Timed Two-Position Control - Honeywell AUTOMATIC CONTROL SI Edition Engineering Manual

CONTROL FUNDAMENTALS
Figure 22 shows a sample control loop for basic two-position
control: a thermostat turning a furnace burner on or off in
response to space temperature. Because the thermostat cannot
catch up with fluctuations in temperature, overshoot and
undershoot enable the temperature to vary, sometimes
considerably. Certain industrial processes and auxiliary
processes in air conditioning have small system lags and can
use two-position control satisfactorily.
THERMOSTAT
SOLENOID
GAS VALVE
Fig. 22. Basic Two-Position Control Loop.

Timed Two-Position Control

GENERAL
The ideal method of controlling the temperature in a space is
to replace lost heat or displace gained heat in exactly the amount
needed. With basic two-position control, such exact operation
is impossible because the heating or cooling system is either
full on or full off and the delivery at any specific instant is
either too much or too little. Timed two-position control,
however, anticipates requirements and delivers measured
quantities of heating or cooling on a percentage on-time basis
to reduce control point fluctuations. The timing is accomplished
by a heat anticipator in electric controls and by a timer in
electronic and digital controls.
In timed two-position control, the basic interaction between
the controller and the final control element is the same as for
basic two-position control. However, the controller responds
to gradual changes in the average value of the controlled variable
rather than to cyclical fluctuations.
Overshoot and undershoot are reduced or eliminated because
the heat anticipation or time proportioning feature results in a
faster cycling rate of the mechanical equipment. The result is
closer control of the variable than is possible in basic two-
position control (Fig. 23).
FURNACE
C2715
18
BASIC TWO-POSITION CONTROL
23.5
23
TEMPERATURE
( C)
22.5
22
OFF
ON
21.5
21
20.5
20
TIMED TWO-POSITION CONTROL
23.5
23
TEMPERATURE
( C)
22.5
OFF 22
ON
21.5
21
20.5
20
Fig. 23. Comparison of Basic Two-Position
and Timed Two-Position Control.
HEAT ANTICIPATION
In electromechanical control, timed two-position control can
be achieved by adding a heat anticipator to a bimetal sensing
element. In a heating system, the heat anticipator is connected
so that it energizes whenever the bimetal element calls for heat.
On a drop in temperature, the sensing element acts to turn on
both the heating system and the heat anticipator. The heat
anticipator heats the bimetal element to its off point early and
deenergizes the heating system and the heat anticipator. As the
ambient temperature falls, the time required for the bimetal
element to heat to the off point increases, and the cooling time
decreases. Thus, the heat anticipator automatically changes the
ratio of on time to off time as a function of ambient temperature.
ENGINEERING MANUAL OF AUTOMATIC CONTROL
OVERSHOOT
CONDITION
DIAL SETTING
DIFFERENTIAL
UNDERSHOOT
CONDITION
TIME
CONTROL
POINT
TIME
C3973