Demonstration of the internal model principle by digital repetitive control of an educational laboratory plant

A key topic in classical control theory is the Internal Model Principle (IMP). A particular case of the IMP for tracking periodic references or attenuating periodic disturbances in closed-loop control systems is a technique called repetitive control. This work proposes and describes an educational laboratory plant to show the students the advantages of repetitive controllers in systems with periodic references or disturbances. The plant has been designed to be low cost, easy to build, and subject to periodic disturbances with a clear physical explanation. More specifically, it consists of a pulsewidth modulation (PWM) electronic amplifier, a small dc motor, and a magnetic setup that generates a periodic load torque under constant mechanical speed operation. The control objective for the closed-loop control system is to regulate the mechanical speed to a constant value in spite of the periodic load torque disturbance. In order to accomplish this performance specification, a detailed design of a digital repetitive controller is presented, and some basic experimental results are provided to prove its good behavior. The paper also includes some repetitive control concepts and facts that teaching experience shows as essential to understand the design process.