PID controlled propeller RPM

JWBM · February 11, 2020, 12:02

Hello everybody,

after being the silent reader here for a while my time has come

.

Im trying to implement a PID controller in my simulation to adjust the RPM of a propeller. Did somebody knows a tutorial? I cant find something useful for me with the search function.

My plan is to run the solver (interFoam) --> get the Feedback Value ---> start again with the new RPM.

Thanks a lot,
JWBM

sbaffini · February 12, 2020, 05:25

Have you tried with wikipedia? If you haven't had a formal introduction to controls, that could give you a good first start.

The controller itself is quite simple (you even find some pseudocode on wikipedia), it is the tuning part that can be hard and depends from what you want to control.

However, I would suggest to actually run the controller in tandem with the code. That is, let the controller work during one single simulation, if this can be an option. That's how they actually work in real life.

JWBM · February 12, 2020, 07:50

Hi sbaffini, thanks for your reply.

The know how about controllers is not my problem, but implementing a PID controller in a running simulation is. As I am quite new to CFD i have never changed Values automatically during a running simulation.

May you know a good running case/tutorial to start with?

sbaffini · February 12, 2020, 08:56

I have done something similar, in the past, to drive the massflow rate in a turbulent pipe-like geometry with Nek5000. But the point is that, within a specific CFD code, the place where such a controller belongs is highly dependent from what you want to control and how the code is structured.

I suggest to go to the dedicated OpenFOAM forum here, to have better help on this. But I also suggest you to better explain, there, what is your overall problem and what you want to achieve.

February 11, 2020, 12:02	PID controlled propeller RPM	#1
JWBM New Member John Join Date: Feb 2020 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	Hello everybody, after being the silent reader here for a while my time has come . Im trying to implement a PID controller in my simulation to adjust the RPM of a propeller. Did somebody knows a tutorial? I cant find something useful for me with the search function. My plan is to run the solver (interFoam) --> get the Feedback Value ---> start again with the new RPM. Thanks a lot, JWBM

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February 12, 2020, 05:25		#2
sbaffini Senior Member Paolo Lampitella Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Italy Posts: 2,151 Blog Entries: 29 Rep Power: 39	Have you tried with wikipedia? If you haven't had a formal introduction to controls, that could give you a good first start. The controller itself is quite simple (you even find some pseudocode on wikipedia), it is the tuning part that can be hard and depends from what you want to control. However, I would suggest to actually run the controller in tandem with the code. That is, let the controller work during one single simulation, if this can be an option. That's how they actually work in real life.

February 12, 2020, 07:50		#3
JWBM New Member John Join Date: Feb 2020 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	Hi sbaffini, thanks for your reply. The know how about controllers is not my problem, but implementing a PID controller in a running simulation is. As I am quite new to CFD i have never changed Values automatically during a running simulation. May you know a good running case/tutorial to start with?

February 12, 2020, 08:56		#4
sbaffini Senior Member Paolo Lampitella Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Italy Posts: 2,151 Blog Entries: 29 Rep Power: 39	I have done something similar, in the past, to drive the massflow rate in a turbulent pipe-like geometry with Nek5000. But the point is that, within a specific CFD code, the place where such a controller belongs is highly dependent from what you want to control and how the code is structured. I suggest to go to the dedicated OpenFOAM forum here, to have better help on this. But I also suggest you to better explain, there, what is your overall problem and what you want to achieve.