EE250: Control Systems

Problem Set 4 Solution

13-02-2023

1. Given a unity feedback system that has the forward transfer function
K(s + 2)
G(s) =
s2 − 4s + 13
do the following
(a) Sketch the root locus.
(b) Find the imaginary-axis crossing.
(c) Find the gain, K, at the jω-axis crossing.
(d) Find the break-in point.
(e) Find the angle of departure from the complex poles.
Solution:
(a) The root locus diagram is:

√
(b) s = ±j 21

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 (c) K = 4
(d) Break-in point = −7
(e) Angle of departure = −233.1
2. The open-loop transfer function of a control system is given by
K
G(s)H(s) =
s(s + 6)(s2 + 4s + 13)
Sketch the root locus and determine
(a) The break away ponts
(b) The angle of departure from complex poles
(c) The stability condition.
Solution: The root locus is drawn below

(a) The break away point is s = −4.2

3. Draw the root locus for a system having openloop transfer function
K
G(s)H(s) =
s(s + 1)(s + 3)

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 Determine

(a) Gain margin

Solution: The root locus is drawn below

(a) Gain margin = 6 db

4. Consider the system shown in the figure given below. Draw the locus of the poles of the overall
system as K is varied from zero to infinity.

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 Solution: The root locus is drawn below

5. Draw root-locus for K < 0 for the OLTF given below

K(s − 1)
G(s)H(s) =
s(s + 2)

Solution: The root locus is drawn below

6. Draw root-locus diagram for a > 0 if

(2s + a)
G()H(s) =
s(s + 1)(s + 3)

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 Solution: The root locus is drawn below

7. Show that the root locus of the following system is a circle. Find the center and radius of that circle
K(s + 2)
G(s) = and H(s) = 1
s2 + 2s + 3
Solution: The root locus is drawn below

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 √
The centre and radius of that circle is s = −2, 3 respectively.
8. Construct the root locus of the following system having a positive feedback
K(s + 2)
G(s) = and H(s) = 1
(s + 3)(s2 + 2s + 2)
Solution: The root locus is drawn below

9. Sketch the root locus of the following system. Observe that for small or large values of K, the
system is underdamped and for medium values of K, it is overdamped.
K
G(s) = 2
and H(s) = 1
s(s + 4s + 5)
Solution: The root locus is drawn below

(s + b)
10. Consider the system given by G(s)H(s) = K . Study the effect of movement of a pole
s2 (s
+ a)
on the root locus of the system. You may consider a = 10, 9, 8, 3, 1 and b = 1.
Solution: The root locuses is drawn below

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(a) For a = 10, b = 1

(b) For a = 9, b = 1

(c) For a = 8, b = 1

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(d) For a = 3, b = 1

(e) For a = 1, b = 1

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11. Large structures in space, such as the space station, have to be stabilized against unwanted vibra-
tion. One method is to use an active vibration absorber to control the structure, as shown in first
figure (Bruner, 1992). Assuming that all values except the mass of the active vibration absorber are
known and are equal to unity, do the following

(a) Obtain G(s) and H(s) = H1 (s)H2 (s) in the block diagram representation of the system of

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 the second figure, which shows that the active vibration absorber acts as a feedback element
to control the structure. (Hint: Think of Kc and Dc as producing inputs to the structure.)
(b) Find the steady-state position of the structure for a force disturbance input.
(c) Sketch the root locus for the system as a function of active vibration absorber mass, Mc .

Solution:

(a)
1 Mc
G(s) = , H1 (s) = , H2 (s) = Dc sKc
M s2 + Ds + K 2
Mc s + Dc s + Kc
The block diagram be

(b) The equivalent unity-feedback system will respond with zero steady-state error for a step
force input.
(c) The root locus is drawn below

12. It is known that mammals have hormonal regulation mechanisms that help maintain almost constant
calcium plasma levels (0.08–0.1 g/L in dairy cows). This control is necessary to maintain healthy
functions, as calcium is responsible for diverse physiological functions, such as bone formation,
intracellular communications, and blood clotting. It has been postulated that the mechanism of cal-
cium control resembles that of a PI (proportional-plusintegral) controller. PI controllers are placed

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 in cascade with the plant and used to improve steady-state error. Assume that the PI controller has
the form Gc (s) = [Kp + KsI ] where KP and KI are constants. Also assume that the mammal’s sys-
tem accumulates calcium in an integrator-like fashion, namely P (s) = V1s where V is the plasma
volume. The closed-loop model is similar to that of figure below, where G(s) = Gc (s)P (s)

(a) Sketch the system’s root locus as a function of KP , assuming KI > 0 is constant.
(b) Sketch the system’s root locus as a function of KI , assuming KP > 0 is constant.

Solution:

(a) The first root locus is drawn below

(b) The second root locus is drawn below

13. The closed-loop vehicle response in stopping a train depends on the train’s dynamics and the driver,
who is an integral part of the feedback loop. In the figure below, let the input be R(s) = vr the

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 reference velocity, and the output C(s) = v, the actual vehicle velocity. (Yamazaki, 2008) shows
that such dynamics can be modeled by G(s) = Gd (s)Gt (s) where
L
K s− 2
Gd (s) = h(1 + ) L
s s+ 2

represents the driver dynamics with h, K, and L parameters particular to each individual driver.
We assume here that h = 0.003 and L = 1. The train dynamics are given by
kb f Kp
Gt (s) =
M (1 + ke )s(τ s + 1)
where M = 8000kg, the vehicle mass;ke = 0.1 the inertial coefficient;kb = 142.5, the brake
gain;Kp = 47.5, the pressure gain; τ = 1.2 sec, a time constant; and f = 0.24, the normal friction
coefficient.Make a root locus plot of the system as a function of the driver parameter K.
Solution: The root locus diagram is drawn below

14. A technique to control the steering of a vehicle that follows a line located in the middle of a lane is
to define a look-ahead point and measure vehicle deviations with respect to the point. A linearized
model for such a vehicle is
a11 a12 −b1 K b1dK
    
V̇ V
 ṙ   a21 a22 −b2 K b2 K   r 
d 
 ψ̇  =  0
   
1 0 0  ψ 
Ẏg 1 0 U 0 Yg
where V = vehicle’s lateral velocity,r =vehicle’s yaw velocity, ψ = vehicle’s yaw position, and
Yg = the y-axis coordinate of the vehicle’s center of gravity. K is a parameter to be varied depend-
ing upon trajectory changes. In a specific vehicle traveling at a speed of U = −10 m/sec, the param-
eters are a11 = −11.6842; a12 = 6.7632; b1 = −61.5789; a21 = −3.5143; a22 = 24.0257, andb2 =

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 66.8571.d = 5 m is the look-ahead distance. Assuming the vehicle will be controlled in closed
loop, Find the system’s root locus as K is varied.
Solution: The root locus is drawn below

K(s + 2)
15. Show that for 0 < K < 4, the root locus locus lies on a circle. Given that, G(s)H(s) =
(s + 1)2
Solution: Try to prove it by yourself.

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