Experiment 2

Modeling of second order systems and

response analysis

2.1 Objectives
The objective of this lab is to grasp the important role of second order math-
ematical models of physical systems in the design and analysis of control
systems. We will learn how MATLAB helps in solving such models.

2.2 Theory
The system whose input-output equation is a second order differential equa-
tion is called second order system. Varying a first-order system’s parameter
simply changes the speed of the response, changes in the parameters of a
second-order system can change the form of the response. Physical second-
order system models contain two independent energy storage elements which
exchange stored energy, and may contain additional dissipative elements;
such models are often used to represent the exchange of energy.
This exchange of energy may be between:

• Mass and stiffness elements in mechanical systems

• Capacitors and inductors in electrical systems

• fluid inertance and capacitance elements in hydraulic systems

In addition second-order system models are frequently used to represent

the exchange of energy between two independent energy storage elements in

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 Figure 2.1: Second-order systems, pole plots, and step responses

different energy domains coupled through a two-port element. For example

energy may be exchanged between a mechanical mass and a fluid capacitance
(tank) through a piston, or between an electrical inductance and mechanical
inertia as might occur in an electric motor.
Engineers often use second-order system models in the preliminary stages
of design in order to establish the parameters of the energy storage and
dissipation elements required to achieve a satisfactory response.
Figure 2.2 look at numerical examples of the second order system re-
sponses

Overdamped Response
This function has a pole at the origin that comes from the unit step input
and two real poles that come from the system.

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C(s) = (2.1)
s(s + 7.854)(s + 1.146)
The input pole at the origin generates the constant forced response; each
of the two system poles on the real axis generates an exponential natural
response whose exponential frequency is equal to the pole location.It is clear
that the poles tell us the form of the response without the tedious calculation
of the inverse Laplace transform.

Underdamped Response
For this response
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C(s) = (2.2)
s(s − (1 + 8j)(s − (1 − 8j))

This function has a pole at the origin that comes from the unit step input
and two complex poles that come from the system.
Figure ?? shows a general, damped sinusoidal response for a second or-
der system. The transient response consists of an exponentially decaying
amplitude generated by the real part of the system pole times a sinusoidal
waveform generated by the imaginary part of the system pole.
The time constant of the exponential decay is equal to the reciprocal of
the real part of the system pole. The value of the imaginary part is the actual
frequency of the sinusoid, as depicted in Figure 2.2. This sinusoidal frequency
is given the name damped frequency of oscillation. Finally, the steady-state
response (unit step) was generated by was generated by the input pole located
at the origin. This is called under-damped response, one which approaches
a steady-state value via a transient response that is a damped oscillation.

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Figure 2.2: Second-order step response components generated by complex
poles

Undamped Response
This response has a pole at the origin that comes from the unit step input
and two imaginary poles that come from the system.
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C(s) = (2.3)
s(s2
+ 9)
The input pole at the origin generates the constant forced response, and
the two system poles on the imaginary axis at j 3 generate a sinusoidal natural
response whose frequency is equal to the location of the imaginary poles.
Note that the absence of a real part in the pole pair corresponds to an
exponential that does not decay.

Critically Damped Response

This response has a pole at the origin that comes from the unit step input
and two multiple real poles that come from the system.
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C(s) = = (2.4)
s(s2+ 6s + 9) s(s + 3)2
The input pole at the origin generates the constant forced response, and
the two poles on the real axis at 3 generate a natural response consisting of

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an exponential and an exponential multiplied by time, where the exponential
frequency is equal to the location of the real poles.
Critically damped responses are the fastest possible without the over-
shoot that is characteristic of the underdamped response.

Figure 2.3: Step responses for second-order system damping cases

The step responses for the four cases of damping discussed in this section
are superimposed in Figure 2.3. Notice that the critically damped case is the
division between the overdamped cases and the underdamped cases and is
the fastest response without overshoot.

Figure 2.4: Lab task 2

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Lab Tasks
1. Select a unit step input and let ω = 0.7

(a) Simulate the system for the following vales of the damping factor
(0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0). Plot the response and mark
the curves using legend command
(b) What are the values of the damping ratio that give under damped
and over damped response?
(c) What are the overshoot percentages in each case?
(d) What are the rise time in each case?
(e) What are the settling times in each case?
(f) Compute rise time, settling time, and overshoot percentage using
the formulas given in Fig.2.4 and compare with your above results
from MATLAB.

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2. Let the input be a unit step and the damping ratio ζ = 0.7. Simulate
and plot the response of the system for the following natural frequencies
(0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 5, 7, and 10)

(a) What do you observe?

(b) What are the values of the damping ratio that give under damped
and over damped response?
(c) What are the overshoot percentages in each case?
(d) What are the rise time in each case?
(e) What are the settling times in each case?
(f) Compute rise time, settling time, and overshoot percentage us-
ing these formulas given in Fig.2.4 and compare with your above
results from MATLAB.

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3. For a complex pole pair -5±5j

(a) Determine the angle of line subtended from the origin to this pole
in complex plane
(b) Find the value of ζ that gives you half of the angle without chang-
ing the real part of pole
(c) Now take the distance of pole from the origin as the radius of unit
circle and find the parameter which must be changed so that the
pole trace the path on that circle

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2.3 Conclusion
2.4 Student’s Comments

2.5 Lesson Learnt

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