Algebraic Methods in Autotuning Design: Implementation and Simulations

Abstract

Autotuners represent a combination of a relay feedback identification test and some control design method. In this contribution, models with up to three parameters are estimated by means of a single asymmetrical relay experiment. Then a stable low order transfer function with a time delay term is identified by a relay experiment. Autotuning principles then combine asymmetrical relay feedback tests with a control synthesis. Two algebraic control syntheses then are presented in this paper. The first one is based on the ring of proper and stable rational functions R PS. The second one utilizes a special ring R MS, a set of RQ-meromorphic functions. In both cases, controller parameters are derived through a general solution of a linear Diophantine equation in the appropriate ring. A final controller can be tuned by a scalar real parameter m>0. The presented philosophy covers a generalization of PID controllers and the Smith-like control structure. This contribution deals with the implementation of proposed autotuners and presents some illustrative examples. A Matlab toolbox for automatic design and simulation was developed and various simulations performed and analyzed.