Evaluating Performance Limits in FOTD Plant Control*

The paper deals with first order time delayed plant control. It starts with introducing and comparing several alternative approaches comprising PI control and some model based approaches. This comparison focuses on speed of transients and contemplates a possibility of approaching its absolute limits by keeping additional constraints of transient shapes at the plant input and output. When estimating achievable performance limits in nominal situations, we can see an equivalence of several formally originally and possible areas of their application. Then the motivational and educational aspects of managing diversity of considered solutions are discussed. The aim of the experimental phase of this contribution is to demonstrate common points and differences of these approaches by their application to laboratory plant models exhibiting several features typically observed in industrial plants control.