Block 3 - lecture 2

Question 1

CSA?

Answer 1

control system architecture

Question 2

Process of simple control system?

Answer 2

• desired behaviour entered into controller as reference value
• controller gives an input to the system
• actual behaviour is sent back to the controller

Question 3

modern name for industrial dynamics?

Answer 3

System Dynamics (SD)

Question 4

Control System Architecture?

Answer 4

the way in which a system controls a variable, inc…

• structure of information flow
• components used
• what’s being controlled and where

Question 5

Different ways information flow can be structured in a control system architecture?

Answer 5

• centralised (one main controller)
• hierarchical
• distributed / heterarchical (many controllers working together

Question 6

what sorts of decision making do each structure favour?

Answer 6

Fully hierarchical - long term
Fully heterarchical - short term
semi heterarchical - mix
centralised - neither long and short

Question 7

example of centralised control being bad?

Answer 7

Jutland - very centralised leadership, “defeated” by the smaller german fleet

Question 8

Why are some control system architectures slower to respond than others?

Answer 8

• takes time for information to be transferred between agents
• some structures (ie.hierarchical) have more agents between input and output

Question 9

example of decentralised control

Answer 9

-railway signal boxes (many around the country controlling the tracks around them)

Question 10

advantages and disadvantages of centralised control?

Answer 10

\+simple
\+optimal
-expensive
-sensitive to disruptions
-not flexible
-slow

Question 11

advantages and disadvantages of hierarchical control?

Answer 11

+simple coding
+near optimal
-dynamic response

Question 12

advantages and disadvantages of heterarchical / distributed control?

Answer 12

\+responsive
\+flexible
\+robust
\+reconfigurable
-sub-optimal
-short term