Ed Bullerdiek

Articles

PID, APC September 17, 2024

PID spotlight, part 8: Closed-loop tuning for self-limiting processes

Closed-loop tuning can be used to tune a PID loop. How is it done? What data do I collect? What calculations are required? How well will it work? What problems might I run into? See “How to execute a closed-loop test in four steps” and two warnings.

By Ed Bullerdiek
PID, APC August 14, 2024

PID spotlight, part 7: Open-loop tuning of a self-limiting process

Tuning a new PID controller begins with an open loop step test. What are the steps? What data do I collect? What calculations are required? How well will it work? What problems might I run into? Also see three tips and two limits.

By Ed Bullerdiek
PID, APC July 16, 2024

PID spotlight, part 6: Deadtime? How to boost controller performance anyway

Lengthy deadtime adversely affects the PID control of any process. Knowing the process lag/deadtime ratio will tell how well (or not) a PID controller will work. Can your PID controller be a hero? See “Quick-start PID tuning tips to tune many controllers quickly” and 10 graphs to help.

By Ed Bullerdiek
PID, APC June 3, 2024

PID spotlight, part 5: What does good and bad controller tuning look like?

PID controllers have visual cues that you can use to identify performance problems. Improperly set controller gain, integral, and derivative offer unique patterns that you can use to guide your efforts to improve controller performance. See seven takeaways for better PID tuning.

By Ed Bullerdiek
PID, APC May 8, 2024

PID spotlight, part 4: How to balance PID control for a self-limiting process

Control of a self-limiting process with a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller begins with learning the role of controller gain, integral and derivative in controlling the self-limiting process. Controller gain responds to the present, integral corrects based on the past, and derivative can be used to best-guess the future.

By Ed Bullerdiek
PID, APC April 8, 2024

PID spotlight, part 3: How to select one of four process responses

Tuning a PID controller begins with identifying the process type. The process type determines the rules and methodology used to tune the PID controller.

By Ed Bullerdiek
PID, APC March 12, 2024

PID spotlight, part 2: Know these 13 terms, interactions

Learning proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller tuning begins with the basics: Definition of terms, the PID equation (multiple forms) and seeing how each of the PID terms functions independently from each other and separated from a process.

By Ed Bullerdiek
Courtesy: Ed Bullerdiek, retired control engineer
PID, APC January 29, 2024

Three reasons to tune control loops: Safety, profit, energy efficiency

PID controller tuning is a keystone skill for control practitioners that is often given short shrift. What is the justification for investing in this critical skill? Why tune control loops?

By Ed Bullerdiek
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