Control theory explains how to guide changing systems toward desired behavior. This lesson introduces the purpose of control, the basic feedback loop, important system terms, and milestones in the field’s history.
Control theory is a field of control engineering and applied mathematics concerned with the behavior of dynamical systems. A dynamical system changes over time; examples include an aircraft in flight, a heating process, a robot arm, or a ship moving in waves.
All flashcards
What is a process variable (PV)?
The measured value of a process that a controller compares with the desired set point.
What is a set point (SP)?
The target value that a controlled process is intended to reach or maintain.
What is feedback control?
Control that measures system output, compares it with a target, and uses the error to adjust the input.
What does a transfer function represent?
A mathematical description of the relationship between a system’s input and output, often derived from its differential equations.
What did Maxwell’s governor analysis reveal?
Delays in a control system can cause overcompensation and self-oscillation, potentially producing unstable behavior.
Quiz questions
What does a transfer function describe in control theory?Answer: A mathematical relationship between a system’s input and output.
What is characteristic of a state-space representation?Answer: It relates inputs, outputs, and state variables using first-order equations.
What does controllability assess for a system?Answer: Whether inputs can move the system between desired states.
How can model predictive control (MPC) address physical limits?Answer: It can account for input and state constraints when planning actions.
What is the aim of robust control?Answer: To preserve acceptable behavior despite reasonable model uncertainty.
Based on the Wikipedia article Control theory, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.