Design and implementation of a gain scheduling controller for a water level control system

Area of Science:

• Control Engineering
• Process Control
• Nonlinear Systems

Background:

• Water-tank level control is crucial in many industrial processes.
• Nonlinear dynamics present challenges for traditional control methods.
• Existing fixed proportional plus integral (PI) controllers may struggle with varying operating conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and implement a gain-scheduled PI controller for a nonlinear water-tank level control system.
• To introduce a novel method for selecting operating points based on interpolation error.
• To evaluate the controller's performance against a fixed PI controller.

Main Methods:

• Design of a gain-scheduled proportional plus integral (PI) controller.
• Development of a novel operating point determination strategy using interpolation error.
• Implementation of the controller using LABVIEW software.
• Experimental validation through field tests on a water-tank system.

Main Results:

• The gain-scheduled PI controller was successfully implemented in a laboratory setting.
• Field test results demonstrated the controller's effectiveness across different operating conditions.
• The proposed controller exhibited improved system response compared to a fixed PI controller.

Conclusions:

• Gain-scheduled PI control offers a viable solution for nonlinear water-tank level regulation.
• The novel operating point selection method enhances controller adaptability.
• Experimental evidence supports the superior performance of the proposed controller in dynamic environments.