control systems

• What is one application of a Watt Regulator?


  Flight Control
• What is one application of control systems in transport?


  Steering and Stability of Railway Vehicles
• What is the control design process?


  • System of Interest
  • Mathematical Model
  • Analyse Model
  • Design Controller
  • Implement Controller (including sensors and actuators)
• What are some areas that control engineers use in their work?


  Theory, Physics, and Mathematics
• What is the role of Laplace in control engineering?


  It is used for analyzing linear time-invariant systems
• What can control systems automatically stabilize?


  Systems such as constant pressure and steady level flight
• What are the basic control structures in control systems?


  • Control problem: maintain set speed demand
  • Fixed input leads to fixed output
  • Disturbances change system response
• What is the purpose of visual feedback in control systems?


  To close the loop by checking the speedometer
• What is open-loop control?


  A control method without feedback that relies on a command signal
• What are 'disturbances' in control systems?


  Unknown/unmeasured inputs from outside the system affecting its operation
• What are 'uncertainties' in control systems?


  Unknown/unmeasured variations in parameters describing the system
• Give an example of a disturbance affecting a cruise control system.


  Wind or gradient
• What is the structure of a closed-loop feedback control system?

  • Disturbance
  • System
  • Drive signal
  • Output
  • Command
  • Error
  • Feedback
  • Amplifier
• What is the aim of a control system?


  To make the system output track the command as closely as possible