On-Line PI Controller Tuning Using Closed-Loop Setpoint Response

The proposed method is similar to the Ziegler-Nichols (1942) tuning method, but it is faster to use and does not require the system to approach instability with sustained oscillations. The method requires one closed-loop step setpoint response experiment using a proportional only controller with gain Kc0. Based on simulations for a range of first-order with delay processes, simple correlations have been derived to give PI controller settings similar to those of the SIMC tuning rules (Skogestad, 2003). The controller gain (Kc/Kc0) is only a function of the overshoot observed in the setpoint experiment whereas the controller integral time (τI) is mainly a function of the time to reach the peak (tp). Importantly, the method includes a detuning factor F that allows the user to adjust the final closed-loop response time and robustness. The proposed tuning method, originally derived for first-order with delay processes, has been tested on a wide range of other processes typical for process control applications and the results are comparable with the SIMC tunings using the open-loop model.