Design and Implementation of a Low-Cost Thermal Chamber with PID Control and Kalman Filter State Estimation

Abstract

An automatic temperature control system is an important application used in almost all modern gadgets, smart homes and industries; however, there are almost no available prototypes to practise with, and the ones that do exist cost more than an average student in Mexico can afford. This project is based on the implementation of a digital PID controller, realised through widely studied mathematical concepts, applied to a fan that blows air into an enclosed area housing an incandescent bulb, thereby controlling the internal temperature. A Kalman filter was used to reduce the thermocouple noise. The performance of the controller was tested by observing its ability to maintain the desired temperature setpoint steadily. This test highlighted the PID controller’s ability to reach and maintain the desired temperature, validating its effectiveness as both an educational tool and a method of control for industrial applications.