Abstract
This paper illustrates the design of proportional-integral-derivative controller (PID) controller of 10 KW air heaters for achieving the set point temperature as fast as possible with minimum response overshoot. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) numerical simulations are utilized to predict the natural response of 10 KW input power for the air heater. CFD results are validated with experimental empirical correlations that insure the reliability of open loop results. The open loop response of CFD transient simulations is used to model the air heater transfer function and design the classical PID controllers. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique is used to tune the PID controller with various error fitness functions which leads to improve the closed loop response of the temperature control system compared to the classical tuning methods.