Interdisciplinary Programme in Systems and Control Engineering

Gyroscope - Any rotating body that exhibits two fundamental properties: gyroscopic inertia (rigidity in space) and precession (the tilting of the axis at right angles to any force tending to alter the plane of rotation). These properties are inherent in all rotating bodies, including the earth itself. The term gyroscope is commonly applied to spherical, wheel-shaped, or disk-shaped bodies that are universally mounted to be free to rotate in any direction; they are used to demonstrate these properties or to indicate movements in space. A gyroscope that is constrained from moving around one axis other than the axis of rotation is sometimes called a gyrostat. In nearly all its practical applications, the gyroscope is constrained or controlled this way, and the prefix gyro is customarily added to the name of the application, as, for instance, gyrocompass, gyrostabilizer, and gyropilot.

Applications of the Gyroscope By using the characteristic of gyroscopic inertia and applying the force of gravity to cause precession, the gyroscope can function as a directional indicator or compass.

Magnetic Levitation - ECP's unique MagLev apparatus demonstrates closed loop levitation of permanent and ferromagnetic elements. The apparatus includes laser feedback and high flux magnetics to affect large displacements and provide visually stimulating tracking and regulation demonstrations. The system is quickly set up in the open loop stable and unstable (repulsive and attractive fields) configurations shown. By adding a second magnet, two SIMO plants may be created, and by driving both actuators with both magnets, MIMO control is studied. The inherent magnetic field nonlinearities may be inverted via provided real-time algorithms for linear control study or the full system dynamics may be examined. Disturbances may be introduced via the second drive coil for demonstrating system regulation in SISO and SIMO operation

Engine Speed Control - The Engine Speed Control setup (CE107) is a laboratory version of the standard engine control problem produced by TQ Education & Training Ltd., UK. It is the scaled model of a steam engine and is driven by the compressed air. Its main components are the air control valve (actuator) , the engine (four cylinders) and the load (flywheel as inertial load and electric generator as the variable load). One peculiar feature of the setup is the dead-zone nonlinearity present in the input characteristics of the valve. This makes the (otherwise simple) speed control objective quite challenging. The task can be further complicated by introducing a load disturbance.

3D Crane - The 3D crane is a non-linear electromechanical system having a complex dynamic behavior and creating challenging control problems. The system is controlled from a desktop computer. The setup consists of a payload hanging on a pendulum-like lift-line wound by a motor mounted on a cart. The payload is lifted and lowered in the "Z" direction while the rail and cart are capable of performing 2 DOF motion in horizontal plane. Hence, the payload can move freely in 3 dimensional space. The current research is focused at the point-to-point and trajectory tracking control while minimizing the payload swing.

Gas Turbine - The Turbine Technologies Limited Minilab Gas Turbine Power System is a complete self contained jet engine lab which uses the SR-30 Gas Turbine. It allows all aspects of the Gas Turbine theory to be easily demonstrated and explored. The SR-30 is a pure turbojet and is representative of all straight jet engines in which combustion results in an expanding gas that is sufficiently capable of producing useful work and propulsive thrust. It consists of a centrifugal flow compressor, annular combustor and axial flow power turbine.

Hybrid Two Tanks Setup - The hybrid two tanks setup is conceptualized, designed and developed by systems and control engineering group, IIT Bombay. It is developed to provide a common experimental platform for linear models, nonlinear models, SISO and MIMO systems, with or without delays, etc. The setup consists of two acrylic tubular tanks of similar dimensions with height of 60 cm and radius of 15 cm, a reservoir, two pumps, two heaters and a variety of valves and instrumentation in order to allow it to be configured in a variety of ways. Each tank has a heater, input flow line, stirrer with variable speed, separate drain valve to main drain. Tank1 and tank2 are connected to each other by means of valves. Valve 1 is a Packer valve which is used to define the interaction between the two tanks. The interaction between the two tanks can be quantified in terms of the number of exposed “rings”. Valve 2 is also a Packer valve, but it is placed at a height of 30 cm from inlet to valve 1. This is to ensure that the plant model changes because of the interaction occurring at a defined time offset from the commencement of the experiment. The tank2 has a drain through the delay coil. The delay coil has two separate temperature sensors at two different points to provide two different delays in measurement. The quantitative feedback theory control algorithms have been successfully implemented on the setup.