Optimizing control system

Apparatus for monitoring the performance of an energy consuming system and for adjusting a parameter control setting of the system that the performance is enhanced comprising:

• (a) means for producing pulse-type signals at a rate indicative of instantaneous system performance;
• (b) first digital counting means coupled to receive said pulse-type signals for tallying the difference between the number of pulses received from said first mentioned means during a first predetermined time interval and a second predetermined time interval;
• (c) a source of regularly occurring timing pulses;
• (d) control means for said first digital counting means including a second digital counting means adapted to be initially loaded with a digital value establishing said first and second predetermined time intervals and connected to said source of regularly occurring timing pulses such that said initial value is changed upon receipt of each of said timing pulses;
• (e) means coupling said control means to said first digital counting means;
• and
• (f) logic circuit means coupled to the output of said first digital counting means and to the output of said second digital counting means for producing a parameter setting adjustment signal which is dependent on the contents of said first digital counting means at the end of said second predetermined time interval.

Apparatus for continuously determining the response of an energy consuming system of iterative incremental variations of a first parameter of said system and for producing corrective signals to adjust said first parameter so that the difference between iterative system performance responses is reduced to a minimum at an adjustment setting of said first parameter which is biasable in response to at least one of several other parameters of said system, comprising:

• (a) a first pulse source for producing pulses indicative of system performance;
• (b) a second pulse source for determining the rate at which said first parameter is incrementally varied;
• (c) first correlation means responsive to pulses from said first and second pulse sources to determine the response in performance of said system to said incremental variations of said first parameter, said first correlation means including at least one digital counter;
• (d) loading means for loading said one digital counter with values representing a desired bias in the adjustment setting of said first parameter, so that said digital counter produces difference signals indicative of the deviation in the adjustment of said parameter from said desired bias;
• and
• (e) second correlation means responsive to said difference signals for producing a signal to adjust said first parameter in the direction towards that setting which is the setting of said first parameter at said desired bias.

A system for monitoring the performance of an energy consuming system and for adjusting a parameter control setting of the system such that the performance of the system is enhanced, comprising:

• (a) a first source of regularly occurring clock pulses of a frequency, f.sub.1 ;
• (b) frequency divider means coupled to said source for producing at its output pulses of a frequency which is a submultiple of said frequency, f.sub.1 ;
• (c) a first counter adapted to be alternatively loaded with a first and a second digital number indicative of a predetermined bias value;
• (d) time interval control means responsive to the output from said frequency divider means for controlling the loading of said first and second digital values into said first counter and for coupling the clock pulses to said first counter for altering said digital number at said frequency, f.sub.1 ;
• (e) a second source of pulses, the instantaneous frequency of which is indicative of the performance of said energy consuming system;
• (f) a second counter coupled to said second source and to said first counter for tallying the difference between number of pulses received from said second source during separate time intervals;
• and
• (g) logic circuit means connected to the output of said second counter and to said time interval control means for producing parameter setting control signals in successive iterative steps at the initiation of each pulse from said frequency divider means.