The building automation industry lacks an affordable, simple, solution for autonomous PID controller tuning when overhead variables fluctuate. In this project, requested by Jitea AB, a solution was developed, utilising step response process modelling, numerical integration of first order differential equations, and Ant Colony Optimization (ACO). The solution was applied to two control schemes; simulated outlet flow from a virtual water tank, and the physical air pressure in the ventilation system of a preschool in Sweden. An open-loop step response provided the transfer function in each case, which, after some manipulation, could be employed to predict the performance of any given set of PID parameters, based on a weighted cost function. This prediction model was used in ACO to find optimal settings. The program was constructed in both Structured Control Language and Structured Text and documented in an approachable way. The results showed that the program was, in both cases, able to eliminate overshoot and retain the settling time (with a slightly raised rise time) achieved with settings tuned per the current methods of Jitea AB. Noise and oscillations present in the physical system did not appear to have any major negative influence on the tuning process. The program performed above Jitea AB’s expectation, and will be tested in more scenarios, as it showed promise. Autonomous implementation could be of societal benefit through increased efficiency and sustainability in a range of processes. In future studies, focus should be on improving the prediction model, and further optimising the ACO variables. / Byggnadsautomationsbranschen saknar en kostnadseffektiv lösning för att autonomt trimma in PID-regulatorer när överordnade variabler fluktuerar. I detta (av Jitea AB beställda) arbete, utvecklades en lösning baserad på stegsvarsmodellering, numerisk integration av första gradens ordinära differentialekvationer och myrkolonisoptimering (ACO). Lösningen applicerades i två regleringsfall; en simulerad utloppsventil från en virtuell vattentank, och det fysiska lufttrycket i ventilationssystemet på en förskola i Sverige. Ett stegsvar med öppen slinga gav en överföringsfunktion i respektive fall, som efter viss manipulering kunde nyttjas för att förutspå prestandan för en uppsättning PID-parametrar baserat på en samlad, viktad kostnadsfunktion. Predikteringsmodellen implementerades i ACO för att finna optimala parametrar. Programmet konstruerades i Structured Control Language och Structured Text, och dokumenterades på ett pedagogiskt sätt. Resultaten visade att programmet (i båda fallen) klarade att eliminera översläng med bibehållen stabiliseringstid (och något förskjuten stigningstid) jämfört med Jitea AB:s existerande trimningsmetod. Signalbrus och oscillationer i det fysiska systemet verkade inte ha någon avsevärd negativ inverkan på trimningsprocessen. Programmet presterade över Jitea AB:s förväntan, och kommer (med tanke på de lovande resultaten) fortsatt att testas i fler scenarion. Implementation av en autonom version skulle kunna innebära flera samhälleliga förmåner i form av ökad verkningsgrad och hållbarhet i en rad processer. I framtida studier bör fokus läggas på att ytterligare förbättra prediktionsmodellen, samt att vidare utforska de optimala myrkolonisvariablerna.

This thesis is theoretically described heating surfaces, radiators and regulation valves. There are also described their features, advantages and disadvantages and division according to design. The aim of the work is determine the dynamics characteristics of heating surfaces and radiators including control valves, which are parts of measurement panel. Based on the measurement are determined appropriate characteristics of which are calculated values for regulating. The result of this study can serve as a guide to the practical measurement method of dynamics characteristics of the real-working heating systems, or serve as a template for the settings according to the measured data.

The MSc Thesis deals with real-time modelling, especially with the control circuits, where we focus on the regulation circuit with auxiliary model of the regulated system. The introduction contains the Theory of Controls and regulation. The work is divided into two basic parts. The first part deals with the problems from the theoretical point of view. The theoretical part is concerned with the general systems. Various definitions of systems, their partition and mathematical methods for their description are mentioned after introducing. A description the regulation circuits, their partition, structures and types follows. There are shown the particular regulators and different types of regulated systems in details. Mathematical methods applied to solve the differential equations that describe the models of the systems are summarized in the second part of the work. The end of this chapter is concerned with the TKSL system. In the practical part I have produced Microsoft Power Point program which summarizes the results of experiments, made in the TKSL and TKSL/C system. The output of simulation was transformed into the graphs in the format of Microsoft Excel. The last part deals with suggestion and implementation simulators of control circuits.