Incorporating a Control System into Your COMSOL Multiphysics® Model - Archived

When engineers wish to simulate the dynamic response of a system, they utilize time-dependent numerical models. For control system analysis, such models are often considered to have only a limited number of inputs and outputs. When the inputs are considered to be known a priori, the computation can be carried out as an open-loop simulation. Control systems almost always use the output as a feedback to determine the input in a so-called closed-loop simulation. The aim of the control system is to determine the required input, such that the results match the desired behavior for the outputs. For example, to maintain a constant speed (output) while driving your car, you will need to dynamically alter the position of your accelerator and brake pedal (inputs) as you drive up and down hills. This can be achieved with control system design.

In COMSOL Multiphysics®, control system design can be implemented using a variety of methods. The most straightforward of these is a discrete event-based system, which alters inputs to the computational model while computing. Alternatively, the control system could be driven by a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, which can also be implemented through a prebuilt add-in. More advanced control architectures can also be implemented through the bidirectional coupling with the MATLAB® and Simulink® software by The MathWorks, Inc.

Join us for this webinar to discover how to incorporate control systems into your COMSOL Multiphysics® simulations. The presentation will also include a live demonstration and a Q&A session.