On-line identification of cascade control systems based on half limit cycle data

An on-line identification procedure is presented for cascade control systems in which both inner and outer loop process dynamics are modelled simultaneously by performing a single experiment. Departing from the conventional relay autotuning method where the controller is replaced by a relay, the proposed method is carried out on-line without breaking the closed-loop control. Exact analytical expressions are derived for process model parameters in terms of a few critical parameters of half period data of limit cycle output. Simulation examples are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.