What are disturbances in control systems?

Disturbances in control systems refer specifically to unplanned changes that can have an impact on system performance. These unexpected events or fluctuations can originate from various sources such as environmental changes, variations in input conditions, or unexpected behavior from system components.

Understanding disturbances is crucial because they can disrupt the stability and performance of the control system, leading to deviations from the desired output. It is essential for control systems to have mechanisms in place to detect and compensate for these disturbances to maintain operational integrity and performance.

In contrast, planned changes are intentional adjustments made to improve system performance, while systematic adjustments focus on maintaining output stability in a controlled manner. Routine variations recognized in operations are typically accounted for and may not necessarily have the same disruptive effects as unplanned disturbances.