FGO-Tuned 2-DOF PI controller for pressure regulation in centrifugal fans driven by induction motors using an experimentally validated model

This study proposes a novel pressure control strategy for a centrifugal fan driven by an induction motor, using a two-degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) proportional-integral (PI) controller optimized via the fungal growth optimizer (FGO). Built upon a validated nonlinear model, the FGO algorithm tunes the controller parameters to minimize a cost function reflecting overshoot and tracking error. Comparative evaluations are performed against genetic algorithm (GA), L-SHADE, and the Newton-Raphson-based optimizer (NRBO), as well as classical methods such as Cohen-Coon and Rovira techniques. The FGO-based controller demonstrates superior dynamic response, robustness, and noise immunity. Statistical validation using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test confirms the performance improvements. These results highlight the effectiveness of FGO in real-world pressure regulation and establish a benchmark for modern industrial fan control systems.