Automatic Control Systems

Introduction to automatic control: types, effects, holistic approach, computer integrated manufacturing, the building blocks of control systems, system approach to the control system design.

Systems and signals: examples of systems, connection to modelling, processes, basic signals, an introduction to spectral analysis.

Process modelling: goals, types, approaches, examples.

Descriptions of mathematical models: differential equations, transfer functions, block diagrams.

Systems analysis in the time domain: influence of poles and zeros, proportional, integral and differential systems, systems stability.

Simulation: simulation scheme, indirect approach, simulation of transfer functions.

Control systems : presentation with block diagrams and technological schemes, feedforward and feedback control, reference tracking and disturbance elimination, the effects of feedback on steady state error, stability, examples, basic industrial control algorithms, PID control, the role of P, I, and D parts, tuning with rules and simulation, examples.

Tools for computer-aided analysis and control systems design: Matlab, Control Toolbox, tool for the simulation – Matlab-Simulink, environment for multi-domain object oriented modelling and simulation Dymola-Modelica.

Examples: heating in the building, car suspension system, population dynamics, electrical systems, control of rotation systems, robotic system, hydraulic system, …

The basic objective is to present the automatic control systems in an interesting way through a series of examples and using computer tools. Acquired skills: modeling and simulation of simple systems, an understanding of the principles of feedback loop, design of automatic control of simpler processes, familiarity of the most advanced computer tools for analysis, modeling, simulation and automatic control systems design.

Lectures (with many examples), interesting topics from invited lecturers, laboratory exercises