Loop Tuning Procedures

Objectives

At the end of this unit, the trainee will be

able to explain the importance of
instrument tuning and identify tuning
methods.
Introduction – PID controller

▪ PID controllers are most widely used

automatic industrial controllers.
▪ In process industries, most of the
control loops (typically 90-95 percent)
are of PID type.
Introduction – PID controller

➢ These controllers receive inputs from

sensors, meters, etc. and depending
on PID control function they deliver
output control signals to the
controlled or manipulating devices
such as relays, actuators, etc.
➢ These are the most common form of
feedback systems and become a
standard tool for precise control
applications.
Introduction – PID controller

PID controller
➢ calculates an “error” (difference
between a measured process
variable and the desired set-point
value) needed by the application.
➢ will attempt to minimize the process
error by continually adjusting the
inputs.

P controller

I controller

D controller
Introduction – Key terms

➢ The process: It is the system to be

controlled
➢ The process variable: It is the
quantity to be measured and
controlled
➢ Sensor or transmitter: It is a device
that measures process variable
➢ The Controller: It decides the control
variable in order to bring the process
variable as close as to the set point.

Yokogawa EJA110E
Differential Pressure
Transmitter
Introduction – Key terms

➢ Final Control Element: It is a device

that directly manipulates the
manipulating variable to control over
the process.
➢ Manipulating Variable: It is the
quantity which can be directly altered
to control over the process variable.

Final Control Element

PID controller

A PID controller is a three-term controller

that has

1. proportional,
2. integral and
3. derivative control coefficients.

It is named after its three correcting

terms and its sum produce a control
action for manipulating variable.
PID controller

▪ It measures the output of a process

and controls the input by maintaining
the output at a desired value (also
called as set point).
▪ A PID controller can be implemented
by analog circuitry or by
microprocessor technology.
▪ Practically, most of modern PID
controllers are designed based on
microprocessor technology.
How PID Controller Works

▪ The proportional term applies

appropriate proportional changes for
error (which is the difference between
the set point and process variable) to
the control output.
▪ In fact, many control applications
work quite well with only proportional
control.
How PID Controller Works

▪ The integral term examines the

process variable over time and offset
of set point and then corrects the
output if necessary.

▪ Derivative control monitors the rate

of change of process variable and
accordingly changes the output when
there are unusual changes.

▪ Each parameter of three control

functions is adjusted by user to get
the desired performance from the
process.
Proportional, P Action

▪ It is the most common of all industrial

process control action.
▪ It calculates the difference between
the process variable signal and the
set point signal, which is called as an
error.
▪ Error is the measure of how far a
process variable is deviating from a
set point and it can be calculated
either as SP – PV or PV – SP
depending on whether controller will
be direct acting or reverse action.
Proportional, P Action

▪ This direction of action is determined

by the process, sensing device and
final control element.
▪ The output of the proportional
controller is the multiplication of error
signal by a constant (also called as
gain).

𝑚 = 𝐾𝑝 𝑒 + 𝑏
Proportional, P Action

▪ If the error is greater, the greater will

be the controller output and as long
as the error remains, it continues to
generate corrective effort.
▪ As the error is zero, it produces zero
output (if no bias is added at output).
Proportional, P Action

▪ If the controller gain is increased, it

moves the output so rapidly for any
given change in PV or SP.
▪ However, too much control gain can
result unstable control system.
▪ As a result, there exists a steady
state error between the set point and
the process variable.
Integral, I Action
▪ It is the process of accumulating the
process variable value as the time
progress.
▪ Integral action decides how fast to
move the output.
▪ This is mainly used to eliminate
steady state error of the system.

1
𝑚 = 𝐾𝑝 𝑒 + න 𝑒𝑑𝑡 + 𝑏
𝜏𝑖
Integral, I Action

▪ In this, controller output depends on

the integral of error signal over time.
▪ If the integral term is added to the
control equation, then the equation
becomes

1
𝑚 = 𝐾𝑝 𝑒 + න 𝑒𝑑𝑡 + 𝑏
𝜏𝑖

▪ Here the integration symbol indicates

that the controller will accumulate
multiple products of error over a small
time dt.
Integral, I Action
▪ When an error signal appears, the
controller acts such that the
proportional control signal returns the
process to the desired control point
and it is fast acting and immediate.
▪ If there is any deviation between set
point and process variable, an
addition corrective signal is supplied
by the integral control mode function
till steady state error becomes zero.
Integral, I Action

▪ At this situation, controller holds the

previous value to maintain final
control device such that zero steady
state error is achieved.
▪ The steady state performance is
improved by decreasing the integral
gain Ki.
▪ Most of the industrial process
controllers are designed to operate
proportional plus integral control to
achieve an improved steady state
response.
Derivative, D Action
▪ This action senses the rate of change
of process variable and then applies
the corrective action at a proportional
rate of change.
▪ It looks at how fast the process
variable changes per unit time and
takes action proportional to its rate of
change.
▪ This is also called as anticipatory
action because it moves the control
valve in such a direction as to
counteract the rapid change of
process variable.
Derivative, D Action
▪ The output of derivative action is the
product of derivative constant and the
rate of change of error with respect to
time.
▪ If this term is added to PI controller
then the equation becomes:

1 𝑑𝑒
𝑚 = 𝐾𝑝 𝑒 + න 𝑒𝑑𝑡 + 𝜏𝑑 +𝑏
𝜏𝑖 𝑑𝑡
 Derivative, D Action

▪ In order to avoid the extreme increase

of control output for sudden change of
set points, many PID controllers offer
derivative response based on the rate
of change process variable only, rather
than error (SP-PV or PV-SP).
▪ By combining all three actions describe
above, a PID action is obtained.
Derivative, D Action
▪ Depending on the parameter setting in
PID equation (i.e., Kp, Ki and Kd), it
produces the control output to make
the correction promptly and accurately
to the set point value.
▪ The response curve for the PID
controller is shown in figure.

𝑡
𝑑
𝑚 = 𝐾𝑝 𝑒 𝑡 + 𝐾𝑖 න 𝑒 𝑡 𝑑𝑡 + 𝐾𝑑 𝑒(𝑡)
0 𝑑𝑡
 Loop Tuning

Tuning a PID controller involves the control

of four variables:
▪ Rise time: the amount of time
necessary for the system’s initial output
to rise past 90% of its desired value
▪ Overshoot: the amount by which the
initial response exceeds the set-point
value
Loop Tuning

▪ Resolving time: the amount of time

required by the system to converge to
the set-point value.
▪ Steady-state error: the measured
difference between the system output
and the set-point value
 Loop Tuning

▪ The goal of a PID controller is to take

an input value and maintain it at a given
set-point over time.
▪ But if the values for the three loops of a
PID controller are chosen incorrectly,
the system will become unstable
through any one of a number of failure
modes.
▪ The process of tuning a controller
involves adjusting its control
parameters—proportional band, integral
gain and derivative gain—in response
to a given input until the desired
response is attained.
Loop Tuning
Before deciding on a tuning strategy, it is
essential to understand how changing
the gain, integral and derivative loops
will affect the system as a whole.

Variable Rise Time Oversho Resolving Steady- System

Change ot Time State Error Stability
Change
Increase Decrease Increase Small Decrease Decrease
Kp Decrease
Increase Small Increase Increase Large Decrease
Ki Decrease Increase
Increase Small Decrease Decrease Minor Increase
Kd Decrease effect for small
value Kd
Decrease Increase Decrease Small Increase Increase
Kp Increase
Decrease Small Decrease Decrease Large Increase
Ki Decrease Decrease
Loop Tuning Methods

Three Typical Methods for Tuning a PID Controller

Method Advantage Disadvantage
Manual No math Requires
required; experience in
Online option controller tuning
available
Ziegler-Nichols Proven method; Some process
Online option upsetting
available involved; can be a
very aggressive
tuning method
Software Consistent tuning Acquisition costs
options available; of software (such
multiple valve as MATLAB) can
and sensor inputs be prohibitive for
can be simulated some
and tested before organizations;
applying to software training
application required
Manual tuning
Manual tuning is best used when a system
must remain online during the tuning
process. The four step process is as
follows:

1. Set Ki and Kd to zero

2. Increase Kp until the loop output
begins to oscillate at a constant rate
3. Reduce Kp to one-half of this value to
obtain a quarter-wave decay
4. Increase Ki to adjust the behavior of
the offset so that the system will
resolve in an acceptable amount of
time(governed by the process in
question)
Manual tuning

▪ Note that increasing the integral gain

by too great an amount will cause
system instability.
▪ The derivative gain should then be
adjusted until the system resolves to
its set-point value with acceptable
alacrity after experiencing a load
disturbance.
▪ This is simulated with a step doublet
or “stick rap”—a step input from 0 to
one, followed by a step input from
one to 0—or with the sinusoidal or
ramp input equivalents.
Manual tuning

▪ Note that a fast PID loop will usually

require a slight overshoot to resolve
to the set-point more quickly.
▪ But if the system cannot accept an
overshoot, an over-damped system
will be required.
▪ In these instances the Kp value will
be less than half of the value causing
oscillation.
Ziegler-Nichols tuning - Ultimate
▪ The integral and derivative gain
values are first set to zero.
▪ The proportional gain is then
increased from zero until the system
reaches an oscillatory state*.
▪ This proportional gain value should be
marked Ku or ultimate gain.

Kp = Ku = Ultimate Gain, Tu = Ultimate Period

Ziegler-Nichols tuning- Ultimate

▪ The system’s oscillatory period at this

gain value should also be marked Tu,
or ultimate period.
▪ These two ultimate values are then
used to set the proportional, integral
and derivative gain values.

Ziegler – Nichols Tuning Values

Ultimate Method
Control Type Kp Ki Kd
P 0.5 Ku - -
PI 0.45 Ku 1.2 𝐾𝑝 -
𝑇𝑢

PID 0.6 Ku 2 𝐾𝑝 𝐾𝑝 𝑇𝑢
𝑇𝑢 8
Ziegler-Nichols tuning- Ultimate

Step Response for System Tuned via the Ultimate Method

Ziegler – Nichols Tuning Values

Ultimate Method
Control Type Kp τi τd
P 0.5 Ku ∞ 0
PI 0.45 Ku 𝑇𝑢 0
1.2

PID 0.6 Ku 𝑇𝑢 𝑇𝑢
2 8
Ziegler-Nichols tuning- Ultimate
Limitation
▪ It will permit some fluctuation in the
controller response as long as each
successive oscillation peak is no
more than one-fourth the amplitude of
the previous peak or, the so-called,
“quarter-wave decay.”
▪ Applications requiring less fluctuation
or a faster resolving time will require
further tuning.
𝒙
𝟏
𝟒
𝒙

PV
%
SP

Time
Ziegler-Nichols tuning- Reaction curve
▪ This tuning method is used for plant
models with step response
resembling an S-shaped curve (or
“reaction curve”), with no overshoot.
▪ This is ideally suited for processes
that cannot tolerate overshoot or
oscillations.
Process
Step Input
response
Plant

Tangent line at inflection point

Reaction curve used for Ziegler-Nichols tuning

Ziegler-Nichols tuning- Reaction curve
▪ The delay time L and constant time T
are found by drawing a tangent line to
the reaction curve through its inflection
point and finding the intersection
points with the time axis and the
setpoint line.
▪ Once these intercepts are determined,
Kp, Ki, Kd values are calculated.
Ziegler – Nichols Tuning Values
Reaction Curve Method
Control Type Kp Ki Kd
P 𝑇ൗ ∞ 0
𝐿

PI 0.9 𝑇ൗ𝐿 0.27 𝑇ൗ𝐿2 0

PID 1.2 𝑇ൗ𝐿 0.6 𝑇ൗ𝐿2 0.6 T

Ziegler-Nichols tuning- Reaction curve
▪ The parameters in Table will give a
system response with an overshoot of
approximately 25%, and the system
will resolve to the set-point value
within polynomial time.

Ziegler – Nichols Tuning Values

Reaction Curve Method
Control Type Kp τi τd
P 𝑇ൗ ∞ 0
𝐿

PI 0.9 𝑇ൗ𝐿 3.33 𝐿 0

PID 1.2 𝑇ൗ𝐿 2𝐿 0.5 𝐿

Ziegler-Nichols’ Reaction curve tuning
method is ideally suited for processes that
cannot tolerate overshoot or oscillations.

TRUE FALSE

Increasing Integral gain will increase the

stability of the system.

TRUE FALSE

In Manual tuning method, you set Ki and

Kd to zero and increase Kp until the loop
output begins to oscillate at a constant
rate.

TRUE FALSE
Two ultimate values required for Ziegler-
Nichols’ Ultimate tuning method are
ultimate gain and dead time.
TRUE FALSE

Derivative action senses the rate of change

of process variable and accordingly
changes the output when there are unusual
changes.
TRUE FALSE

Increasing Proportional gain will decrease

the steady-state error.

TRUE FALSE