GEL 425 Linear Control system

Chapter 1:
Introduction and definition of a control system

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 Introduction to Control Systems
Objectives
In this part we describe a general process for designing a control system.

A control system consisting of interconnected components is designed to achieve a

desired purpose. To understand the purpose of a control system, it is useful to
examine examples of control systems through the course of history. These early
systems incorporated many of the same ideas of feedback that are in use today.

Modern control engineering practice includes the use of control design strategies for
improving manufacturing processes, the efficiency of energy use, advanced
automobile control, including rapid transit, among others.

We also discuss the notion of a design gap. The gap exists between the complex
physical system under investigation and the model used in the control system
synthesis.

The iterative nature of design allows us to handle the design gap effectively while
accomplishing necessary tradeoffs in complexity, performance, and cost in order to
meet the design specifications.
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A control system consists of subsystems
and processes (or plants) assembled for
the
purpose of obtaining a desired output
with desired performance, given a
specified
input. Figure 1.1 shows a control system
in its simplest form, where the
input represents a desired output.

For example, consider an elevator. When the fourth-floor button is pressed on the first floor, the
elevator rises to the fourth floor with a speed and floor-leveling accuracy designed for passenger
comfort.
The push of the fourth-floor button is an input that represents our desired output, shown as a step
function in Figure 1.2. The performance of the elevator can be seen from the elevator response
curve in the figure.

Two major measures of performance are apparent: (1) the transient response and (2) the steady-
state error. In our example, passenger comfort and passenger patience are dependent upon the
transient response. If this response is too fast, passenger comfort is sacrificed; if too slow,
passenger patience is sacrificed. The steady-state error is another important performance
specification since passenger safety and convenience would be sacrificed if the elevator did not
properly level.

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 Advantages of Control Systems
With control systems we can move large equipment with precision that would otherwise
be impossible.
We can point huge antennas toward the farthest reaches of the universe to pick up faint
radio signals;,controlling these antennas by hand would be impossible.

Because of control systems, elevators carry us quickly to our destination, automatically

stopping at the right floor
We alone could not provide the power required for the load and the speed; motors
provide the power, and control systems regulate the position and speed.

We build control systems for four primary reasons:

1. Power amplification
2. Remote control
3. Convenience of input form
4. Compensation for disturbances

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Open-Loop Systems
A generic open-loop system is shown in Figure (a).
It starts with a subsystem called an input transducer, which converts the form of
the input to that used by the controller.

The controller drives a process or a plant. The input is sometimes called the reference,
while the output can be called the controlled variable.
Other signals, such as disturbances, are shown added to the controller and process
outputs via summing junctions, which yield the algebraic sum of their input signals using
associated signs.
For example, the plant can be a furnace or air conditioning system, where the output
variable is temperature. The controller in a heating system consists of fuel valves and
the electrical system that operates the valves.

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Open-Loop Systems
The distinguishing characteristic of an open-loop system is that it cannot compensate for any
disturbances that add to the controllers driving signal. For example, if the controller is an
electronic amplifier and Disturbance 1 is noise, then any additive amplifier noise at the first
summing junction will also drive the process
The output of an open-loop system is corrupted not only by signals that add to the controllers
commands but also by disturbances at the output
Open-loop systems, then, do not correct for disturbances and are simply
commanded by the input.
For example, toasters are open-loop systems, mechanical system such as : Force, damper
assume that you calculate the amount of time you need to study for an examination that covers three
chapters in order to get an A. If the professor adds a fourth chaptera disturbanceyou are an open-loop
system if you do not detect the disturbance and add study time to that previously calculated. The result of
this oversight would be a lower grade than you expected.

generic open-loop system

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Closed-Loop (Feedback Control) Systems
The disadvantages of open-loop systems, namely sensitivity to disturbances and inability to correct
for these disturbances, may be overcome in closed-loop systems. The generic architecture of a
closed-loop system is shown in Figure (b).

The input transducer converts the form of the input to the form used by the controller.

An output transducer, or sensor, measures the output response and

converts it into the form used by the controller.

For example, if the controller uses electrical signals to operate the valves of a temperature control
system, the input position and the output temperature are converted to electrical signals. The
input position can be converted to a voltage by a potentiometer, a variable resistor,
and the output temperature can be converted to a voltage by a thermistor, a device
whose electrical resistance changes with temperature.

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Closed-Loop (Feedback Control) Systems
The first summing junction algebraically adds the signal from the input to the
signal from the output, which arrives via the feedback path, the return path from the output to the summing
junction.

the output signal is subtracted from the input signal. The result is generally called the actuating signal.
However, in systems where both the input and output transducers have unity gain (that is, the transducer
amplifies its input by 1), the actuating signals value is equal to the actual difference between the input and
the output. Under this condition, the actuating signal is called the error.

The closed-loop system compensates for disturbances by measuring the output response,
feeding that measurement back through a feedback path, and comparing that response to
the input at the summing junction.
If there is any difference between the two responses, the system drives the plant, via the actuating
signal, to make a correction. If there is no difference, the system does not drive the plant, since the
plants response is already the desired response.

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Closed-Loop (Feedback Control) Systems
Closed-loop systems, then, have the obvious advantage of greater accuracy than open-loop
systems.
They are less sensitive to noise, disturbances, and changes in the environment.

Transient response and steady-state error can be controlled more

conveniently and with greater flexibility in closed-loop systems, often by a simple
adjustment of gain (amplification) in the loop and sometimes by redesigning the
controller.

On the other hand, closed-loop systems are more complex and expensive than open-loop systems.
A standard, open-loop toaster serves as an example: It is simple and inexpensive. A closed-loop
toaster oven is more complex and more expensive since it has to measure both color (through light
reflectivity) and humidity inside the toaster oven.

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 Introduction
Summary

System An interconnection of elements and devices for a desired purpose.

Control System An interconnection of components forming a system

configuration that will provide a desired response.

Process The device, plant, or system

under control. The input and output
relationship represents the cause-and-
effect relationship of the process.

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 Introduction
Open-Loop Control Systems
utilize a controller or control
actuator to obtain the desired
response.

Closed-Loop Control
Systems utilizes feedback to
compare the actual output to
the desired output response.

Multivariable Control System

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 Examples of Modern Control Systems

(a) Automobile
steering control
system.
(b) The driver uses
the difference
between the actual
and the desired
direction of travel
to generate a
controlled adjustment
of the steering wheel.
(c) Typical direction-
of-travel response.

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 Examples of Modern Control Systems

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 Examples of Modern Control Systems

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 Examples of Modern Control Systems

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 The Future of Control Systems

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 Control System Design

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 Analysis and Design Objectives
Analysis is the process by which a systems performance is determined. For example,
we evaluate its transient response and steady-state error to determine if they meet the
desired specifications.

Design is the process by which a systems performance is created or changed. For

example, if a systems transient response and steady-state error are analyzed and found
not to meet the specifications, then we change parameters or add additional
components to meet the specifications.

A control system is dynamic: It responds to an input by undergoing a transient

response before reaching a steady-state response that generally resembles the input.

three major objectives of systems analysis and design:

producing the desired transient response, reducing steady-state error, and
achieving stability.

some other design concerns, such as cost and the sensitivity of system performance to
changes in parameters.
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Transient Response
Transient response is important. In the case of an elevator, a slow transient response makes
passengers impatient, whereas an excessively rapid response makes them uncomfortable.

If the elevator oscillates about the arrival floor for more than a second, a disconcerting
feeling can result.

Transient response is also important for structural reasons: Too fast a transient response
could cause permanent physical damage. In a computer, transient response contributes to
the time required to read from or write to the computers disk storage

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Steady-State Response
This response resembles the input and is usually what remains after the transients have decayed to
zero.
For example, this response may be an elevator stopped near the fourth floor or the head of a disk
drive finally stopped at the correct track.

An elevator must be level enough with the floor for the passengers to exit, and a read/write head
not positioned over the commanded track results in computer errors.

An antenna tracking a satellite must keep the satellite well within its beamwidth in order not to lose
track.

We are concerned about the accuracy of the steady-state response.

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 Stability
Discussion of transient response and steady-state error is moot if the system does not
have stability.

In order to explain stability, we start from the fact that the total response of a system is the sum of
the natural response and the forced response.

When you studied linear differential equations, you probably referred to these responses as the
homogeneous and the particular solutions, respectively.

Natural response describes the way the system dissipates or acquires energy. The form or nature
of this response is dependent only on the system, not the input.

On the other hand, the form or nature of the forced response is dependent on the input. Thus, for
a linear system, we can write

Total response = Natural response + Forced response

Control systems must
be designed to be
stable. That is, their
natural response
must decay to zero as
time approaches
infinity, or oscillate
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 Case Study

The purpose of this system is to have the azimuth angle output of the
antenna,
0 (), follow the input angle of the potentiometer, (). The input
command is an angular displacement. The potentiometer converts the
angular displacement into a voltage.

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The Design Process
The Figure below shows the described process as well as this course in which the steps are
discussed.

The control system design process

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 Problems

1. A temperature control system operates by sensing the difference between the

thermostat setting and the actual temperature and then opening a fuel valve an amount
proportional to this difference.

Draw a functional closed-loop block diagram identifying the input and output
transducers, the controller, and the plant.
Further, identify the input and output signals of all subsystems

Solution

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 Problems

2. An aircrafts attitude varies in roll, pitch, and yaw as defined in the

Figure.
Draw a functional block diagram for a closed-loop system that
stabilizes the roll
as follows:
The system measures the actual roll angle with a gyro and compares
the actual roll angle with the desired roll angle.
The ailerons respond to the rollangle error by undergoing an angular
deflection.
The aircraft responds to this angular deflection, producing a roll
angle rate.
Identify the input and output transducers the controller, and the plant

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 Problems

Homework

Solve the following differential equations using classical methods. Assume

zero initial conditions.

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 Problems

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 Problems

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