Robust tuning of PI controllers based on Taguchi method

PID controllers are applied to a wide range of fields such as process control, instrumentation, automotive, flight control, etc. Design and tuning of PID controllers have been an important issue in process control. It is known that a reasonable and practical tuning rule should consider load disturbance, modeling errors, setpoint response, and measurement noise. This article studies the application of Taguchi's approach and PI stabilizing concept to determining a satisfactory PI controller set which considers these aspects in a balanced way. First, a parameter tuning algorithm based on feedback stabilization and absolute stability margin has been presented to decide the set of stabilizing PI controllers. The concepts of orthogonal array and signal-to-noise ratio are then used to find a compromising set of PI controller parameters. The effectiveness and robustness of the proposed PI controller tuning strategy are illustrated through several simulation examples.