Search results for "Control Engineering"
showing 10 items of 435 documents
Kalman filtering applied to Profibus-DP systems. Multirate control systems with delayed signals
2008
In networked control systems several devices (controllers, sensors and actuators) share a common communication resource. This feature can introduce variable and even random delays when those devices try to transmit information through the shared medium. The limited bandwidth capabilities of the transmission medium also can restrict the freedom to set the sampling periods in the control loop. An attempt to reduce the significance of the signal delays and save to some bandwidth can be based on high values of sampling periods. Usually this solution has remarkable effects in the system performance because with higher sampling periods closed loop response capabilities are decreased. This paper p…
On the design of observers robust to load variations for synchronous converters
2015
Due to the ever growing concern on energy efficiency issues, synchronous rectification gained increasing attention in recent years. In the semiconductor industry fast controllers developed for DC-DC converters are typically based on inductor current measures. In this context system costs and performances strictly depend on the current sensor and its proper design. In this paper we present a sensorless synchronous approach based on a current observer. The same observer formulation is valid for the three standard DC-DC converters, simplifying its design for different configurations. Furthermore the designed observers are proven to be robust against load variations, the most uncertain paramete…
Development details and performance assessment of a Wind Turbine Emulator
2016
This paper describes an experimental platform to emulate the static and dynamic behavior of real Wind Energy Conversion Systems (WECS). The Wind Turbine Emulator (WTE) consists of two coupled 1.5 kW squirrel-cage induction machines. The WTE calculations are performed on a PC and a DSP, both connected via USB. The total torque applied to the WTE motor is the difference of the scaled wind mechanical torque calculated on the PC, and the turbine inertia torque calculated on the DSP. An improved WTE shaft speed derivative has been used for the inertia torque calculation, which provides better results in terms of attenuation of the high-frequency harmonics present in the generator speed acquisiti…
Combining TMD and TLCD: analytical and experimental studies
2017
Abstract In these years several research efforts have been focused on developing efficient and reliable control devices for mitigating the structural response of tall and lightly damped buildings in case of strong dynamic excitations, such as wind and earthquake ones. In this context, Tuned Mass Dampers (TMDs) represent probably the most common control device due to their high control performances. On the other hand, Tuned Liquid Column Dampers (TLCDs) are increasingly becoming more popular because of some of their attractive features, cost-effectiveness among the others, even though they yield slightly less control performance compared to the classical TMDs. Aiming at combining the benefic…
Lighting control systems: Factors affecting energy savings' evaluation
2015
Abstract The use of automated lighting control systems allows to reduce lighting costs and to achieve significant energy savings. The energy performances of controls are affected by many factors, the impact of which is very difficult to account for during the design process. The goal of this paper is to describe the factors that influence the control systems’ energy performances, to analyze how the currently available calculation tools take them into account and finally to propose a simple method to adjust results obtained from the simulation software.
Hidden oscillations in aircraft flight control system with input saturation
2013
Abstract The presence of actuator saturation can dramatically degrade the system performance. Since the feedback loop is broken when the actuator saturates the unstable modes of the regulator may then drift to undesirable values. The consequences are that undesired nonlinear oscillations appear and that the settling time may unacceptably increase. Rigorous analysis of nonlinear aircraft models is a very difficult task, that is why a numerical simulation is often used as an analysis and design tool. In this paper difficulties of numerical analysis related to the existence of hidden oscillations in the aircraft control system are demonstrated.
Is the transfer function method reliable in a European building context? A theoretical analysis and a case study in the South of Italy
2005
Abstract The available tools for dynamic simulation of the buildings thermal behaviour are manifold, and the most modern ones, known as TRNSYS, are founded upon the use of the Z-transform (ZT) set also called transfer function method (TFM). The transfer function method (TFM), recommended by American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), is one of the most modern tools available to solve heat transfer problems in building envelopes and environments. TFM utilises Z-transforms to solve the equation system that describes the heat transfer in a multi-layered wall. Due to an analogy with an electric circuit, it is possible to write the equation system in a mat…
Obtaining dynamic Norton parameters of a solar panel from manufacturer data
2016
Photovoltaic arrays have been shown to possess significant influence on the dynamic performance of coupled source-converter-load system while its dynamic resistance is the most important parameter, contributing to the overall system dynamics. In this paper, a method of deriving the parameters of linearized photovoltaic equivalent circuit from manufacturer data is proposed. The approach allows predicting the range of dynamic Norton parameters for the expected irradiation and temperature operation conditions thus defining clear bounds required for robust design of the system controller.
Comparing different control strategies for indoor thermal comfort aimed at the evaluation of the energy cost of quality of building
2010
Abstract The rapid improvement in the standard of living requires more detailed and sophisticated methods of evaluating comfort conditions. But, maintaining thermal comfort conditions in confined environments may require complex regulation procedures and the proper management of heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. In turn, the requirements for indoor thermal comfort do not necessarily coincide with those of energy saving purposes, which in the last years are becoming a crucial issue owing to the enactment of the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). The aim of this work is to compare different indoor control thermal comfort strategies in view of th…
Type-2 fuzzy control of a fed-batch fermentation reactor
2010
Abstract The aim of the paper is to present the application of type-2 fuzzy logic controllers (T2FLCs) to the control of a fed-batch fermentation reactor in which the penicillin production is carried out. The performance of the control system using T2FLCs is compared by simulation with that of a control system using type-1 fuzzy logic controllers (T1FLCs). The non linear model used for the simulation study is an unstructured model characterized by the presence of non linearities, parameter uncertainty and measurement noise. Simulation results confirm the robustness of the T2FLC which shows a better performance than its type-1 counterpart particularly when uncertainties are present in the co…