Using A Dc Solenoid In A Closed Loop Position Control System To Teach Control Technology

A DC solenoid that is normally operated in two positions, is used to implement a closed-l o p, position control system. The la boratory work supports and reinforces material presented in the classroom. This la boratory activity takes place in a c ooperative learning envi ronment, each group being populated by students from the Electronic & Computer Technology, the Manuf acturing Technology and the Aeronau tical Technology Depar tment. Students are initially given a general positioning problem with few restr ictions. Then, by adding constraints and making s u gestions, they d etermine that a DC solenoid is a viable solution. As the students evalu ate the system, they rec ognize that without the mathematical tools that they are acquiring in class, their task is very difficult or impossible. The series of experiments enable students to learn more a bout: (a) modeling, (b) block diagram representati on, (c) instrumen tation and data acquisiti on, (d) component char cterization, (e) frequency response testing (f) analysis, (g) computer simu lation using MATLAB/SIMULINK, (h) controller design, (i) imp lementation of the controller using op-amps, and finally (j) complete system performance verificati on. As a result, students develop a good conn ection between the theory and applicati on, and recogn ize the importance of team w ork and collaboration. They are amazed at their ability to transform a two-pos ition device, jokingly referred by them as ba ng-bang, into a gentle-moving system that goes to any intermediate position.