Controller apparatus having improved transient response speed by means of self-tuning variable set point weighting

Abstract

A process control apparatus varies a setpoint weighting factor .beta. according to both an error signal and a measurable dynamic characteristic of the process. The dynamic characteristic is either in terms of the normalized gain or normalized dead time of the process. For a PID controller, an initial value of the initial setpoint weighting factor .beta., a time at which the initial value should be varied, and the new value of the factor are all automatically set by a self-tuning procedure, wherein a processor is programmed to execute a set of correlation formulae which is applicable to a wide range of industrial processes.