instelwaarde

Instelwaarde is a Dutch term used in control engineering and automation to denote the target value that a regulator or controller is set to achieve. It corresponds to the setpoint or reference value in English. The instelwaarde serves as the input to the controller, against which the actual process variable is compared.

In a closed-loop control system, the controller computes the error as the difference between the instelwaarde and the actuele waarde (the actual value). Based on this error, the controller adjusts an actuator to bring the process variable toward the instelwaarde. For example, in a thermostat controlling room temperature, the instelwaarde is the desired temperature, while the sensor provides the actuele waarde.

Instelwaarde can be constant or time-varying. It may be fixed for steady-state operation or change according to schedules, setpoint ramps, or feedback from higher-level control strategies. Dynamic setpoints are common in processes that require different operating conditions at different times, such as heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, or chemical processes with changing targets.

In user interfaces, the instelwaarde is the value that users set to instruct the device what the system should strive to achieve. It is closely related to other terms such as streefwaarde (target value) and referentiewaarde (reference value), and is often translated as setpoint in English-language documentation.

Etymology traces to instellen (to set) and waarde (value). The concept is central to control theory and industrial automation, where accurate and appropriate instelwaarde settings are essential for performance, safety, and energy efficiency.