Relay Identification Using Shifting Method for PID Controller Tuning

The aim of this study was to present a relay shifting method for relay feedback identification of dynamical systems suitable for PID controller tuning. The proposed technique uses a biased relay to determine frequency response points from a single experiment without any assumptions about a model transfer function. The method is applicable for open-loop stable, unstable, and integration processes, even with a delay, and regardless of whether they are oscillating or non-oscillating. The core of this technique was formed by the so-called relay shifting filter. In this study, the method was applied to a parameter estimation of a second-order time-delayed (SOTD) model that can describe, with acceptable accuracy, the dynamics of most processes (even with a transport delay) near the operating point. Simultaneously, a parameter setting for the PID controller was derived based on the model parameters. The applicability of the proposed method was demonstrated on various simulated processes and tested on real laboratory apparatuses.

Position-insensitive estimation of mass from limit cycle of velocity feedback relay system with Spring

Mass measurement using relay feedback of velocity and restoring force compensation is investigated for determining the mass of an object under weightless conditions. In the measurement system, the velocity of the object is fed back through a relay with hysteresis and the force acting on the object is switched from a positive value to a negative value when the velocity reaches a positive threshold and vice versa. As a result, a limit cycle is induced in the measurement system and the mass is estimated based on the period of the limit cycle. In addition, restoring force compensation with a spring is introduced to avoid the drift of the trajectory. This compensation makes the static equilibrium state unique. However, the trajectory still drifts slightly. It causes some error in measurement when a simple formula of estimating mass is applied. To eliminate such an error, a new formula is derived to estimate the mass independently of the position of the trajectory that is determined by the switching positions in the relay actions. When the switching positions deflect from the origin at which the spring is in the natural length, the trajectory is not at the center and becomes asymmetric. It is analytically shown that the period of the limit cycle is minimum when the switching positions are at the origin. It indicates that mass is overestimated with the simple estimation formula when the trajectory is not at the center. The validity of the modified formula and the analytical results are confirmed experimentally.

Fitting of Generic Process Models by an Asymmetric Short Relay Feedback Experiment—The n-Shifting Method

This paper presents the generalization of the shifting method for relay feedback identification of dynamic systems of any order. The original shifting method enables the fitting of a maximum of five parameters of a transfer function model from the information obtained from a short relay test and without prior knowledge of the process to identify. The generalization, known as n-shifting, allows the estimation of the parameters of transfer functions of any order by applying one short relay test to the process to identify. Without loss of generality, the n-shifting approach is applied to fit an n-order plus time delay (n-OPTD) model but the approach can be also developed to identify models with other structures (non-minimum phase, unstable, integrators). Some examples of estimations are presented.