***CONTROL ENGINEERING***
Definitions
1. Systems: A system is a combination of components that act together and perform a
certain objective. The system may be physical, biological, economical, etc.
2. Control system: It is an arrangement of physical components connected or related
in a manner to command, direct or regulate itself or another system.
3. Open loop: An open loop system control system is one in which the control action
is independent of the output.
4. Closed loop: A closed loop control system is one in which the control action is
somehow dependent on the output.
5. Plants: A plant is equipment the purpose of which is to perform a particular
operation. Any physical object to be controlled is called a plant.
6. Processes: Processes is a natural or artificial or voluntary operation that consists of
a series of controlled actions, directed towards a result.
7. Input: The input is the excitation applied to a control system from an external energy
source. The inputs are also known as actuating signals.
8. Output: The output is the response obtained from a control system or known as
controlled variable.
9. Block diagram: A block diagram is a short hand, pictorial representation of cause
and effect relationship between the input and the output of a physical system. It
characterizes the functional relationship amongst the components of a control
system.
10. Control elements: These are also called controller which are the components
required to generate the appropriate control signal applied to the plant.
11. Plant: Plant is the control system body process or machine of which a particular
quantity or condition is to be controlled.
12. Feedback control: feedback control is an operation in which the difference
between the output of the system and the reference input by comparing these using
the difference as a means of control.
13. Feedback elements: These are the components required to establish the functional
relationship between primary feedback signal and the controlled output.
14. Actuating signal: also called the error or control action. It is the algebraic sum
consisting of reference input and primary feedback.
15. Manipulated variable: it that quantity or condition which the control elements
apply to the controlled system.
16. Feedback signal: it is a signal which is function of controlled output
Disturbance: It is an undesired input signal which affects the output.
17. Forward path: It is a transmission path from the actuating signal to controlled
output Feedback path: The feed back path is the transmission path from the
controlled output to the primary feedback signal.
18. Servomechanism: Servomechanism is a feedback control system in which output
is some mechanical position, velocity or acceleration.
19. Regulator: Regulator is a feedback system in which the input is constant for long
time.
20. Transducer: Transducer is a device which converts one energy form into other
21. Tachometer: Tachometer is a device whose output is directly proportional to time
rate of change of input.
22. Synchros: Synchros is an AC machine used for transmission of angular position
synchro motor- receiver, synchro generator- transmitter.
23. Block diagram: A block diagram is a short hand, pictorial representation of cause
and effect relationship between the input and the output of a physical system. It
characterizes the functional relationship amongst the components of a control
system.Lower case letters usually represent functions of time. Upper case letters
denote Laplace transformed quantities as a function of complex variable sor
Fourier transformed quantity i.e. frequency function as function of imaginary
variables j.
24. Summing point: It represents an operation of addition and / or subtraction.
25. Negative feedback: Summing point is a subtractor.
26. Positive feedback: Summing point is an adder.
27. Stimulus: It is an externally introduced input signal affecting the controlled
output.
28. Take off point: In order to employ the same signal or variable as an input to
more than block or summing point, take off point is used. This permits the signal
to proceed unaltered along several different paths to several destinations.
29. Time response: It is the output of a system as a function of time following the
application of a prescribed input under specified operating conditions
R.S.Vathare
