Design consideration for automated electron beam (EB) welding systems: model of ED filament emission controller

The application of the hierarchical approach to a complex control problem is discussed. The general problem of the nonlinear, nonstationary case is considered by applying some of the issues found in the automation of an EBWS (electron-beam welding system). A decision architecture and autonomous process evaluation (PEV) structure are introduced and analyzed. A model of the electron-beam-gun controller (EBGC) is used to evaluate the concepts and overall performance of the EBGC. The handling of process exceptions and supervisory control functions were used to illustrate the principle and coexistence of the hierarchical process decision and hierarchical process analysis. The PEV was demonstrated as the hierarchical process analysis function and provided a mechanism to incorporate the process analysis, with the necessary control decisions, to meet the objectives