Tutorial: Feedback Control for Particle Accelerators

Speaker: Ralph Steinhagen
GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH

Download the presentation slides.

This tutorial session will focus on fundamental aspects of feedback control systems in the particle accelerators field. It is not intended to be a general overview of the feedback control theory nor a collection of advanced topics on that matter, but rather a discussion about fundamental limiting factors on the tuning and implementation of  feedback control loops.

Some topics to be explored are listed below:

  1. Conflicting figures of merit (disturbance rejection vs. reference tracking vs. noise attenuation)
  2. MIMO characteristics (static coupling, dynamics coupling)
  3. Closed-loop performance limitation due to process/controller time delay and actuators saturation/limited slew rate
  4. Reliability issues: dealing with exceptions, failing sensors and actuators, operational non-conformities
  5. Model uncertainties and the robust control theory
  6. Optimization-based control synthesis techniques beyond the traditional LQG approach

The session will be composed of lectures and a round table where a structured review of common design procedures and best practices will be developed in conjonction with the participants.