Introduction
While we have explored heated reactors, surge tanks, heat exchangers and the like, the discussed principles are by no means the only place in which they can be used. In fact, dynamic control and automation are an increasingly relevant (and invisible) part of our everyday lives – the same idea of a feedback/forward loop providing some control over undesired disturbances is relevant and important. Without controllers and feedback, our phones would stay on when we put our face up to them, street lights wouldn’t turn on when it gets dark, and chargers would explode the batteries in our electronics!
The goal of this project is to explore and discuss either an existent form of process control in a normal (i.e. non-engineering) setting, either one that already is used on a regular basis or one that you might like to see implemented in the future. We will spend the first few weeks refining our impression of the process (or processes) on a fundamental, application level – and then later on, use our knowledge of controls to simulate or predict how expected disturbances or perturbations could be managed by our systems.
Deliverable 0: Group Selection
Due Date: Friday, March 11th.
As soon as you’ve selected a group of three members, please submit a list of your group members to JLW via email. You may select group members from the other section of the class – however, make sure that all three members are able to attend at least one of the two sections at the same time (8-10AM or 10AM-12PM).
Deliverable 1: Blog Article
Due Date: Friday, March 18th. (Edits may continue until Friday, April 1st.)
Each group must write a short (1000-1500 word) blog article on the course site, discussing either a journal article explaining what your novel control process is, or how your selected process can and/or does benefit from process control elements. These articles are designed for an everyday but well-informed audience – think of the regular reader base of Gizmodo or the target demographics of TEDTalks, whom are not primarily focused on the specific vernacular of process control principles and require explanation of these concepts. (Alternatively, think of your target audience as some of your non-engineer classmates, to whom you’re trying to explain the general idea of what you’re doing.)
Your article should express the following points:
- What is the application?
- Express the motivation of examining the process or the system that is being considered.
- Why does it need control?
- Establish your controlled variables. What is our basis for determining what is a “good” or “bad” range of operating conditions for this parameter?
- Is the control of this variable critical to its operation, or is it only supportive/additive to its user experience? (For example, a fan that turns on when temperature rises above a certain point might be beneficial in its operation, but isn’t necessary for it to function as a fan – the controls on a Segway, though, not so much.)
- Justification for control should be more substantial than infomercial-style “There’s got to be a better way” statements, even for common household objects – don’t just say it’s an improvement, state why it’s an improvement.
- What about the application needs controlling?
- Identify your manipulated variables. What aspects about your process could you control? Does it make practical sense to do so?
- From this discussion, establish one or two main aspects to use as your points of manipulation to control your controlled variable.
- What could happen to our system?
- Posit potential sources of disturbance that might arise from normal use. (For example, an automatic hair iron might want to be able to correct for temperature drops when you apply the iron to your hair, but it doesn’t need to account for a sudden current drop from a blackout in your house.)
- How many of these variables could be controlled via the same manipulated variable? Would a feedback or feedforward loop be appropriate for this application? (If you use either of those terms, make sure that you briefly identify what it is for your audience!)
Images, figures, and videos are highly recommended and crucial for effective articles. Consult the WordPress primer on this site or WordPress’s own tutorials for more information. Furthermore, these articles need not be formal in language structure, as they are reflective of your own thoughts and ideas. For this portion of the project, try to be creative and have some fun!
Deliverable 2: Blog Responses and Retorts
Due Date: Two responses per member, by Friday, April 29th.
For this portion, students must write two brief (2-3 paragraph) responses to existing posts on the blog, commenting on the validity of the initial article’s application and/or providing additional insight. Note that you’re not anonymous when posting these comments, so please try to keep your opinions substantial and civil.
More information will be posted about this portion after Spring Break.
Deliverable 3: Technical Presentation and Simulation
Due Date: Thursday, April 28th.
Equipped with your knowledge of process control gathered over the duration of this course, each group will hold a 20-minute presentation near the end of the semester that builds upon your blog article’s introduction and highlights more technical insight into how your discussed process can be controlled. Groups will be expected to simulate both plausible perturbation signals on MATLAB, as well as how your process will be able to respond to said signals with your proposed control scheme. The audience for this portion will be your peers, so more in-depth information about controller types, stability, etc. will be expected.
The nature of the simulations for this portion of the project is subject to change, due to the potentially varied nature of each group’s project. More information will be posted about this portion after Blog Articles have been posted.