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Curricular information is subject to change
LO1: A critical component of control theory, and indeed of engineering in general, is the translation of the engineering problem (good system behaviour) into a purely mathematical problem (root locations of polynomials). An appropriate sense of what specifications are reasonable needs to be developed. Also the student needs to develop an ability to recognise when a purported solution is purely academic and when it is realistic, i.e. when it is forgiving of the idealisations and approximations made in the process of acquiring the model. The requirements of safety and, in particular, of the need to fail safe are paramount. The ability to identify the presence of non-minimum phase zeros and to appreciate the deleterious effect of such zeros on system performance is of great importance, both for control and for system modelling in general. The terminology of this field is widespread in engineering practice as are several of its key ideas, most notably negative feedback.
LO2: PID controllers remain dominant in the field. The proper design of such controllers, and of controllers in general, can improve safety, decrease wear, raise productivity and reduce energy consumption (although of course the latter phrase, although ubiquitous, is in error. We do not consume energy, since energy must be conserved, actually we raise entropy). Human experts always produce PID designs which comfortably outperform self-tuning controllers. Linear state-feedback can, in principal, achieve even more significant gains in performance. The benefit, both to economy and environment, cannot be overstated. The use in design of the package MATLAB is standard, both in academia and in industry.
LO3: The system property of stability is, in many cases, virtually indistinguishable from that of safety. The property of observability can be almost equally significant. An unobservable and marginally stable, or even unstable, state comprises for the designer a nightmare scenario, where the system suddenly and almost inexplicably switches from good behaviour to appalling and potentially dangerous behaviour. The knowledge that such hostages to fortune can exist is vital. It is extremely important when modelling to make full sure that all marginally stable, unobservable and/or uncontrollable states have been identified, just as it is vital to identify all resonances. That many practicing engineers fail to do so in no way undermines the importance of this task. Equally important is a proper understanding of how to interpret the standard stability criteria and an ability to determine when they comprise actual proof of stability and when they do not. The highest ethical responsibility is to design safe systems. It is unforgivable, although very common, to employ a stability test and to deduce stability when that stability test does not apply and when the system is in fact unstable.
LO4: It hardly needs to be stated that digital controllers are becoming more widespread. Accordingly the design of such controllers is a valuable skill. Offering increased versatility these controllers come with the usual slew of attendant benefits both to profit and to the environment. The use of MATLAB appears to make sense, since it is effective and nearly ubiquitous.
LO5: Towards the design of controllers we consider the Bode method of presenting the frequency response data and of identifying the system using this data. It is fairly obvious that system identification transcends all branches of engineering and therefore comprises an absolutely fundamental engineering skill. Much of the terminology of this field pervades engineering.
Student Effort Type | Hours |
---|---|
Lectures | 36 |
Laboratories | 16 |
Total | 52 |
Not applicable to this module.
Description | Timing | Component Scale | % of Final Grade | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Examination: End of term exam | 2 hour End of Trimester Exam | No | Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% | No | 70 |
Continuous Assessment: MATLAB based assignments | Throughout the Trimester | n/a | Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% | No | 30 |
Remediation Type | Remediation Timing |
---|---|
In-Module Resit | Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board |
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
Not yet recorded.
Name | Role |
---|---|
Dr Barry Cardiff | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |
Dr Xiping Wu | Lecturer / Co-Lecturer |