17-10-2016, 09:52 AM
Automatic control in engineering and technology is a wide generic term covering the application of mechanisms to the operation and regulation of processes without continuous direct human intervention.
It covers the range of application from a household thermostat controlling a boiler, to a large industrial control system with tens of thousands of input measurements and output control signals. In control complexity it can range from simple on-off control to multi-variable high level algorithms.
In the simplest type of an automatic control loop, a controller compares a measured value of a process with a desired set value, and processes the resulting error signal to change some input to the process, in such a way that the process stays at its set point despite disturbances. This closed-loop control is an application of negative feedback to a system. The mathematical basis of control theory was begun in the 18th century, and advanced rapidly in the 20th.
Designing a system with features of automatic control generally requires the feeding of electrical or mechanical energy to enhance the dynamic features of an otherwise sluggish or variant, even errant system. The control is applied by regulating the energy feed.
It covers the range of application from a household thermostat controlling a boiler, to a large industrial control system with tens of thousands of input measurements and output control signals. In control complexity it can range from simple on-off control to multi-variable high level algorithms.
In the simplest type of an automatic control loop, a controller compares a measured value of a process with a desired set value, and processes the resulting error signal to change some input to the process, in such a way that the process stays at its set point despite disturbances. This closed-loop control is an application of negative feedback to a system. The mathematical basis of control theory was begun in the 18th century, and advanced rapidly in the 20th.
Designing a system with features of automatic control generally requires the feeding of electrical or mechanical energy to enhance the dynamic features of an otherwise sluggish or variant, even errant system. The control is applied by regulating the energy feed.