A PID Control of Supply Duct Outlet Air Temperature in Personal Environment Module

The work presented here is a design and an implementation of PID control system to regulate a supply duct outlet air temperature in PEM (Personal Environment Module). In PEM, the air is heated to the required temperature while it flows through the supply duct without any mixing chamber. This makes the control of air temperature in PEM difficult. A simulation is done first to understand the relationship between a temperature distribution in working area, flow rate and the outlet air temperature of PEM. Then a linear dynamic model of heating process in PEM is derived. P, PD and PID type control systems, to provide the rapid response without overshoot and saturation in heater command voltage, are designed using a linear model obtained. Experimentally obtained data shows that the control system satisfies the design criteria and works properly in controlling the supply duct outlet air temperature.