New control structures and new methods for tuning controller parameters and process identification
1. Process control concept based on process self-feedback
The basic principle of the closed-loop process control is to measure the output of the process (the actual value) or the state of the process, compare it with a reference (the desired value) and, based on the difference between the two, determine the output value of the controller or the input to the process, so that the output of the process approaches the reference as quickly as possible, and preferably without oscillations. Due to the dynamics and time delays of the process, this type of control principle can be very demanding and slow. The research topic is the development of a new and innovative method of process control, where, instead of the process output, we control the so-called “moment” of the process. The “moment” also represents the final (stationary) process output value and thus the control can partially “get rid” of the dynamics of the process and thus achieve a faster and more stable process control.
2. Tuning controllers based on time-frequency non-parametric process data
A process model is usually required for tuning controller parameters. However, some time ago, an innovative method for tuning controller parameters (MOMI) based on the time response of the process has been developed at IJS. The disadvantage of the method is that it is a relatively sensitive to measurement noise and disturbances in the system. The research topic is the development of a method that uses a simple Fourier transform of the time response to determine controller parameters more robustly, while also allowing fine tuning of the closed-loop response.