What is a feedforward control strategy and when would you use it?

What is a feedforward control strategy and when would you use it?

• A. Reactive control after disturbance.
• B. A strategy to calibrate sensors.
• C. A strategy that uses only measurement feedback.
• D. A control strategy that predicts disturbances and preemptively adjusts actuators; used to improve response to known disturbances (e.g., morning load forecast).

Answer: (D)

Feedforward control works by anticipating how a disturbance will affect the system and adjusting the actuators before the disturbance actually causes a change. It relies on a model or forecast of the disturbance so the controller can preemptively set actions that counteract the expected impact, reducing lag and overshoot. When you have reliable predictions of what will happen—like a known morning load forecast in a power system—you can smooth the response by preemptively shifting generation or storage. This is different from reactive control, which responds only after you detect a deviation, and it’s not just about calibrating sensors or relying solely on measurement feedback. In practice, feedforward is often combined with feedback to handle prediction errors and maintain robustness.

Feedforward control works by anticipating how a disturbance will affect the system and adjusting the actuators before the disturbance actually causes a change. It relies on a model or forecast of the disturbance so the controller can preemptively set actions that counteract the expected impact, reducing lag and overshoot. When you have reliable predictions of what will happen—like a known morning load forecast in a power system—you can smooth the response by preemptively shifting generation or storage. This is different from reactive control, which responds only after you detect a deviation, and it’s not just about calibrating sensors or relying solely on measurement feedback. In practice, feedforward is often combined with feedback to handle prediction errors and maintain robustness.