Evaluating the Performance of the Well-Known Controller Tuning Methods for the Flow Control Using the Process Model

Controller tuning plays an important role when designing or adjusting a control system. Using a model for that purpose is more convenient than tuning the controller on a real system, especially for the case of remote assistance. It can be performed on model using various methods, therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the performance of the model using available methods for the case study. Flow control is one of the most common processes on board a ship, therefore it is worth evaluating the performances of the model for the ship digital twin applications. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the previously developed transfer function model using common well-known tuning methods, in order to get a clear insight in the model applicability for the purpose of controller tuning and to determine the optimal method for that purpose. By analyzing the response of the system with different controller parameters, it is possible to make a conclusion about the performance of the model, as well as the conclusion about the tuning methods. The results of the evaluation are compared both in Matlab and in a real flow control process on a GUNT 674 flow control unit.