Control systems

CONTROL SYSTEM

Industrial control systems has change the way process and packaging operations are being carried out. The ease of getting things done with a press of a button, to the remote monitoring of field operation and  endless methods of upgrading/improving plant efficiency together with rapid process data analyses has become a revolution in which new things keeps unfolding in technology daily, placing time, efficiency, demand and cost on the table for investors to considered as option with the benefits of mass production and easy operation throughput alongside the dynamism of multiple options available at industries disposal. Technological advancement has put engineers, technicians and plant operators on their toes leaving them with no option than continuous knowledge seeking and adaptation of useful inventions into daily operation aligning cost and value added services plus quick remote support into organisation goals.

So, what is industrial control system? It is combinations control devices interconnected together observing various rules and protocol in connections and communication enabling these devices to inter-operate and carry out individual tasks that all add-up into smooth running of defined operations.

Control system consist a system of a makeup that either consider feedback status of control plant in data/state during operation or a system that the feedback is not of importance during operation. A system is termed open loop system if their is no feedback element while a system is considered a closed loop control system if there is a feedback element. A simple example of an open loop control sytem is switching on/off of a lamp while that of a closed loop control system is a pressing iron.

Key functions of control system are Measurements, Comparison, Computation and Correction. All control systems are built with maximum consideration of these functions.

Control systems comprises of the following;

Sensors for performing accurate reporting and measurement,

Controllers for performing logic/sequence comparison and computation,

And Control Elements for performing action and implementing corrections

Controlled Variable an interested variable of control system known as the process value being regulated by the control system. Controlled Variable is the variable being measured.

Setpoint is the predetermined desired value for the control system to regulate the controlled variable to at all time.

Manipulated Variable is the variable used by the control system to alter the controlled variable in order to maintain the steady setpoint and keep the system under stable operation thereby suppressing the influence of disturbances.