Controller Comparison

Close loop Control System

A Closed-loop Control System, also known as a feedback control system is a control

system which uses the concept of an open loop system as its forward path but has one or
more feedback loops (hence its name) or paths between its output and its input. The reference
to “feedback”, simply means that some portion of the output is returned “back” to the input to
form part of the systems excitation.

Closed-loop systems are designed to automatically achieve and maintain the desired
output condition by comparing it with the actual condition. It does this by generating an error
signal which is the difference between the output and the reference input. In other words, a
“closed-loop system” is a fully automatic control system in which its control action being
dependent on the output in some way.

We can define the main characteristics of Closed-loop Control as being:

 To reduce errors by automatically adjusting the systems input.

 To improve stability of an unstable system.

 To increase or reduce the systems sensitivity.

 To enhance robustness against external disturbances to the process.

 To produce a reliable and repeatable performance.

Its main disadvantage is that in order to provide the required amount of control, a
closed-loop system must be more complex by having one or more feedback paths. Also, if
the gain of the controller is too sensitive to changes in its input commands or signals it can
become unstable and start to oscillate as the controller tries to over-correct itself, and
eventually something would break. So we need to “tell” the system how we want it to
behave within some pre-defined limits.

On/Off Control

There are different types of control: On/Off, Proportional, PI, PD, PID and fuzzy
logic. On/Off control is the simplest control method and hence the cheapest to implement. An
on-off controller simply drives the manipulated variable from fully closed to fully open
depending on the position of the controlled variable relative to the setpoint

Advantages:

 On/Off control is very easy to design, understand and implement.

 On/Off controllers are very cheap.
 On/Off control systems are usually used when precise control is not necessary.
 They are useful in slow changing systems

Disadvantages:

 They are either 100% ON or OFF regardless of where the reading is with respect to
the set point.
 This can cause considerable over shoots and undershoots.
 They perform poorly when controlling rapid system fluctuations. Hence they provide
poor control and are not recommended for chemical processes.
 If no Hysteresis is implemented, they can damage actuators and pumps due to rapidly
switching them ON and OFF around the set point.
 When Hysteresis is used, there is a constant error around the set point.
 Performance varies significantly based on the system size and is dependent on the
dosing pump size, i.e. oversized dosing pumps will cause overshooting

Proportional Controllers

Often control systems are designed using Proportional Control. The control system
acts in a way that the control effort is proportional to the error. The control effort is
proportional to the error in a proportional control system, and that's what makes it a
proportional control system. If it doesn't have that property, it isn't a proportional control
systems.

Advantages of Proportional Controller

 Proportional controller helps in reducing the steady state error, thus makes the system
more stable.
  Slow response of the over damped system can be made faster with the help of these
controllers.

Disadvantages of Proportional Controller

 Due to presence of these controllers we some offsets in the system.

 Proportional controllers also increase the maximum overshoot of the system.

Integral Controllers

As the name suggests in integral controllers the output (also called the actuating
signal) is directly proportional to the integral of the error signal.

Integral controller is also known as reset controller.

Advantages of Integral Controller

 They can return the controlled variable back to the exact set point following a
disturbance that’s why these are known as reset controllers.

Disadvantages of Integral Controller

 It tends to make the system unstable because it responds slowly towards the produced
error.

Dervative Controllers

Now, as the name suggests in a derivative controller the output (also called the
actuating signal) is directly proportional to the derivative of the error signal.

Derivative controller is also known as rate controller.

Advantages of Derivative Controller

 It improves the transient response of the system.

Disadvantages of Derivative Controller

 It never improves the steady state error.

 It produces saturation effects and also amplifies the noise signals produced in the
system.
Feedback Controllers

The following advantages are the fundamental reasons for using feedback.

 Many unnecessary disturbances and noise signals from outside the system can be
rejected.
 The change in the performance of the system due to parameter variations is reduced.
 The steady-state error of the system can be relatively small.
 The transient behavior of the process can be easily manipulated.

On the other hand, using feedback can have severaldisadvantages:

 The system is complicated by the increased number of components, such as sensors

and error detectors.
 The overall gain of the system is reduced and must be compensated for in design.
 The system may not be stable (it may oscillate or depart greatly from the desired
output), even though the comparable open-loop system is stable.

References:

Electronics Tutorial, (2017). Feedback System. Retrieved from:

http://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/systems/feedback-systems.html

Classical Control Systems, (2015, October 10). Proportional Controller. Retrieved

from: http://www.facstaff.bucknell.edu/mastascu/econtrolhtml/Start.html

Electrical For You (2017). Types of Controllers. Retrieved from:

https://www.electrical4u.com/types-of-controllers-proportional-integral-derivative-
controllers/

Aquarius Technologyies PTY LTD (2011, April 5). On/Off Controller. Retrieved
from: http://aquariustech.com.au/wp-content/uploads/bsk-pdf-
manager/On_Off_Controller_9.pdf