Question 11 CEL01 - Chief Engineer - Limited
In a closed-loop process control system, what term is used to describe the action of measuring the difference between the actual result and the desired result and using that difference to drive the actual result toward the desired result?
The Correct Answer is A **Explanation for Option A (Feedback):** Feedback is the fundamental concept in closed-loop process control systems that describes exactly the action in the question. A closed-loop system measures the output (actual result) and compares it to the input (desired result or setpoint). The resulting difference, or error signal, is then "fed back" into the controller, which generates an adjustment signal to drive the actual result closer to the desired result. This continuous measurement and correction cycle is the definition of feedback control. **Why the other options are incorrect:** * **B) Deadband:** A deadband (or dead zone) is a specific characteristic of a control system where a change in the input produces no observable change in the output. It is often intentionally implemented to prevent small, constant adjustments (chattering) but does not describe the fundamental corrective action of the loop. * **C) Gain:** Gain is the ratio of the change in output to the change in input for a component or the entire system. While gain is a crucial parameter in determining how aggressively the system responds to the error signal, it is a *measure* of the control action's magnitude, not the *term* for the corrective mechanism itself. * **D) Instability:** Instability is an undesirable condition where the process output oscillates, diverges, or runs away from the setpoint. It is a potential outcome of a poorly designed feedback system, not the name of the corrective action.
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