GENG4402 ASSIGNMENT 2

Question 1 Nyquist Plot/Frequency Response Performance

The block diagram for the unity feedback tracking system is shown below:

a) a)
According to the Nyquist stability criterion,
positive encirclements of the

N + P=0 where

N refers to the number of

(1,0) which is the critical point, and

P is the number of open-

loop poles in the right hand plane.

From the open-loop transfer function:

KG ( s )=

K
2
( s+ 2)( s +2 s+2)

The open-loop poles are located at:

p1=2 , p2=1 , p 3=1i

As none of the poles lie in the right hand side of the plane P=0 , according to the Nyquist stability
criterion, N + P=0

N=0 as well. We can then run a simulation or use trial and error to find

the gain that creates a positive encirclement of the critical point. Hence after trial and error a gain of

K=20 is required before the system becomes marginally stable. Figure 2 below shows the step
response of the system showing that the system is nearly marginally stable.

Figure 1 - Step response of system when K=20

Figure 3 below shows the Nyquist plot for K=20, which we can use to find where the critical point
occurs (point where marginal stability occurs).

=2.47 rad /s

Figure 2 - Nyquist Plot for K=20

Hence the frequency at which the system nearly becomes marginally stable occurs at 2.47 rad /s .

a) b)
Using the Figure Q1 (a), and the data from the 2 points on the Nyquist plot, we can calculate the gain
and phase margins.

Gain Margin=20 log 10

Phase Margin=tan 1

1
=6.125 dB
0.494

0.903
=65.475 o
0.412

We can also plot the bode diagram (shown in figure 3) of the open-loop system to find the phase and
gain margins, where the

Phase Margin=67.7o and the Gain Margin=10.5 dB .

Figure 3 - Bode Diagram for K=6

b)
i.
From the magnitude and phase plots given we can estimate the gain margin and phase margin.
The gain margin occurs when phase is -180 degrees. This point is known as the phase crossover
frequency. The gain margin can then be estimated as:

Gain Margin=10 dB
The phase margin occurs when the magnitude plot is at

0 dB which is located at the gain crossover

frequency. The phase margin is can then be estimated as:

Phase Margin=90 degrees

ii.
The gain can be increased by 10 dB , before the system becomes unstable. This can be represented
using

as:

10

K=10 20 =3.16

From the magnitude plot, this occurs at approximately 20 Hz

which would be the new gain

crossover frequency.
iii.
For a gain margin of 3 dB , the system is stable however it is approaching instability. As long as
both the gain margin and phase margin or positive, the system will usually be stable.
Hence the closed-loop performance characteristics that can be expected from this active ear defender
are:
-

Large percentage overshoot

Large settling time
Low peak time
Short rise time
Low Damping Ratio

The gain margin falls with the phase margin, hence as the gain margin is approaching 0 dB , the
phase margin does as well. The damping ratio also falls as the phase margin falls, which leads to a
lower peak time, larger overshoot and larger settling time, all leading the system to approaching
instability.

Question 2 Phase Compensation

a) The block diagram of the unity negative feedback control system is shown below:

Figure 4 - Block Diagram of Unity Negative Feedback Control System

i.
We can use the open-loop transfer function to find the frequency response and gain crossover
frequency:

G ( s )=

101
( s+ 1 )2

G ( j )=

101
101
=
2
( j+1 ) 2 j2 +1

|G ( j )|=

101

( 1 ) +4
2 2

|G ( j )|=20 log

101
1+2 2 + 4

0.5
101
dB=20 ( log101log ( 1+2 2+ 4 ) ) dB
2
4
1+ 2 +

1
|G ( j )|=20 log 101 log ( 1+ 2 2 + 4 ) dB

The gain crossover frequency

GC occurs when

1
0=20 log 101 log ( 1+2 2gc + 4gc )
2

|G ( j )|=0 dB

log 1012=log ( 1+2 2gc + 4gc )

Solving for GC , we get:

gc =10 rad /s
ii.
The phase margin refers to the phase at the gain crossover frequency GC . Hence we have:

 ( j )=

101
2
=tan1
2
2
1 + 2 j
1

( j gc ) =tan 1

2 10
20
=tan1
=11.42o
1100
99

Both the calculated gain crossover frequency and phase margin are confirmed in the bode plot in
figure 5 below:

Figure 5 - Bode Diagram for Open-Loop Transfer Function

iii.
In order to increase the phase margin to 60 degrees, we can design a phase-lead compensator. The
Block diagram is shown below:

Figure 6 - Block Diagram of Phase-Lead Compensator

Where the transfer function of the phase-lead compensator, C( s)

C ( s )=

1+Ts
1+Ts

The ideal phase margin =60

is:

We can then find the required maximum phase m

margin

by using the uncompensated system phase

PM that was calculated in part ii. A safety/correction factor of 5o is also taken into

account.

m= PM +
m=6011.42+5
m=53.58
by using the equation shown below:

We can then find

sin ( m ) =

1
1+

m=sin

1
1+

=0.1082
10 log 10 to find the find Gm , the magnitude of the frequency response at

We then evaluate

the maximum phase.

Gm=10 log 10 0.1081dB

Gm=9.66 dB
Once G m has been determined, we can then find the frequency where the uncompensated bode
frequency magnitude curve is equal to G m . This frequency is the estimated new

0 db crossover

frequency ( gc ) and m simultaneously as the compensation provides a gain of

at

m
m 17.5 rad / s
m=

1
T

Substituting in , we can find T .

T=

1
m

T =0.1738 seconds
Hence the transfer function of the phase-lead compensator is:

10 log 10

C ( s )=

1+0.1738 s
1+0.01879 s

Using MATLAB to plot the Bode Diagram of the control system with phase-lead compensation
(shown in figure 7 below) we can see that the phase margin is now 60 degrees as designed for.

Figure 7 - Effect of Phase-Lead Compensation on the Control System

b)
We first have to define

Z 1 and Z 2 .

Z 1=R 1

R1
1
=
C 1 s R1 C 1 s+ 1

Z 2=R 2

R2
1
=
C 2 s R2 C2 s +1

The transfer function for the circuit can then be shown by:

V o Z 2
R 2
R C s+1
=
=
1 1
Vi
Z1
R2 C 2 s+1
R1
V o R2 R1 C1 s +1
=

Vi
R1 R2 C2 s +1
This transfer function can be used to implement the phase-lead compensator designed in part (a)
which is shown again below:

C ( s )=

1+0.1738 s
1+0.01879 s

As we can see the transfer function of the circuit has a similar structure to that of the phase lead
compensator where:

R1 C 1=T
R2 C 2=T
R2
=K =1
R1

A proportional gain can be used to eliminate the gain

for

and T , we can implement the phase-lead compensator using the following transfer

function:

C ( s )=

R2
R1 , and hence using the above equations

1+ R1 C1 s
1+ R2 C2 s