PID Controller Settings Based on Transient Response Experiment

Authors

  • Carlos M. Silva Universidade de Aveiro
  • Patrícia F. Lito Universidade de Aveiro
  • Patrícia S. Neves Universidade de Aveiro
  • Francisco A. Da Silva Universidade de Aveiro

Abstract

An experimental work on controller tuning for chemical engineering undergraduate students is proposed using a small heat exchange unit. Based upon process reaction curves in open-loop configuration, system gain and time constant are determined for first order model with time delay with excellent accuracy. Afterwards students calculate PID controller settings by Process Reaction Curve Method combined with Internal Model Control or with Ziegler-Nichols tuning relations, and perform closed-loop experiments using parameters so obtained. With this laboratory exercise students realize that tuning techniques just provide first guesses for controller settings and that additional work to fine tune is required.

Author Biographies

Carlos M. Silva, Universidade de Aveiro

Carlos M. Silva is a professor of chemical engineering in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. He received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the School of Engineering, University of Porto, Portugal. His research interests are transport phenomena and membrane and supercritical fluid separation processes.

Patrícia F. Lito, Universidade de Aveiro

Patricia F. Lito is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. She received her B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the University of Aveiro. Her main research interest focuses on mass transfer and membrane separation processes.

Patrícia S. Neves, Universidade de Aveiro

Patricia S. Neves is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. She received her B.S. degree in chemical engineering from University of Aveiro. Her main research interest focuses on biomass valorization and catalytic processes.

Francisco A. Da Silva, Universidade de Aveiro

Francisco A. Da Silva is a professor of chemical engineering in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Aveiro, Portugal. He received his B.S. and M.Sc. degrees from Simon Bolivar University, Venezuela, and his Ph.D. degree from the School of Engineering, University of Porto, Portugal. His research interests are in modeling and control, parallel computing, and cyclic separation processes.

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Published

2008-04-01

Issue

Vol. 42 No. 2 (2008): Spring 2008

Section

Manuscripts