settlingtijd

Settlingtijd, or settling time, is the time needed for a process or system to reach and remain within a predefined tolerance of its final steady value following a disturbance or input change. The exact tolerance and the reference point can vary by field, but the concept centers on when the transient response is considered to have ended.

In control engineering and signal processing, settling time measures how quickly a system responds. It is typically defined after a step input as the interval during which the output stays within a specified percentage (often 2% or 5%) of the final value and does not leave that band again. The value depends on the system dynamics, including damping and bandwidth.

In measurement and instrumentation, settling time describes how long a sensor or meter takes to stabilize its reading after a change in the measured quantity. It depends on sensor design, electronics, and any filtering or averaging applied to the signal. Short settling times enable faster measurements but may increase noise sensitivity.

In fluid- and particulate systems, settling time can refer to the time required for particles to settle to the bottom of a liquid or for turbidity to decrease to a target level. It depends on particle size and density, fluid viscosity, temperature, and flow conditions, and is a key parameter in processes such as water treatment and sedimentation tanks.

Related concepts include rise time, peak time, overshoot, and transient response. Reducing settling time often involves design choices such as higher bandwidth, improved damping, feedback control, or more rapid measurement techniques.