KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL AND PRODUCTION
ENGINEERING
BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING IN MECHANICAL AND
MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING

ASSIGNMENT 1: INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL

(TMME 4103)

LECTURER: MR ONEP SAMUEL

NAME DRARU CHELSEA

REG. NO. 16/U/6831/EMD/PD
YEAR IV
SIGNATURE

DRARU CHELSEA
16/U/6831/EMD/PD
 CONTROL THEORY
When a number of elements are combined together to form a system so as to produce a desired
output, the system is referred to as a control system. A Control system is therefore defined as a
system (or set) of devices that manages, commands, directs or regulates the behavior of other
devices or systems to achieve desired results. A control system in simple terms is system which
consists of a number of components connected together to perform a specific function in which
the output is controlled by the input.
Requirements of a good control system
i. Accuracy; Accuracy is the measurement tolerance of the instrument and defines the limits
of the errors made when the instrument is used in normal operating conditions. Accuracy
can be improved by using feedback elements; and increased by using error detectors made
present in the control system.
ii. Sensitivity: The parameters of a control system are always changing with the surrounding
conditions, internal disturbance or any other parameters. This change can be expressed in
terms of sensitivity. Any control system should be sensitive to input signals only.
iii. Noise: Noise is an undesired input signal. A good control system should be able to reduce
noise effect for better performance.
iv. Stability: If the input signal of a control system is zero, then the output must be zero. Such
a control system can then be said to be stable.
v. Bandwidth: this is an operating frequency range of the control system. Bandwidth should
be as large as possible for the frequency response of good a good control system.
vi. Speed: This is the time taken by the control system to achieve its stable output. A good
control system must have high speed.
vii. Oscillation: A stable control system has to have a small number of oscillations.
Types of control systems
i. Open loop control systems: The feedback element is absent
ii. Closed loop control systems: The feedback element is always present
Applications of control systems
i. Aircraft rudder system
ii. Gun or missile director
iii. Missile guidance system
iv. Laser-guided projectiles
v. Automatic pilot
vi. Washing machines
vii. Air conditioners

a) Comparison elements
These are system components directly between the controlled output and the referenced input and
are those required to establish a signal determined by the output as modified by the feedback
DRARU CHELSEA
16/U/6831/EMD/PD
elements used in comparison with the input signal. The basic role of comparison elements is to
compare the controlled output signal with the input to provide a desired final output by means of
feedback. The following are comparison elements;
i. Reference variable/input: An external signal applied to a control system to produce the
desired output.
ii. Feedback: a signal determined by the output, as modified by the feedback elements used
in comparison with the input signal
iii. Controlled output: The variable (temperature, position, velocity shaft angle, etc.) that the
system seeks to guide or regulate.
iv. Error signal: The algebraic sum of the reference input and the feedback
v. Feedback elements: Those components required to establish the desired feedback signal by
sensing the controlled output.

b) Control elements
A control system consists of five control elements namely;
i. Input; Stimulus applied to a control system from an external source to produce a specified
response from the system.
ii. Process being controlled
iii. Output; The actual response obtained from the system
iv. Sensing elements
v. Controller and actuating devices; these are instruments for controlling a process variable.
These elements above are illustrated as below;

Other key elements associated with control elements include;

i. Feedback; A signal determined by the output as modified by the feedback elements.
Feedback elements are the components required to establish the desired feedback signal by
sensing the controlled output.

DRARU CHELSEA
16/U/6831/EMD/PD
 ii. Error; The difference between the input stimulus and the output response. It is the
difference between the input and the feedback.

c) Analysis of simple control system

This is the determination of the characteristic or behavior of components of a system. Analysis of
a system can be done once a mathematical model of that system is obtained. Analysis involves
checking the system performance with adjustment of parameters of the controller to make sure the
system performance specifications are correct.
Analysis of a control system can be done using the following methods;
i. Root locus method; this is a powerful tool for analyzing control systems. It is a graphical
method by determining the locus of roots as one system parameter is changed. This is a
method for evaluating the behavior of a control system.
ii. Frequency response method; this is a method used to determine which frequencies cause
the most vibration to a control system.

d) Concept of automatic control system

Automatic control system can be referred to as the closed loop control system. A closed loop
control system is a control system in which the output has an effect on the input quantity in such
a manner that the input quantity will adjust itself based on the output generated. An open loop
control system can be converted into a closed loop (an automatic) control system by providing a
feedback. This feedback automatically makes the suitable changes in the output due to external
disturbance. In this way, a closed loop control system is called an automatic control system.
Automation highly requires control of devices.
Below is a representation of an automatic control system (a closed loop control system)

Examples of Automatic control devices

i. Water level controller: Input water is controlled by the water level of the reservoir (output)
ii. An air conditioner: an air conditioner functions depending on the temperature of the room.
iii. Cooling system in a car: It operates depending upon the temperature which it controls

DRARU CHELSEA
16/U/6831/EMD/PD
 iv. Missile launched and auto tracked by radar: The direction of the missile is controlled by
comparing the target and position of the missile.
v. Automatic electric iron: Heating elements are controlled by output temperature of the iron.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Automatic control systems
Advantages
i. They are highly accurate since any error arising is corrected due to presence of feedback
signal
ii. Their bandwidth range is large
iii. Easily facilitate automation
iv. This system is less affected by noise
v. The sensitivity of the system may be may be small to make system more stable.
Disadvantages
i. They are more costly
ii. They are complicated to design
iii. Require more maintenance
iv. Overall gain is reduced due to presence of feedback
v. They are very unstable so care is needed to build a stable closed loop control system

REFERENCES
1. Brian D. Why Learn Control Theory. [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.videoder.net/media?mode=2&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBc_
BHxw78s
2. Tutorials Point (India) Pvt. Ltd. Introduction to Control System. [Video file]. Retrieved
from
https://www.videoder.net/media?mode=2&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMf
H2P2Fc6Q
3. Vaniver (2014). An Introduction to Control Theory. Retrieved from
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/dcRY7XSnuARkHkA5D/an-introduction-to-control-
theory
4. Chapter 3 Elements of Feedback Control. Retrieved from https://fas.org/man/dod-
101/navy/docs/fun/part03.htm
5. Katsuhiko O (2010). Modern Control Engineering, 5th ed. Pearson Education, Inc. New
Jersey, United States of America. Pp.1-10, 269, 398
6. Benjamin C Kuo (1975). Automatic Control Systems, 3rd ed. Prentice-hall Inc. Englewood
Cliffs, New Jersey. Pp. 1-11.

DRARU CHELSEA
16/U/6831/EMD/PD
DRARU CHELSEA
16/U/6831/EMD/PD