Forklift Control Valve - The first automatic control systems were being utilized over two thousand years ago. In Alexandria Egypt, the ancient Ktesibios water clock constructed in the third century is believed to be the first feedback control equipment on record. This particular clock kept time by regulating the water level in a vessel and the water flow from the vessel. A popular design, this successful device was being made in a similar way in Baghdad when the Mongols captured the city in 1258 A.D.
Through history, a variety of automatic devices have been utilized in order to simply entertain or to accomplish specific tasks. A common European design in the 17th and 18th centuries was the automata. This machine was an example of "open-loop" control, consisting dancing figures which will repeat the same job repeatedly.
Feedback or otherwise known as "closed-loop" automatic control machines comprise the temperature regulator found on a furnace. This was developed in 1620 and attributed to Drebbel. One more example is the centrifugal fly ball governor developed in 1788 by James Watt and used for regulating the speed of steam engines.
The Maxwell electromagnetic field equations, discovered by J.C. Maxwell wrote a paper in the year 1868 "On Governors," which was able to describing the exhibited by the fly ball governor. To explain the control system, he used differential equations. This paper exhibited the usefulness and importance of mathematical models and methods in relation to comprehending complex phenomena. It even signaled the start of systems theory and mathematical control. Previous elements of control theory had appeared earlier by not as dramatically and as convincingly as in Maxwell's analysis.
New developments in mathematical techniques and new control theories made it possible to more precisely control more dynamic systems as opposed to the initial model fly ball governor. These updated techniques comprise various developments in optimal control in the 1950s and 1960s, followed by advancement in robust, stochastic, adaptive and optimal control techniques during the 1970s and the 1980s.
New applications and technology of control methodology have helped make cleaner auto engines, cleaner and more efficient chemical methods and have helped make communication and space travel satellites possible.
In the beginning, control engineering was practiced as just a part of mechanical engineering. Control theories were initially studied with electrical engineering for the reason that electrical circuits can simply be described with control theory techniques. Now, control engineering has emerged as a unique discipline.
The first controls had current outputs represented with a voltage control input. To implement electrical control systems, the correct technology was unavailable at that time, the designers were left with less efficient systems and the choice of slow responding mechanical systems. The governor is a really efficient mechanical controller that is still usually utilized by various hydro plants. Eventually, process control systems became accessible before modern power electronics. These process controls systems were usually used in industrial applications and were devised by mechanical engineers making use of hydraulic and pneumatic control devices, a lot of which are still being used at present.
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