Control Without Model or Plant Identification

A control method will be presented, which is designed to sense the current response function of the plant and its current sensitivity to the control variable, as well as to provide optimal or suboptimal control on the basis of these acquired data. Differential equations, transfer-function coefficients, and the state of the system are not identified. Assumptions regarding the plant are general enough to be satisfied by most plants; linearity and a knowledge of the order are not assumed. Stability analysis and simulation-type experimental results are included.