Control Architectures:

Feed Forward, Feedback,

Ratio, and Cascade
By Peter Woolf (pwoolf@umich.edu)
University of Michigan

Michigan Chemical Process

Dynamics and Controls
Open Textbook

version 1.0

Creative commons
Connecting Controllers
In control programming we
& Actuators make statements like:
Adjust v3 to maintain LC1
at LC1 set
We could implement this
as the following PID
controller:
v3 = v3offset + K c (LC1− LC1set ) +
1 d(LC1− LC1set )
τI
∫ (LC1− LC1set )dt + τ D dt
But there are other controls possible:
• Maintain LC1 by controlling v3 (Feedback control)
€
• Anticipate changes in LC1 by measuring FC1 and FC2 and
preemptively adjust v3 (Feed forward control)
• Feed in a defined ratio of A and B (Ratio control)
• Connect LC1 to FC1 to adjust v1 (Cascade control)
 Feedback Control
Philosophy:
Adjust for errors as
they take place.

Example: Maintain LC1 by controlling v3

1 d(LC1− LC1set )
v3 = v3offset + K c (LC1− LC1set ) +
τI
∫ (LC1− LC1set )dt + τ D dt

Advantages Disadvantages
€ • Simple to design • Only corrects for
• No process model errors after they
required happen
• Generally only takes
input from one sensor
 Feed Forward
Control
Philosophy:
Anticipate and correct
for errors before they
happen

Example: Maintain LC1 by measuring FC1 and FC2 and

preemptively adjust v3
v3 = k valves (FC1+ FC2) (assuming a linear valve)

Advantages
• Corrects for deviations
€
before they happen!
• In ideal cases can produce
perfect control
Disadvantages
• Requires infinitely
accurate models
• Requires infinitely
accurate measurements
Ratio Control
Philosophy:
Connect two flows to
maintain a constant
ratio
Example: Feed in a defined ratio of A and B where A is the wild
stream. v2 = k ratio kvalve FC1

Advantages Disadvantages
• Links two streams to • Never measures FC2,
produce€a defined ratio thus assumes the flows
• Simple--does not are matched
require a complex • Assumes pressure
model from B is constant
Cascade
Control
Philosophy:
Sensors can control the set
points of other sensors to
integrate information
Example: Connect LC1 to FC1 to adjust v1 Inner loop
1 d(FC1set − FC1)
v1 = v1offset + K c1 (FC1set − FC1) +
τ I1
∫ (FC1set − FC1)dt + τ D1
dt (slave)
1 d(LC1set − LC1)
FC1set = FC1offset + K c 2 (LC1set − LC1) +
τ I2
∫ (LC1
set − LC1)dt + τ D 2
dt Outer loop
(master)
Logic: The inner loop is something that changes
quickly, here possibly due to pressure changes
from the A storage.
Outer loop changes slowly, and influences the
inner loop by controlling the set point of FC1.
Cascade Control
Example: Connect LC1 to FC1 to adjust v1 Inner loop
1 d(FC1set − FC1)
v1 = v1offset + K c1 (FC1set − FC1) + ∫ (FC1set − FC1)dt + τ D1 (slave)
τ I1 dt

1 Outer loop d(LC1set − LC1)

FC1set = FC1offset + K c 2 (LC1set − LC1) +
τ I2
∫ (LC1set − LC1)dt + τ D 2
dt
(master)
Logic: The inner loop is something that changes quickly, here
possibly due to pressure changes from the A storage.
Outer loop changes slowly, and influences the inner loop by
controlling the set point of FC1.
Advantages Disadvantages
• Controller responds • Controller is more complex
quickly to high •Tuning cascade controllers is
frequency changes more difficult as the set point
• Controller integrates changes + more parameters
multiple sensor
readings together
 Mixed Architectures
Most real systems have
combinations of feedback,
feed forward, ratio, and
cascade control.
Example #1:
Control LC1 using FC1 cascaded to v1 and feedback control on v3.
Inner loop
1 d(FC1set − FC1)
v1 = v1offset + K c1 (FC1set − FC1) + ∫ (FC1 set − FC1)dt + τ D1
(slave)
τ I1 dt
(feedback)
1 d(LC1set − LC1) Outer loop
FC1set = FC1offset + K c 2 (LC1set − LC1) +
τ I2
∫ (LC1set − LC1)dt + τ D 2 dt
(master)
1 d(LC1set − LC1)
v3 = v3offset + K c 3 (LC1set − LC1) +
τ I3
∫ (LC1set − LC1)dt + τ D 3 dt
Feedback
 Mixed Architectures
Most real systems have
combinations of feedback,
feed forward, ratio, and
cascade control.
Example #2:
Maintain ratio of B using FC1 cascaded to FC2 to control v2
1 d(FC2 set − FC2) Inner loop
v2 = v2 offset + K c 4 (FC2 set − FC2) +
τ I4
∫ (FC2 set − FC2)dt + τ D 4
dt (slave)
(feedback)
Outer loop
FC2 set = k ratio FC1 (master)
(ratio control)
Mixed Architectures
Most real systems have
combinations of feedback,
feed forward, ratio, and
cascade control.
Advantages Disadvantages
• Pick and choose • Controllers can be complex
features to fit the (Each I controller adds an ODE,
problem eigenvalue, and new dimension
• Incorporate in any to the problem.)
number of sensors in a • Tuning is difficult
rational way - Routh stability really helps
define appropriate ranges
- Optimization based tuning
 Example 1
TC1 TC2set

T v1
Which sensor likely responds to temperature changes in the
cooling water faster?
TC2
Which loop would be the inner loop (slave) and which the outer
loop (master)? Why? TC2 inner, TC1 outer

Write out an appropriate cascade controller for this system.

v1 = v1offset + K c1 (TC2 − TC2 set ) +
1
∫ (TC2 − TC2 set )dt + τ D1
d(TC2 − TC2 set ) Inner loop
τ I1 dt
Check signs! (slave)
1 d(TC1set − TC1) Outer loop
TC2 set = TC1offset + K c 2 (TC1set − TC1) +
τ I2
∫ (TC1set − TC1)dt + τ D 2 dt
(master)
 Example 2

Control pHC1 using a single feedback PID controller.

1 d( pHC1− pHC1set )
v1 = v1offset + K c ( pHC1− pHC1set ) +
τI
∫ ( pHC1− pHC1set )dt + τ D dt

Control pHC1 using a single feed forward controller.

v1 = k valve k ratio FC1

Control pHC1 using a cascaded P-only ratio controller to

balance the acid waste water.
€ FC2 = k k FC1 v1 = v1offset + Kc(FC2 set − FC2 )
set valve ratio
Select a mixture of ratio, cascade, feedback, and or feed
forward control systems to control the
rectifying section of the following distillation column:

One example configuration might have AC2 cascaded to

TC2, cascaded to FC2 controlling V1, and LC1 cascaded
to FC3 controlling V2.
To help with deciding which control schemes to
use, consider the following questions:
a) What is your control objective?
b) Which loops are likely to be fast and which
slow?
c) Changes in what variables likely influence the
process compositions most directly?
 Other examples:
• The ratio of FC2 to FC3 is set
by AC2. For this scheme, use
a level control to set either FC2
or FC3 and determine the other
flow using the ratio controller.
• The ratio of FC3 and FC1 Is
set by AC2. For this set up,
also include a level control
scheme for the accumulator.
• AC2 is cascaded to TC2, which is cascaded to FC2 controlling V1. In
addition, AC1 could be a feed forward controller on FC2 and V1. (Note
here two paths control V1, so a more sophisticated logical relationship
would be needed). LC1 is cascaded to FC3, which controls V2.
• AC2 is cascaded to TC2. TC2 is a ratio controller of FC2 and FC1, and this
output is combined with FC1 to form a set point for FC2. FC2 controls V1.
Also, AC1 feeds forward to FC2. LC1 is cascaded to FC3 to control V2.

(Note: there are many configurations possible, depending on the control

objective. Some, however don’t make sense such as having FC3 control
V1, or cascading AC1 to LC1 to control FC3, to control V2. )
 Take Home Messages
• Using a combination of feedback, feed
forward, ratio, and cascade control you can
design flexible control systems
• More complex control systems are harder to
tune and model, but if done right outperform
simpler architectures
• When designing your control system, be
aware of the control objective and possible
conflicts