Ridding production and functional processes of direct human participation has reduced the cost of servicing a managed facility and in some areas to improve the quality of the product. Despite the active development of electronics, many systems still remain dependent on operators, which is also due to the difficulties of introducing new models of production control. Today, an automatic control system is one of the most promising forms of carrying out production activities, which, however, poses new technological challenges for users.
Theory and principles of automation
Initially, the concept of automatic control developed as one of the sections of technical mechanics. In particular, specialists in this direction developed the principles of controlling electric machines and steam boilers, but without going beyond the scope of electrical engineering. As it developed, the theory of automatic control systems began to define the functional organs of the working structure as full-fledged objects that affect the production process. Thus, a whole community of interconnected management processes, enclosed in one dynamic model , was revealed . At the present stage of development, theorists of automatic systems are studying the principles of their construction, as well as the laws of processes that occur inside the finished models. The quality of work, accuracy and flexibility in terms of adapting systems are influenced by such factors as working conditions, the purpose of the device, design features, etc.
Building automation systems
In the process of developing control systems based on automation, the central place is given to the creation of an algorithm of the functional structure. At the first stage of construction, the necessary initial data are collected, among which are the properties of the controlled object, control tasks, the nature of external influences, requirements for control accuracy, etc.
Next, the technical and operational qualities of the controller for controlling automatic systems are studied. The arrangement of this part as a central functional organ resembles a technical actuator that will communicate commands to a managed entity. On this infrastructure, the chain of working elements of the system is closed, the properties of which are determined once at the beginning and can change individual values also in given ranges. This is the basis for the principle of the unchanged structure of the control system. It remains unchanged in the sense that its characteristics are established before the direct construction of the control algorithm.
Compensating effect in automation systems
The compensation principle is laid down in the control system algorithm in order to increase the accuracy of control and reduce the likelihood of errors. The need to implement compensating circuits in the algorithm is associated with the imperfection of direct automatic control. For example, in the process of signaling, the operator can regularly change the configuration of existing commands in accordance with the smallest impacts on the system. Automation, in turn, calculates only limited sets of conditions and the current properties of the object.
How is the work of the automatic control system with the compensation effect built? Possible deviations of the controlled variable from the required values are leveled by acting through feedback. Especially for making such adjustments, control loops are supplemented by auxiliary command lines, which constantly stabilize the dynamic properties of the system. Based on these principles, multi-loop systems with multi-connected control or simultaneous adjustment of several parameters of the target object work.
Automatic Control Classifications
Control systems of this type mainly differ in terms of control purposes, the method of transmitting commands and types of loop communication. Initially, the tasks were set to support certain measurement laws. In this group, we can distinguish software control systems, tracking devices, and other mechanisms that operate strictly according to certain parameters. Today, with the development of intelligent control principles, the tasks of automatic control systems have become more complicated - this can be a whole range of tasks, for the solution of which not only the data entered by the operator are used, but also dynamic readings derived from the algorithms using the values from the associated measuring equipment .
By the methods of command translation and control as a whole, self-tuning, self-organizing and self-learning systems are distinguished. Direct interaction between the components of the control device can be based on analog circuits and modern wireless modules.
Simple and complex automation systems
The difference between the methods of implementing control algorithms allows us to identify fundamental differences in existing automation systems. As a simple example, you can bring the motor speed controller. The control object is a centrifugal controller, the engine itself is controlled, and the control action is carried out through the adjustment of the throttle position. Both the key control task and the principle of its implementation are achieved by the simplest action in the process of controlling the rotation shaft associated with the flywheel mechanism.
The block diagram of the management of complex systems requires during development not only the consideration of theoretical methods of calculation, but also the inclusion of the principles of modeling. Digital computers may be involved , which will allow calculating automatic process control systems of various orders. In addition to direct performance indicators, indirect configuration factors such as coordinate nonlinearity are also taken into account in such configurations. For complex systems, the principles of flexible dynamic control and ensuring the sensitivity of the interaction paths of subsystems are important.
Functional Tasks
As a result of the analysis of management objectives, a set of specific technological functions is formed that can be represented as separate tasks or a set of operations. In general, the elements of a functional action are based on the following tasks:
- Forecasting and planning.
- Control, accounting and analysis.
- Regulation and coordination.
At the lower structural links, the point functional of the automatic control system is implemented - these are operations of the formation of specific effects on the controlled object. In particular, information processing tasks can be represented by the storage, retrieval, display and transformation of data.
Technical support for automatic control
Although the main goal of building automatic controllers is the control functionality, even the simplest systems without fail include measuring and accounting tools. From information sensors, computers and sensors, controllers receive operating data. These are indicators on the basis of which microprocessors, in particular, give commands to executive mechanisms. For example, automatic control of technical systems at the physical level can be implemented through electromagnetic devices with elements of shutoff valves. A wider coverage are electromotive actuators that control the operation of equipment, units and various equipment.
Automation Maintenance
Supporting a healthy or operational state of the elements of the control complex is impossible without timely maintenance. This is a set of preventive and repair measures, which is approved by the system designer or the chief engineer at the operating enterprise. In most cases, the maintenance of automatic control systems involves the following activities:
- Checking the external state of equipment and mechanical units.
- Cleaning equipment without opening and installation.
- Functional check of locking mechanisms and grounding.
- Checking the reliability of the fixing nodes - mounting brackets, clamping elements, hardware, connecting connectors and coupling halves.
- Checking the status of electrical power sources.
- Repair, replacement or restoration of damaged parts of the complex.
Training of automatic control and management systems
Changing the working conditions of most systems in the modern world necessitates the creation of models for their adaptation. Of course, similar tasks can be performed manually, but this approach contradicts the very concept of automatic control. Therefore, new theories of learning, adaptation and self-organization of controlling systems are being created. The most promising areas in this area include feedback systems, pattern recognition devices, and the theory of artificial intelligence. The principles of training in each of these cases are combined by the fact that the system independently chooses the tactics for further actions based on a wide range of data on its condition - today information about temperature, humidity, vibration, etc., has become standard.
Conclusion
The goals set by the developers of modern control and management devices have gone far beyond the simple tasks of self-regulation of mechanisms. In the current sense, a promising automatic control system is a multifunctional complex capable of fulfilling design tasks and serving collective communication processes between groups of employees. Such systems require considerable costs for implementation and further training, but the reduction in production costs already in the process of operation justifies such investments. Another thing is that in some areas automatic learning systems are ready to offer opportunities for which there is as yet no sufficient demand.