Pulse is Okay, but Doublet is Better
The Pulse and Doublet tests both allow practitioners to observe the process moving in opposite directions, but which is better?
How to Perform a Step Test
Tuning PID controllers is a multi-step process. While it is important to understand each step in the process, performing the bump test and collecting dynamic data is the most crucial
Data Collection Speed is Key to the Accurate Interpretation of Process Dynamics
If you’re old enough to remember silent movies, then you know what it’s like to see the characters seemingly jiggle around the screen. Black spots would randomly appear as the
How Can I Correct for Noise Using External Filters?
Choices, choices. In the realm of process control practitioners are regularly forced to choose between competing options. Consider a PID control loop: Should it be tuned for faster disturbance rejection
How Can I Correct for Noise Using Internal Filters?
Noise is inevitable. To one degree or another it’s evident in the data of most every production process. Sure it can be absent in academic settings and similar lab environments
What is the Purpose of a PID Controller’s Integral Term? Why is PI Control So Widely Used in Industry?
In the realm of process control it makes complete sense that the primary goal is - you guessed it - to control the process. For decades the PID controller has
Modeling Non-Steady State Data for PID Controller Tuning in a Cogeneration Power Plant
A 25 MW combined-cycle cogeneration plant at the University of Connecticut supplies electricity to the entire UConn campus with three natural gas combustion turbine generators and one high pressure steam
Default Out-of-the-Box Settings Prevent the PID Controller from Achieving its Goal
Tuning a PID controller doesn't have to be hard. Whether a practitioner chooses to tune control loops manually or with the help of software, the procedure is relatively straight forward
How Does the Derivative Term Affect PID Controller Performance?
Derivative is the third term within the PID. In mathematical terms the word derivative is defined as the slope of a curve. Seen in the context of strip chart data
How Do I Calculate Dead-Time?
Adults can learn a thing or two from children. That's especially true when it comes to matters of time. Whereas adults view it as fashionable to show up to a