Proceedings of the 25th Chinese Control Conference

7-11 August, 2006, Harbin, Heilongjiang

Variable Structure Control Design of Process Plant

Based on Sliding Mode Approach
Hazim H. Tahir, Ali A. A. Al-Rawi
Mechatronics Department, Control and Mechatronics Research Center,
Electronics Systems and Communication Office,
Ministry of Science and Technology, Baghdad, Iraq.
E-mails: hazim_tahir@yahoo.com, ali_alrawi2003@yahoo.com

Abstract: This paper deals with basic concepts, mathematics, and design aspects of variable structure controller based on
sliding mode as a principle operation approach. After reviewing the operation of the plant, a variable -structure system
(VSS) based scheme is formulated to control the outflow rate. The scheme is then designed and tested by Simulink
Toolbox Ver. 3.0 of Matlab Ver. 6P5. Simulations are presented and have shown that VSS control is better and more
versatile compared with the conventional approach using PID controller.
Key Words: Variable Structure Control, Sliding Mode Control, Non-linear Control Design, Process Control.

1 Introduction
1.1 A Brief Survey This is due to the fact that all the states of the
system have to be accessible and have to be monitored by
Variable structure control (VSC) with sliding mode measuring sensors. Generally, this kind of design is used
control was first proposed and developed in the early widely in military applications [17, 18].
1950's in Russia by Emel'yanov and several co
researchers[2,3,4,5]. In their pioneer works, the plant 1.2 The Aim
considered a linear second order system modelled in phase
variable form. Since then, VSC has developed into a The purpose of this paper is to present a new scheme,
general design method that is examined for a wide using the theory of variable-structure systems (VSSs)
spectrum of system types including Non-linear System, based on sliding mode control, to control a laboratory
Multi-Input /Multi-Output systems (MIMO), Stochastic process control [6]. The process control consists of a
Systems, Discrete-Time Models, Large-Scale and Infinite reservoir tank that feeds water via a precisor-driven
- Dimensional Systems. In addition, the objective of VSC control valve and delay channel to a capacitance tank
has been greatly extended from stabilisation to other from the bottom of which the water flows through an
control functions. orifice-type flow meter to a sump tank. From this it is
The most distinguished feature of VSC is its ability to returned via a pump to the reservoir. This arrangement is
result in very robust control systems that possess good shown in figures (1- 2) respectively.
transient performance, fast response, insensitive to
parameter variations and external disturbances (noises)[8, AR
11, 16, 17].
Sliding mode control design is an approach whose
structure is intentionally changed with a discontinuous
control which drives the phase trajectory to a stable
hyperplane or manifold [12, 13, 14].
This design method is basically fornmulated from the time FR [
domain point of view which uses a Lyapunov function-
based control law to ensure the closed-loop stability.
Specifically, stability to the switching surface, requires
selecting a generalised Lyapunov function which is
positive definite and has a negative time derivative in the
region of attraction [4, 5, 12].
Owing to all the mentioned features, there is a logical
design of other types of control systems, but it has to be
said that this design is very expensive to implement
practically.
IEEE Catalog Number: 06EX13 10 -PUMP Figume (I) System Schematic A.rangmein.

932
 G(s)= Al(s) 168Se -;O2
M(s, (L.Is + I)o.2 Is + 1)
(2.1)

The two " capacitance-resistance " time constants (1.1

and 0.21 minutes) are associated with the capacitance
tank and delay channel respectively, while the " transport
lag " (0.25 minutes) is associated with the delay channel.
The transport lag element e - 0. 25s is easily represented as
a fairly good first-order approximation by:

e 025s=te 125s -0. 125s

(2.2)
Figure (2) Svstem Blitk Diagram. e+ 0125s 1 + 0. 125s

Fig. 5 shows the way of measuring the transfer function

The transducers and the controllers could easily be of the plant G(s).
electronic, but in a system of this kind are more typically
mixed electronic and pneumatic units. Two types of
controllers were designed to monitor the capacitance tank
outflow rate [controlled variable (c.v.)], compare this with
a set point and drive the valve process input m(t)
[manipulated variable (m.v.)] according to the difference.
This paper documents a laboratory process control
simulation, which has been conducted firstly by using
PID controller and secondly by using VSC control based
on sliding mode. All simulations were performed using
Matlab package Ver. 6P5 plus Simulink toolbox Ver. 3.0
on a personal computer (PC), see figures (3 - 4)
respectively.
The results are presented for comparison and further
studies.

Stop 7
.t
Ptrnn utp tl
POait
Figure (5) Open - Loop System Analysis.

Figure (3) Block Diagram of The Closd Loop System With PID Controll4er
3 PID Controller Design

10- u
The controller transfer function, F (s), is:
ou tp
bp ~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~q

F(s) EM(s) KL1 1 ±+ds (3.1.)

E(s) r :

Figure (4) Block Diagram of The Closed Loop System With VSC Control
Where:
Kp is the proportional gain of the controller,
Kp / ti is the integral gain of the controller,
Kp' d is the differential gain of the controller.
2 Plant Transfer Function Empirical method of Ziegler & Nichols [1] was used and
the following controller parameters found experimentally:
A series of tests using a transfer function analyser and
suitable elector- pneumatic transducers give open-loop Kp= 1.2
transfer function of the plant, or system [6] (Time units, Ti = 0.96 min.
minutes): Td = 0.3 min.

933
Fig. 6 shows the system open-loop and the closed-loop
responses of the plant that provides interesting comparison.

Step Response
Where Ci are the coefficients in the switching function in
(4.4) [5, 7, 8, 15], which define the characteristic equation
of the sliding mode, (i.e. allowing the control to depend on
---------
the state X1 and its derivatives up to order
(k- 1)), and one can get:

~~4a
-C~~~7- Z_-I c.1-~~7Ca -c

S ~I <j-1 XI i -- t (4%5)
Ie
IA

Hence necessary and sufficient conditions for the

-------r----- existence of a sliding mode are:
1Cl lidLop

(4-62)
mSR ~ k-C ~ii
Ci-Z -a, 1aSL+I 1

(4-6b)
Time r-in.)

Figure (6) Open Loop & Closed Loop Step Responses of 1

the Plant., ai sup -k ai +Ca"
c cI-I] (4.6c
b

4 The Basic of VSC

i, td 1 *a + c,a -ccc ] (4-6df
To explain the basic concept of VSC, one can take nth- 1 ik
2

order plant with derivative feedback by considering the

general system [7]: As for stability on the hyperplane, cs, it can be shown
that under the conditions (4. 6) the sliding modes on
dAv ,=
1 i 1.
the hyperplane a 0 are stable if and only if all roots

of the characteristic equation:

X bu (4.1) i + .o ( b -4 17 -X
dt -
v a f - -

With feedback control (depending on Xi): have negative real parts, with the possible exception of
the root X = Cn1I - an1.
= V i (4-2) 5 The Design Problem
2i.i=.

Where: The design problem is to determine values of oci, Pi and

Ci such that the states would be brought from any
initial position in the phase plane to the switching
ca X,F 1 : k n-
hyperplane cG = 0. Then, the state trajectory would slide
along the switching hyperplane to the phase-plane
0,6 .if Xi 0 (4-3) origin [9, 10]. The phase trajectory along the switching
line is known as the "Sliding Mode" of this controller
[4, 5, 8]. Whenever the state leaves the switching
hyperplane, the controller changes structure to force
Which is switched on the hyperplane or manifold a when the point back to the switching hyperplane.
S: O,

934
 X,!R}<PlD.W=na!z<-5S
5.1 VSC of The Process Plant Second Case: if X3 is not accessible, new values of (xi,
f31, Ci and cT should be calculated as follow:
The transfer function of the plant (2.1) can be written
as: au =0.1866 1 = 0.9
2 0.1 866 =
2 - -0.8
)_(S) 1.68(-0.125s+1) Ci=--50 02 - 1.Q
Ml(s) (I.Is + 1)(O. 12s + 1)(0.125 s + 1) /
i(s) - 12.73s + 101.8 6 Simulation Results
{5.1)
Mf(S) S 3+ 17.24s ±+815.Is + 60.6
The Simulink implementation of the process plant
By using (4. 1) one can transform the system transfer and PID controller were straightforward and very
function to companion canonical form as: easily done. The researchers found difficulties and
problems in implementing the "VSC" controller,
o o -60.6 Ij especially "xV" the switching gains, (i.e. oc and 3),
x 0 -81.51 X+ 0 Ih since this type of problem was tackled and tried first
Lo l - 1724 oj time by the researchers using Simulink Toolbox.
After continuous trials they overcame the problem.
f= -1273 32=1 26IX
They found the solutions and found another way of
From (4.2) the following Control Law was used to
obtaining optimum tuning for the PID controller by
using NCD toolbox [Non linear control Design].
enable fast hitting and minimal chattering in Fig. 3 presents the process control with the
steady state: conventional PID controller design and the NCD
=r
iytx + V2 +2 3 design together for comparison purposes.
wher Fig. 4 shows the process control with VSC controller
design.
Comparative results, shown in fig. 7, which describes
V2 = !a, uA0
the output responses for step input, obtained using the
three versions of controllers, namely:
(5.3) a- Conventional PID controller
b- Non-linear Control Design (NCD Optimum
V3 = a ,3
Tuning).
C3)0 c- VSC controller based on sliding mode.
{A auX 0
The first term (proportional term) of (5.3) is
standard control law of sliding mode controller,
the second term x2 X2 and third term x3 X3 are J 1_
.,s, 1- >
X

included to enable an improvement in rejecting a,.8 ----- -W------1----- r- ----r-- -- l-----r-- -- -r-----

disturbance and faster hitting [4, 5, 12, 13] and {,* x,

the hyperplane or manifold cT was found using tX\1 t

< CcfiehtionallPllD 1 t
91YTgrt96;,-l-03
(4.4): 4 ___1_-__ __ _
rl
/!
_____LX ___J_____ L_ ____L__ __ J_____L__ __ _L_____

21
G V5C
_ t
-CY -- CX -- C. 4) --r -n-- -- -a-----r- ---n----- r- ----r-- -- n-----r-- -- -r-----

r
!
P
r
}
Fi:,@---5-- -- -T-----r- ...n----- r- ----r .. .. n-----r-- -- -r-----

From (4.6a - 4.6d), (5.2), (5.3) & (5.4) one can

calculate the values of uci, P3i and Ci and they were .2
II

found to be:
First Case: Fign Ie (7) (Clseil Loop Step Responses of the Plant .sisng
The ThiL e Types Of Cont rollelr
-! -.01
= - 0.84
(1 =--0.18 0~2 -0.1 8 It can be concluded that the proposed VSC controller
3 = 0.6 = -06
yielded a better dynamic performance than the other two
Cl -409 02=3.5 C3 = 1.0. controllers, in terms of Rising Time, Settling Time,
(i.e. the parameters uci, P3i and Ci were initiated Maximum Overshoot and Steady-State Error.
and tuned by trial and error method). The results of the proposed VSC controller can be
compared with other two controllers namely:

935
Conventional PID and Non-linear Control Design NCD-
PID.
0.0Q )1
~ ~ ~~

Table (1) summarises the outcome results.

Table (1) summarses the outcome results.
------T------- T-------T-------- --------

04~ 1Rising Setlin 1 Max. Steady State

Tliet in. Timedrnm %) Overshootf % Error" %
n
Convetional 0 84 4.5 77 0
PD . -01

NC -PID
Case 61
NC 07r0.36I.2
- VSC
1X1?
.5I
1s
6
6 L L I I

Figures (8 - 9) show the sliding mode of the VSC

hyperplane in 3- Dimension and in 2-Dimension -0.2
respectively (i.e. when all states are presents and when OW.0 0 OW0 0' 015 0.2 0.25 0O3
X3 is absent).
Figure (9) YS( llperplane in 2 D.
I1

Fig. 10 shows the hyperplane cv tends

I/ to zero as soon
as possible for the two cases.
I.
t -- -- 1--
------r

t- - I I I I-----------------
I t
I {\
0
posil for th Ftwo cases.
as~~~Fia
41-4----H---
0.1 -F------+------1-F------+----f--'-------
.5 2 I: 4.
I\
¾ 4-4Li04
W: SI f

)-
------ -----Tr~n- ---T--- F--------
I'\. 1I
-YtXf
xl Il A

Figure (8 VSC Hyperplane in 3-D. 1

15M\ 3 4 4
'1:~ ~ Fc~r (10 a Fori
0 Tw Ca 1e

936
7 Conclusions
The purpose of this paper is to present a new scheme,
using the theory of variable-structure systems (VSSs)
based on sliding mode control, to control a laboratory
process control. After reviewing the operation of the
plant, a variable -structure system (VSS) based scheme is
formulated to control the outflow rate. Simulations are
presented and are showed that VSS control is better and
more versatile compared with the conventional approach
using PID controller.
Complete simulations on three versions of controllers
were done namely:
a- Conventional PID controller.
b- Non-linear Control Design (NCD Optimum Tuning).
c- VSC controller based on sliding mode.
The conventional, Non-linear Control Design (NCD) and
VSC controllers are presented for reference and
comparison purposes. Any of the controllers may be
approved by themselves without any lag in concept.
It can be concluded that the proposed VSC controller
yielded a better dynamic performance than the other two
controllers, in terms of Rising Time, Settling Time,
Maximum Overshoot and Steady-State Error, but it has to
be said that this design is very expensive to implement
practically. Generally, this kind of design is used widely
in military applications.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank the Control and Mechatronics
research centre for their technical support, especially their
colleagues Dr. Samir I. Abbas, Dr. Saad A. R. Makki and
Dr. Rami A. Mahir for their comments and suggestions.
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