MANMOHAN TECHNICAL

UNIVERSITY

CONTROL SYSTEM COMPONENTS

UNIT 1: THE GENERAL CONCEPT OF

CONTROL SYSTEM
By
Er. Madhav Prasad Nagarkoti
Visiting Faculty
CONTENTS

• Introduction
• Representation of control system
• Types of control system
• Working of servomechanism
• Task of control engineers
INTRODUCTION

• The control system is very important for all

engineers.
• The first significant control device was James Watt’s
Fly ball Governor.
• This was invented in 1767 to keep the speed of the
engine constant by regulating the supply of the
steam to the engine.
• In control system, the behaviour of the system is
described by the differential equations.
INTRODUCTION

• Control is the device or mechanism installed or

instituted to guide or regulate the activities or
operation of an apparatus, machine, person, or
system.
• A control system is a system of devices or set of
devices, that manages, commands, directs or
regulates the behavior of other device(s) or
system(s) to achieve desired results. In other words,
a control system is a system, which controls other
system.
• For examples, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, an
automatic iron, an automobile etc.
REPRESENTATION OF CONTROL
SYSTEM WITH BLOCK DIAGRAM
 REPRESENTATION OF CONTROL
SYSTEM WITH BLOCK DIAGRAM
Control system consists of following components:
- Actuator
- Controller
- Sensor
- Error detector
• Actuator:
An actuator is a type of motor that is responsible for
moving or controlling a mechanism or system.
It is operated by a source of energy, typically electric
current, hydraulic fluid pressure, or pneumatic pressure
and converts that energy into motion.
An actuator is the mechanism by which a control system
acts upon an environment.
 REPRESENTATION OF CONTROL
SYSTEM WITH BLOCK DIAGRAM
• Controller:
A controller is a device, historically using
mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic or electronic
techniques often in combination, but more recently
in the form of microprocessor or computer, which
monitors and physically alters the operating
conditions of a given dynamical system.
The controller receives the difference between the
reference set point and the measured output and
generates a control action to make the error to
zero.
The generated control action manipulates the
process variable closer to set point.
 REPRESENTATION OF CONTROL
SYSTEM WITH BLOCK DIAGRAM
• Sensor:
A sensor is device that detects and responds to some
type of input from the physical environment.
The specific input could be light, heat, moisture, motion,
pressure, or anyone of great number of other
environmental phenomena.
The output is generally a signal that is converted to
human-readable display at the sensor location or
transmitted electronically over a network for reading or
further processing.
• Error Detector:
Error detector is a device which compares two
signals(reference signal and output signal) and
produces an error signal.
 TYPES OF CONTROL SYSTEM

• Open loop control system and Closed loop control

system
• Analog control system and Digital control system
 OPEN LOOP CONTROL SYSTEM

• The open loop control system is also known as control

system without feedback.
• In open loop system, the control action is independent
of the desired output.
• In this system, the output is not compared with the
reference input.
• The components of open loop control system are
controller and plant.
• The controller may be amplifier, filter etc. depends upon
the system.
• An input is applied to the controller and the output of
the controller gives to the plant and we get the desired
output.
 OPEN LOOP CONTROL SYSTEM

• Examples: Automatic washing machine, immersion rod, a

field control dc motor, automatic control of traffic etc.
• Advantages:
- Simple design and easy to construct
- Economical
- Easy for maintenance
- Highly stable operation
• Disadvantages:
- open loop system are inaccurate.
- these are not reliable.
- These are slow.
- Recalibration of the parameters are required time to time.
 CLOSED LOOP CONTROL SYSTEM

• Closed loop control system are also known as feedback

control systems.
• In closed loop control system, the control action is dependent
on the desired output.
• If any system having one or more feedback paths forming a
closed loop system.
• In closed loop control system, the output is compared with the
reference input and error signal is produced.
• The error signal is fed to the controller to reduce the error and
desired output is obtained.
 CLOSED LOOP CONTROL SYSTEM
• Examples: Automatic electric iron, air conditioners, speed
control of dc motor, voltage stabilizer, turbine water control
system at power station etc.
• Advantages:
- these systems are more reliable.
- close loop systems are faster.
- a number of variables can be handled simultaneously.
- optimization is possible.
- there is facility of automation
- time to time recalibration of the parameters are not
required.
• Disadvantages:
- closed loop systems are expensive.
- maintenance is difficult.
- complicated installation
COMPARISON BETWEEN OPEN-LOOP AND CLOSED-
LOOP CONTROL SYSTEMS
 ANALOG CONTROL SYSTEM

• Analog control system is also known as continuous

time control system.
• In this system, all the variables are continuous signals.
• Whether the system is linear or nonlinear, all variables
are continuously present and therefore known
(available) at all times.
 ANALOG CONTROL SYSTEM

• In this system, noise, interference and distortion is

comparatively more.
• Power efficiency is comparatively less (because of
continuous signals).
• Storage, analysis and processing of data is a bit
complicated.
• They are less used.
• Examples: Speed control, voltage control etc.
 DIGITAL CONTROL SYSTEM

• In a digital control system, the control algorithm is

implemented in a digital computer.
• The error signal is discretized and fed to the computer
by using an A/D (analog to digital) converter. The
controller output is again a discrete signal which is
applied to the plant after using a D/A (digital to analog)
converter.
• Digital control systems deals with binary or discrete
signals having values 1 or 0.
 DIGITAL CONTROL SYSTEM

• Noise, interference and distortion is comparatively

less in case of digital control systems.
• Power efficiency is more.
• Storage analysis and processing of data is easy and
convenient.
• They are widely used as they are easy to handle
and operate.
• Examples: Autopilot systems
WORKING OF SERVOMECHANISMS
WORKING OF SERVOMECHANISMS
 TASKS OF CONTROL ENGINEER

• A control engineer is responsible for designing, developing,

installing, managing and/or maintaining equipment which is
used to monitor and control engineering systems, machinery
and processes.
• In general, tasks of control engineer includes:
- designing and developing new control systems,
- testing, maintaining and modifying existing systems,
- analyzing data and presenting findings in written reports,
- managing operations,
- working collaboratively with design engineers, operation
engineers, purchasers and other internal staffs,
- cooperates with clients, suppliers, contractors and relevant
authorities,
- project management within cost and time,
 TASKS OF CONTROL ENGINEER

- understanding and ensuring compliance with relevant

health and safety regulations and quality standards,
- providing advice and consultancy support,
- purchasing equipment,
- writing computer software and test procedures,
- developing new business proposals, etc.