Feedforward Control

Feedforward control is a strategy that measures a disturbance before it affects the process and proactively adjusts the control output to counteract it. Unlike feedback control, which reacts after an error appears, feedforward acts in anticipation, often combined with feedback for improved accuracy.

Feedforward control requires a model of how a measured disturbance influences the process variable, allowing the controller to apply a corrective action in advance. For example, a temperature loop might adjust heating as soon as cold feedstock flow increases, before the temperature actually drops. It matters in industry because it dramatically reduces deviations caused by predictable disturbances, but because no model is perfect, it is usually paired with feedback to remove residual error.