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Session 3548

Engineering Technology Feedback Control Laboratory at University of Central Florida Alireza Rahrooh University of Central Florida

Abstract

Closed-loop feedback control system is an important component of a well-rounded engineering technology program However, since feedback control systems tends to be a rather complex topic, students react positively to hands-on experiments that assist them visualize control systems in practical situations. and, in today’s technology, utilizing and integrating computers within the control loop is essential. An innovative feedback control laboratory has been developed in the department of engineering technology at University of Central Florida to fill this need. The laboratory is equipped with some of the most frequently used control systems in engineering and industry. It is designed to bridge the gap between theory and real-life problems, and to give the students valuable hands-on experience which helps them better prepared for their careers. A number of practical feedback control system experiments are being developed that will allow students an opportunity to develop appropriate transfer functions and control programs for closed-loop system with a computer in the loop.

Introduction

The Department of Engineering Technology at University of Central Florida has been involved in teaching control feedback concepts since its inception. Over the yeas this commitment has evolved into a four-credit upper division course, EET4732. This course introduces analog control systems with the following topics; mathematical modeling and simulation, time and frequency response, stability analysis, analog controller design and implementation, and an introduction to 1 digital control systems in view of greater flexibility of a digital controller . This course was originally taught in a traditional, lecture oriented fashion due to the lack of laboratory equipment. This traditional approach of teaching control systems ignores the gap between theory and reality. No matter what illustrated examples used in text books or lectures, students are only exposed to equations, matrices, block diagrams, frequency response, and signal flow graphs. Even simple systems, such as a single-input, single-output DC motor can be abstract when described only on mathematical terms. Not only do demonstrations and experiments help students better comprehend theoretical concepts, they allow more realistic situation to be examined and understood. Furthermore, control-system hardware under computer control is a necessary component of a student’s educational experience while learning about control systems. To accomplish this objective, the following were considered essential ingredients for the EET4732 control feedback laboratory: i) A variety of different types of feedback control system setups are needed to expose students to a broad range of control-system requirements and approaches, etc. ii) As previously mentioned, each system should be under the control of a computer. iii) Each system must provide physical and visual output so that students can easily see and understand the performance and effects of changing control algorithms. iv) Because of limited funds, each system must be economical and relatively easy to develop. v) Each system must be easy and fun to use,

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Rahrooh, A. (1998, June), Engineering Technology Feedback Control Laboratory At University Of Central Florida Paper presented at 1998 Annual Conference, Seattle, Washington. 10.18260/1-2--7098