INTRODUCTION TO CONTROL SYSTEMS

EPCE3204

Adama Science and Technology University

School of Electrical Engineering and Computing
Department of Electrical Power and Control Engineering

EPCE3204
 CHAPTER 2:
MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF PHYSICAL SYSTEM

2 EPCE3204
 Introduction - Mathematical Model

• To understand and control complex system, one must obtain

quantitative mathematical model of these systems.
• It is necessary to analyze the relationship between the system
variables and obtain a mathematical model.
• Mathematical model: is a set of equations that represents the
dynamics of the system accurately or at least fairly well.
• This model is based upon the fact that the dynamic system can be
completely described by known differential equations.
• Differential equations relating the input to the output quantities for
the control systems.
• The dynamics of many systems, whether they are mechanical,
electrical, thermal, economic, biological, and so on, may be
described in terms of differential equations.

3 EPCE3204
 Introduction - Mathematical Model

• The component a control system are diverse in nature and may

include Electrical, Mechanical, Thermal or Hydraulic devices.

• Differential equations describing the dynamic performance of a

physical system are obtained by utilizing the physical laws governing
a particular system, for example, Newton’s laws for mechanical
systems and Kirchhoff's laws for electrical systems.

• Deriving reasonable mathematical models is the most important part

of the entire analysis of control systems.

4 EPCE3204
 Introduction - Mathematical Model

• A list of analogous variable for different system

System Through variable Across variable

Electrical Current, i Potential difference
or voltage, V
Mechanical Force, F Relative Velocity, v
(Translational)
Mechanical Torque, T Relative angular , 𝜔
(Rotational)
Thermal Rate of flow of heat Difference in
energy, q temperature, ∆𝑇
Fluid Volumetric rate of Difference in
fluid flow, Q pressure, ∆𝑃

5 EPCE3204
 Transfer Function

• The transfer function of a linear system is defined as the ratio of the

Laplace transform of the output variable to the Laplace transform of
the input variable, with all initial conditions assumed to be zero.

𝑟(𝑡) 𝑐 𝑡 𝑅(𝑠) 𝐶(𝑠)

𝑔(𝑡) 𝐺(𝑠)

𝐋𝐚𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝑪 𝒔

𝑮 𝒔 = =
𝐋𝐚𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝑹 𝒔
• A transfer function may be defined only for a linear, stationary
(constant parameter) system. It represents the relationship describing
the dynamics of the system.
• It is an input-output description of the behavior of a system. Thus,
the transfer function description does not include any information
concerning the internal structure of the system.

6 EPCE3204
 Transfer Function

• When a general 𝒏𝒕𝒉 -order, linear, time-invariant differential equations

are written

𝑑 𝑛 𝑐(𝑡) 𝑑 𝑛−1 𝑐(𝑡) 𝑑 𝑚 𝑟(𝑡) 𝑑𝑚−1 𝑟(𝑡)

𝑎𝑛 + 𝑎𝑛−1 + ⋯ + 𝑎0 𝑐 𝑡 = 𝑏𝑚 + 𝑏𝑚−1 + ⋯ + 𝑏0 𝑟 𝑡
𝑑𝑡 𝑛 𝑑𝑡 𝑛−1 𝑑𝑡 𝑚 𝑑𝑡 𝑚−1

• Where 𝑐(𝑡) is the output, 𝑟(𝑡) is the input and the 𝑎 and 𝑏 and the
form of the differential equations represents the system.
• Taking the Laplace transform of both sides, then the solve for the
input output ratio.

𝐶 𝑠 𝑏𝑚 𝑠 𝑚 + 𝑏𝑚−1 𝑠 𝑚−1 + ⋯ + 𝑏0
=𝐺 𝑠 =
𝑅 𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑠 𝑛 + 𝑎𝑛−1 𝑠 𝑛−1 + ⋯ + 𝑎0

7 EPCE3204
 Transfer Function

• Advantage
– it gives the gain of the system.
– Since Laplace transform is used, the terms are simple algebraic
expressions and differential terms are not present
– the response of the system to an input can be determined easily.
– Poles and zeros of a system can be determined from the
knowledge of the transfer function of the system.
• Disadvantage
– Transfer function can be defined for linear systems only.
– Initial conditions lose their importance since transfer function
does not take into account the initial condition.
– No inferences can be drawn about the physical structure of a
system from its transfer function.

8 EPCE3204
Transfer Function

Example
1. Find the transfer function represented by
𝑑𝑐 𝑡
𝐶 𝑠 1 𝐶 𝑠 𝑠 2 + 4𝑠 + 3
a. + 2𝑐(𝑡) = 𝑟(𝑡) = = 3
𝑑𝑡 𝑅 𝑠 𝑠+2 𝑅 𝑠 𝑠 + 3𝑠 2 + 7𝑠 + 5
𝑑 3 𝑐(𝑡) 𝑑 2 𝐶(𝑡) 𝑑𝑐 𝑡 𝑑 2 𝑟(𝑡) 𝑑𝑟 𝑡
b. + 3 + 7 +5𝑐 𝑡 = +4 +3𝑟 𝑡
𝑑𝑡 3 𝑑𝑡 2 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 2 𝑑𝑡

𝑑𝑥 2 (𝑡) 𝑑𝑥(𝑡) 𝐹 𝑠
c. 𝑓(𝑡) = + 5 +10𝑥(𝑡) = 𝑠 2 + 5𝑠 + 10
𝑑𝑡 2 𝑑𝑡 𝑋 𝑠
2. Find the differential equation corresponding to the transfer
function.
2𝑠 + 1
𝐺(𝑠) = 2
𝑠 + 6𝑠 + 1

𝑑 2 𝐶(𝑡) 𝑑𝑐 𝑡 𝑑𝑟 𝑡
+6 +𝑐 𝑡 = 2 +𝑟 𝑡
𝑑𝑡 2 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

9 EPCE3204
 Electrical system - Modeling

• To model electrical systems, we use Kirchhoff’s laws to form

differential equations for the systems.
• These two laws can be very simply stated:
– Law 1 – The total current flowing into a node in the circuit is
equal to the total current flowing from that node. (i.e. there is
no residual current at nodes)
– Law 2 – In a closed loop of the network, the algebraic sum of
the potential differences across each part of the circuit is equal
to the applied voltage within that loop.

10 EPCE3204
 Electrical Systems Modeling

• Electrical System elements modeling by applying basic laws,

𝑑𝑄 𝑑𝑉 𝑑𝑉
– The law of a capacitor 𝑄 = 𝐶 𝑉 ⇒ =𝐶 ⇒𝐼=𝐶
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑉 𝑉 𝑠
– Ohm’s Law 𝑉 = 𝐼𝑅 𝑜𝑟 = 𝑅 ⇒ 𝐺 𝑠 = =𝑅
𝐼 𝐼 𝑠
𝑑𝐼
– Faraday’s law 𝑉 = 𝐿
𝑑𝑡

11 EPCE3204
 Electrical system Example

• Find the transfer function relating the capacitor voltage 𝑉𝑐 𝑠 to the

input voltage, 𝑉(𝑠)
𝑑𝑖
𝑣 𝑡 = 𝑅𝑖 𝑡 + 𝐿 + 𝑣𝑐 𝑡
𝑑𝑡
1 𝑑𝑣𝑐
𝑣𝑐 𝑡 = න 𝑖 𝑑𝑡 ⇒ 𝑖 𝑡 = 𝐶
𝐶 𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑣𝑐 𝑑 𝑑𝑣𝑐
𝑣 𝑡 = 𝑅𝐶 +𝐿 𝐶 + 𝑣𝑐 𝑡
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑣𝑐 𝑑 2 𝑣𝑐
= 𝑅𝐶 + 𝐿𝐶 + 𝑣𝑐 (𝑡)
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 2

• Taking the Laplace transform

2
𝑣𝑐 𝑠 1
𝐿𝐶𝑠 + 𝑅𝐶𝑠 + 1 𝑣𝑐 𝑠 = 𝑣 𝑠 ⇒ =
𝑣 𝑠 𝐿𝐶𝑠 2 + 𝑅𝐶𝑠 + 1

12 EPCE3204
 Electrical System Modeling - Example

• Find the transfer function relating the capacitor voltage 𝑉𝑐 𝑠 to the

input voltage, 𝑉(𝑠)

1
𝑒𝑖 = 𝑅1 𝑖1 + න(𝑖1 − 𝑖2 ) 𝑑𝑡
𝐶1

1
𝑒0 = න 𝑖2 𝑑𝑡
𝐶2

1 1
න(𝑖2 − 𝑖1 ) 𝑑𝑡 + 𝑅2 𝑖2 + න 𝑖2 𝑑𝑡 = 0
𝐶1 𝐶1

• Taking the Laplace transform and rearranging

𝐸0 𝑠 1
=
𝐸𝑖 𝑠 𝑅1 𝐶1 𝑅2 𝐶2 𝑠 2 + (𝑅1 𝐶1 + 𝑅2 𝐶2 + 𝑅1 𝐶2 )𝑠 + 1
13 EPCE3204
 Electrical system Exercise

• Find the transfer function relating the current 𝐼2 (𝑠) to the input
voltage, 𝑉(𝑠), (𝐶 = 1, 𝑅1 = 1, 𝑅2 = 1, 𝐿1 = 2, 𝐿2 = 4, 𝐿3 = 3)

• Find the transfer function relating the resistor voltage 𝑉𝑜 (𝑠) to the
input voltage, 𝑉(𝑠)

14 EPCE3204