Research ArticleA simple nonlinear PD controller for integrating processes

•A simple nonlinear PD controller is proposed with an online gain modification scheme.•The proposed gain adjustment scheme is based on the current process trend.•Performance of the proposed controller is compared with a large number of PID tuning rules for IPD and FOIPD processes.•Effectiveness of the proposed scheme is tested on a laboratory scale servo position control system.

Many industrial processes are found to be integrating in nature, for which widely used Ziegler-Nichols tuned PID controllers usually fail to provide satisfactory performance due to excessive overshoot with large settling time. Although, IMC (Internal Model Control) based PID controllers are capable to reduce the overshoot, but little improvement is found in the load disturbance response. Here, we propose an auto-tuning proportional-derivative controller (APD) where a nonlinear gain updating factor α continuously adjusts the proportional and derivative gains to achieve an overall improved performance during set point change as well as load disturbance. The value of α is obtained by a simple relation based on the instantaneous values of normalized error (eN) and change of error (ΔeN) of the controlled variable. Performance of the proposed nonlinear PD controller (APD) is tested and compared with other PD and PID tuning rules for pure integrating plus delay (IPD) and first-order integrating plus delay (FOIPD) processes. Effectiveness of the proposed scheme is verified on a laboratory scale servo position control system.