a generic control systems’ block diagram.
a- Fill in the names of each element/ block.
b- What does each element do (explain how it works or give an example)?
c- What are the types of the control law implementation element?
d- Label the feedback and forward paths
e- What does the “error” mean?

Answers:
a- See the figure below.
b- Comparison element: This element compares the required value of the variable being
controlled with the measured value of what is being achieved and produces an error
signal.
i. If the required/ desired value = the measured value (output), then there
is no error, therefore, there will be no fed signal to initiate control.
ii. When error is present, i.e. the required/ desired value ≠ the measured
value (output), then there will be a signal to initiate the control action.
Control law implementation element: this element determines what action to take
when an error signal is received.
Correction element: This element produces a change in the process which aims to
correct or change the controlled condition.
Process: The process is the system in which there is a variable that is being controlled.
Measurement element: This element produces a signal related to the variable condition
of the process that is being controlled. For example, it might be a temperature sensor
with a suitable signal processing.

c- Types of control law implementation element:

i. On and off: Supplies a signal of the nature on/off where there is an error.
An example of this type is a room thermostat.
ii. Proportional: Supplies a signal proportional to the size of the error so
that if the error is large, a large signal is produced and if the error is small,
a small signal is produced.
iii. Integral: Supplies a signal that is continuously increasing as long as there
is an error.
iv. Derivative: Supplies a signal that is proportional to the to the rate at
which the error is changing.
d- See the figure above.
e- Error = required value signal – measured actual value signal