The invention relates to rapid automatic tuning the parameters of a digital proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller for automation of technological processes with programmable logic controllers.
In many cases, the programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are used for automation of technological processes. A PLC usually consists of a CPU and some input and output signal modules. This composition of electronic modules processes signals from digital and analog sensors and controls the various drives of compressors, pumps or valves.
It is frequently necessary to maintain a temperature, pressure, liquid level or gas volume constant by automatic regulation in a segment of an industrial plant. This can be achieved by means of a PID controller, which has proven its reliability and universality through long-term application.
Manual parameterization of a PID controller is not complicated if, for example, a temperature or pressure sensor is located near an actuator (valve or pump), or if the actuator influence on a sensor is not so significant.
However, the manual parameterization of a PID controller becomes much more complicated when a sensor is far away from an actuator, and it is affected with a significant delay. Or, for example, the refrigerant overheating temperature in a chiller is controlled simultaneously by two values from a temperature and pressure transducer. In these or other cases, the manual parameterization of a PID controller requires considerable experience and extensive knowledge of the process equipment. Therefore, it can be helpful to have a device that could do this automatically.
Solving the automatic tuning problem of a PID controller may be compared to the search for an optimal solution. An important factor is determining the initial PID controller parameters Kp, Ki, and Kd (i.e., proportional Kp, integral action Ki, and derivative action Kd coefficients) that serve as a starting point for the adaptive tuning method.
Scientific publications and inventions on this subject prefer the automatic tuning methods of a PID controller based on the fuzzy logic mechanism, which allows to achieve a result with high solution quality. However, the overall value of this solution is also high, considering the following features:
There are also alternative solutions that use various methods depending on the complexity of controlled systems. At that, the adaptive tuning process usually consists of two stages [1, 2]. In the first stage, the Ziegler and Nichols method is used to set a closed control loop on the stability boundary.
In [1] an assumption is often made about a type of a controlled system of second or third order. Thus, in the second stage the necessary methods for tuning the PID controller parameters are selected: the pole placement, Banyász-Keviczky's or Dahlin's method. Conclusions [1] indicate that this automatic tuning method was tested only on second- and third-order controlled systems.
In [2] only one problem is solved, namely, the automatic tuning of PID controller parameters for a heat exchanger. For this purpose, the Augmented Ziegler and Nichols method is used in the second stage, but a choice of tuning coefficients is not disclosed.
The aim of the invention is rapid automatic tuning the PID controller parameters by analog feedback of an actual value for automation of technological processes with programmable logic controllers.
The proposed invention is based on the use of nine tuning equations derived by reverse engineering of a PID controller. The adaptive tuning of the PID controller parameters Kp, Ki, and Kd is performed separately in time, i.e. at any time point t only one PID parameter is modified. This feature is characterized by equations derived for the adaptive tuning method. Therefore, no simultaneous modification of all three PID controller parameters is allowed. In some tuning equations, the additional limiting coefficients are used to ensure a smooth attenuation of the adaptive tuning method and to prevent an abrupt modification of PID controller parameters in the final phase.
Features of the invention:
Possible application restriction:
All features that accentuate novelty of the invention are described in detail in the claims attached. However, the essence of the invention is shown in the following detailed description with references to drawings of the best mode for carrying out the invention:
The following detailed description with accompanying drawings refers to the best mode for carrying out the invention, which should not be considered as a stripped-down form of the invention object. All amendments and supplements contained in the claims are disclosed in the relevant claims.
The best mode for carrying out the invention is described below.
The proposed invention relates to the adaptive tuning of a PID controller described by a standard equation as follows [3]:
in which:
The PID controller (1) is a basis for reverse engineering to derive the tuning equations for parameters Kp, Ki, and Kd. This derivation method is characterized by the following sequence of steps:
in which:
Equation (5) limits the maximum modification of the parameter Kp up to ±0.5 to prevent uncontrollability of the tuning method.
This equation is characterized by an additional limitation of the parameter αp k in the range from 0.0001 to 1 depending on the control error et. This ensures a smooth attenuation of the adaptive tuning method in the final phase. In addition, this prevents an abrupt modification of the proportional coefficient Kp when the control error et approaches zero.
Equation (8) limits the maximum modification of the parameter Ki up to ±0.5 to prevent uncontrollability of the tuning method.
This equation is characterized by an additional limitation of the parameter αi m in the range from 0.0001 to 1 depending on the control error et. This ensures a smooth attenuation of the adaptive tuning method in the final phase. In addition, this prevents an abrupt modification of the integral action coefficient Ki when the control error et approaches zero.
Equation (11) limits the maximum modification of the parameter Kd up to ±0.5 to prevent uncontrollability of the tuning method.
This equation is characterized by an additional limitation of the parameter αd n in the range from 0.0001 to 1 depending on the control error et. This ensures a smooth attenuation of the adaptive tuning method in the final phase. In addition, this prevents an abrupt modification of the derivative action coefficient Kd when the control error et approaches zero.
in which:
In this equation the actual values of the PID controller parameters Kp, Ki, and Kd are always used at time t.
A choice of the PID velocity algorithm is caused by the following criterion:
Finally, a flowchart shown in drawings
Demonstration of the Invention
To illustrate the description, the invention is demonstrated on some mathematical models of controlled systems.
To demonstrate the invention, the adaptive digital PID controller developed for a PLC in the programming language SCL (Structured Control Language [5], see Appendix A) was used with some transfer functions as controlled systems (see Table I).
Since the transfer functions G(s) in the Laplace s-domain cannot be used explicitly in a PLC, they are to be converted beforehand into equivalent equations of the time domain. For this purpose, the transfer functions G(s) are first converted by the MATLAB function c2d from the Laplace s-domain into similar discrete transfer functions in the Z-domain with a sampling time dt=0.1 s (see Table II).
The transfer functions in the z-domain are then converted into recurrent equations of the time domain as polynomials as follows (for details, see [4], pp. 443-444):
xt=b1·xt−1+b2·xt−2+b3·xt−3+b4·xt−4+α0·yt+α1·yt−1+
+α2·yt−2+α3·yt−3+α4·yt−4, (14)
in which:
All polynomial parameters (14) for the simulated controlled systems are given in Table III.
The simulation was performed on a computer-aided PLC simulator as a closed control loop (see
This invention is preferably used in automation systems of industrial facilities with programmable logic controllers, where the individual tuning of PID controller parameters is required to regulate the technological processes in production.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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7024253 | Gaikwad | Apr 2006 | B2 |
20070073422 | Gaikwad | Mar 2007 | A1 |
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20220357708 A1 | Nov 2022 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/DE2019/000338 | Dec 2019 | WO |
Child | 17809162 | US |