Closed loop MBS identification in auto-tuning temperature control

The authors propose a method of choosing the structure and parameters of a temperature controller for a furnace. During multifrequency binary signal (MBS) identification, this powerful identification method can be applied in closed loop thermal systems. Compensation of the thermal nonstationarity of the furnace gives an opportunity to carry out the identification experiment just after the temperature set point has been reached. The MBS identification experiment carried out on the closed loop furnace does not change the temperature set point but only sightly disturbs the process in the arbitrarily assumed way. Simultaneously this method provides rich information about the process in the form of a few points of its frequency response. The algorithms described show that the MBS identification method is ideally suited for auto-tuning temperature controllers as they provide a high accuracy in the determination of the process dynamics. This allows correct values of the controller settings to be chosen.