Control System | Closed Loop Open Loop

Control System
When a number of elements are combined together to form a system
to produce desired output then the system is referred to as control
system. As this system controls the output, it is so referred. Each
element connected to the system has its own effect on the output.

Definition of Control System

A control system is a system of devices or set of devices, that manages,
commands, directs or regulates the behavior of other devices or
systems to achieve desired results. In other words, the definition of a
control system can be simplified as a system, which controls other
systems. As the human civilization is being modernized day by day
the demand for automation is increasing accordingly. Automation
highly requires control of devices.

In recent years, control systems have played a central role in the

development and advancement of modern technology and
civilization. Practically every aspect of our day-to-day life is affected
less or more by some control system. A bathroom toilet tank, a
refrigerator, an air conditioner, a geezer, an automatic iron, an
automobile all are control system. These systems are also used in
industrial processes for more output. We find control systems in the
quality control of products, weapons system, transportation systems,
power system, space technology, robotics and many more. The
principles of control theory are applicable to both engineering and
non-engineering field.

Features of a Control System

The main feature of a control system is that there should be a clear
mathematical relationship between input and output of the system.
When the relation between input and output of the system can be
represented by a linear proportionality, the system is called a linear
control system. Again when the relationship between input and
output cannot be represented by single linear proportionality, rather
the input and output are related by some non-linear relation, the
system is referred to as a non-linear control system.

Requirements of a Good Control System

Accuracy: Accuracy is the measurement tolerance of the instrument
and defines the limits of the errors made when the instrument is used
in normal operating conditions. Accuracy can be improved by using
feedback elements. To increase the accuracy of any control system
error detector should be present in the control system.

Sensitivity: The parameters of a control system are always changing

with the change in surrounding conditions, internal disturbance or
any other parameters. This change can be expressed in terms of
sensitivity. Any control system should be insensitive to such
parameters but sensitive to input signals only.

Noise: An undesired input signal is known as noise. A good control

system should be able to reduce the noise effect for better
performance.

Stability: It is an important characteristic of the control system. For the

bounded input signal, the output must be bounded and if the input is
zero then output must be zero then such a control system is said to be
a stable system.

Bandwidth: An operating frequency range decides the bandwidth of

the control system. Bandwidth should be as large as possible for the
frequency response of good control system.

Speed: It is the time taken by the control system to achieve its stable
output. A good control system possesses high speed. The transient
period for such system is very small.
Oscillation: A small numbers of oscillation or constant oscillation of
output tend to indicate the system to be stable.

Types of Control Systems

There are various types of control systems, but all of them are created
to control outputs. The system used for controlling the position,
velocity, acceleration, temperature, pressure, voltage and current etc.
are examples of control systems.

Let us take an example of the simple temperature controller of the

room, to clear the concept. Suppose there is a simple heating element,
which is heated up as long as the electric power supply is switched on.
As long as the power supply switch of the heater is on the
temperature of the room rises and after achieving the desired
temperature of the room, the power supply is switched off. Again due
to ambient temperature, the room temperature falls and then
manually the heater element is switched on to achieve the desired
room temperature again. In this way, one can manually control the
room temperature at the desired level. This is an example of manual
control system.

This system can further be improved by using timer switching

arrangement of the power supply where the supply to the heating
element is switched on and off in a predetermined interval to achieve
desired temperature level of the room. There is another improved
way of controlling the temperature of the room. Here one sensor
measures the difference between actual temperature and desired
temperature. If there is any difference between them, the heating
element functions to reduce the difference and when the difference
becomes lower than a predetermined level, the heating elements stop
functioning.

Both forms of the system are automatic control system. In former one,
the input of the system is entirely independent of the output of the
system. The temperature of the room (output) increases as long as the
power supply switch is kept on. That means heating element
produces heat as long as the power supply is kept on and final room
temperature does not have any control over the input power supply
of the system. This system is referred as open loop control system.
But in the latter case, the heating elements of the system function,
depending upon the difference between, actual temperature and
desired temperature. This difference is called the error of the system.
This error signal is fed back to the system to control the input. As the
input to the output path and the error feedback path create a closed
loop, this type of control system is referred to as a closed loop control
system.
Hence, there are two main types of control system. They are as follow

1. Open loop control system

2. Closed loop control system
Open Loop Control System
A control system in which the control action is totally independent of
output of the system then it is called open loop control system. A
manual control system is also an open loop control system. The figure
below shows a control system block diagram of an open loop control
system in which process output is totally independent of the
controller action.

Practical Examples of Open Loop Control System

1. Electric Hand Drier – Hot air (output) comes out as long as you
keep your hand under the machine, irrespective of how much
your hand is dried.
2. Automatic Washing Machine – This machine runs according to
the pre-set time irrespective of washing is completed or not.
 3. Bread Toaster – This machine runs as per adjusted time
irrespective of toasting is completed or not.
4. Automatic Tea/Coffee Maker – These machines also function
for pre adjusted time only.
5. Timer Based Clothes Drier – This machine dries wet clothes for
pre-adjusted time, it does not matter how much the clothes are
dried.
6. Light Switch – Lamps glow whenever light switch is on
irrespective of light is required or not.
7. Volume on Stereo System – Volume is adjusted manually
irrespective of output volume level.
Advantages of Open Loop Control System

1. Simple in construction and design.

2. Economical.
3. Easy to maintain.
4. Generally stable.
5. Convenient to use as output is difficult to measure.
Disadvantages of Open Loop Control System

1. They are inaccurate.

2. They are unreliable.
3. Any change in output cannot be corrected automatically.
Closed Loop Control System
Control system in which the output has an effect on the input
quantity in such a manner that the input quantity will adjust itself
based on the output generated is called closed loop control system.
Open loop control system can be converted in to closed loop control
system by providing a feedback. This feedback automatically makes
the suitable changes in the output due to external disturbance. In this
way closed loop control system is called automatic control system.
Figure below shows the block diagram of closed loop control system
in which feedback is taken from output and fed in to input.

Practical Examples of Closed Loop Control System

1. Automatic Electric Iron – Heating elements are controlled by

output temperature of the iron.
2. Servo Voltage Stabilizer – Voltage controller operates
depending upon output voltage of the system.
3. Water Level Controller – Input water is controlled by water
level of the reservoir.
4. Missile Launched and Auto Tracked by Radar – The direction
of missile is controlled by comparing the target and position of
the missile.
5. An Air Conditioner – An air conditioner functions depending
upon the temperature of the room.
6. Cooling System in Car – It operates depending upon the
temperature which it controls.
Advantages of Closed Loop Control System

1. Closed loop control systems are more accurate even in the

presence of non-linearity.
2. Highly accurate as any error arising is corrected due to
presence of feedback signal.
3. Bandwidth range is large.
4. Facilitates automation.
5. The sensitivity of system may be made small to make system
more stable.
6. This system is less affected by noise.
Disadvantages of Closed Loop Control System
 1. They are costlier.
2. They are complicated to design.
3. Required more maintenance.
4. Feedback leads to oscillatory response.
5. Overall gain is reduced due to presence of feedback.
6. Stability is the major problem and more care is needed to
design a stable closed loop system.
Comparison of Closed Loop And Open Loop Control
System

Sr.
N Open loop control system Closed loop control system
o.

The feedback element is The feedback element is

1
absent. always present.

An error detector is not An error detector is always

2
present. present.

3 It is stable one. It may become unstable.

4 Easy to construct. Complicated construction.

5 It is an economical. It is costly.

6 Having small bandwidth. Having large bandwidth.

7 It is inaccurate. It is accurate.

8 Less maintenance. More maintenance.

9 It is unreliable. It is reliable.

Examples: Hand drier, tea Examples: Servo voltage

10
maker stabilizer, perspiration

Feedback Loop of Control System

A feedback is a common and powerful tool when designing a control
system. Feedback loop is the tool which take the system output into
consideration and enables the system to adjust its performance to
meet a desired result of system.
In any control system, the output is affected due to change in
environmental condition or any kind of disturbance. So one signal is
taken from the output and is fed back to the input. This signal is
compared with a reference input and the error signal is generated.
This error signal is applied to controller and output is corrected. Such
a system is called feedback system. The figure below shows the block
diagram of a feedback system.

When the feedback signal is positive then system called positive

feedback system. For positive feedback system, the error signal is the
addition of reference input signal and a feedback signal. When the
feedback signal is negative then the system is called negative
feedback system. For negative feedback system, the error signal is
given by the difference of reference input signal and the feedback
signal.

Effect of Feedback

Refer figure beside, which represents feedback system where

R = Input signal
E = Error signal
G = Forward path gain
H = Feedback
C = Output signal
B = Feedback signal

1. Error between system input and system output is reduced.

2. System gain is reduced by a factor 1/(1±GH).
3. Improvement in sensitivity.
4. Stability may be affected.
5. Improve the speed of response.