CONTROL SYSTEMS II

CYS201S

BLOCK DIAGRAM REDUCTION

S. Ntanjana

Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Cape Town, South Africa
[email protected]
 BLOCK DIAGRAMS

Block diagram: a simplified pictorial representation of a control

system, showing the input/output signals, and the mathematical
model (transfer function) of the control system

(Functional) block represents the mathematical operation on the

input signal that results in the control system output

Signal flow direction is always explicitly indicated (via arrows)

A given block diagram is not necessarily a unique representation

for any physical system (i.e. it may depict the dynamic behavior
of a variety of physical systems)

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 2
 COMPLEX SYSTEMS

Large wind turbine drive train

Main subsystems

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 3
 BLOCK DIAGRAM REDUCTION

Large (and often complex) control systems typically consist of

multiple subsystems

For Linear, Time-Invariant (LTI) dynamical systems, the

individual subsystems may be represented by block diagrams/
transfer functions

Block diagram reduction: the process of determining the

equivalent transfer function of a multi-subsystem control system

The equivalent transfer function retains the overall dynamical

behavior of the original system, with its individual subsystems

Block diagram reduction techniques are the subject of this

lecture

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 4
 BLOCK DIAGRAMS: COMPONENTS

Input signal:

Output signal:

Summing junction:

Pickoff/takeoff point:

Block diagram:

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 5
 BLOCK DIAGRAMS :
COMMON TOPOLOGIES
1. Cascade connection: equivalent transfer function of
cascaded subsystems is the product of the subsystems’ transfer
functions;
Output of each block is given by product of input and transfer
function of the block

Ge ( s)  G3 ( s)G2 ( s)G1 ( s )

Equivalent transfer function of cascaded subsystems above

assumes that each subsequent subsystem does not load the
preceding one;
Typically in cascaded systems, subsequent networks tend to
load the preceding ones; buffering may be used to prevent this
Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 6
 BLOCK DIAGRAMS :
COMMON TOPOLOGIES: cascaded subsystems

Subsystem 1: Subsystem 2:

Cascaded subsystems: V2 ( s)
GT ( s)   G2 ( s)G1 ( s)
unbuffered Vi ( s)

Cascaded subsystems: V2 (s)

GT (s)   KG2 (s)G1 (s)
buffered Vi (s)

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 7
 BLOCK DIAGRAMS :
COMMON TOPOLOGIES
2. Parallel connection: equivalent transfer function of paralleled
subsystems is the algebraic sum of the subsystems’ transfer
functions:

Ge ( s)  G1 ( s)  G2 ( s)  G3 ( s )

Blocks may sometimes have to be moved in order to more easily

carry out the block diagram reduction process

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 8
 BLOCK DIAGRAMS :
SIMPLIFYING MODIFICATIONS
Moving a block to the left of a summing junction:

Moving a block to the right of a summing junction:

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 9
 BLOCK DIAGRAMS :
SIMPLIFYING MODIFICATIONS
Moving a block to the left of a pickoff point:

Moving a block to the right of a pickoff point :

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 10
 BLOCK DIAGRAMS :
COMMON TOPOLOGIES
3. Feedback connection: feedback is an integral component of
feedback control systems (studied in this course), and thus
occurs very frequently in the systems to be studied

Feedback control system (FCS):

generic representation

FCS: simplified representation

FCS: equivalent block

diagram representation

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 11
 BLOCK DIAGRAM SIMPLICATIONS: SUMMARY

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 FEEDBACK CONTROL SYSTEM

B(s)

Main components (all are Laplace transforms):

 R(s): input (reference) signal
 C(s): output signal
 E(s): error signal (deviation between reference and output)
 G(s): feedforward transfer function
 H(s): feedback (transducer) transfer function (converts output signal so
that it matches the reference signal)

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 13
 FEEDBACK CONTROL SYSTEM

B(s)

Some transfer functions:

C (s)
G
 Feedforward transfer function: FF ( s )   G(s)
E(s)

 Open-loop transfer function: B(s)

GOL ( s)   G(s) H(s)
E(s)

C (s) G(s)
 Closed-loop transfer function: GCL ( s)  
R(s) 1  G(s) H(s)

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 14
 FEEDBACK CONTROL SYSTEM

1 G(s)H(s) : referred to as the characteristic

B(s) Equation (of the system); it depicts the system’s
most important characteristics;
System output is infinite when 1  G(s)H(s)  0

Some transfer functions:

 Output expression: C (s)
C ( s)   R(s)
1  G(s)H(s)

 Feedback transfer function: G FB ( s)  B(s)  G(s) H(s)

R(s) 1  G( s) H ( s)

E (s) 1
 Error transfer function: G E ( s)  
R(s) 1  G(s) H(s)

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 15
 SYSTEM RESPONSE TO TWO INPUTS

Superposition principle (linear systems): if inputs x and y (to a linear

dynamical system) produce outputs X and Y respectively, then the
input (x+y) produces the output (X+Y)

In the (linear) system above, the effects on the output of the

reference (R(s)) and the disturbance (W(s)) can be considered
separately; in each case, the input not considered is assumed to be
zero

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 16
 SYSTEM RESPONSE TO TWO INPUTS

System output due to the disturbance input,CW(s) (R(s)=0):

G 2 ( s)
CW ( s )   W ( s)
1  G1 ( s)G 2 ( s) H ( s)

System output due to the reference input ,CR(s) (W(s)=0):

G1 ( s)G 2 ( s)
C R ( s)   R( s )
1  G1 ( s)G 2 ( s) H ( s)

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 17
 SYSTEM RESPONSE TO TWO INPUTS

System net output due to both inputs, C(s):

G1 ( s)G 2 ( s) G 2 ( s)
C ( s)   R( s )   W ( s)
1  G1 ( s)G 2 ( s) H ( s) 1  G1 ( s)G 2 ( s) H ( s)

The disturbance input can be suppressed if G1(s) (the regulator) is

so chosen that G ( s)G (s) H (s)  1
1 2

and
G1 ( s) H ( s)  1

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 18
 BLOCK DIAGRAM REDUCTION

Example 1: determine the equivalent transfer function of the block

diagram below:

C ( s) G1G 2 G3 ( s)

R( s) 1  G1G 2 H 1 ( s)  G 2 G3 H 2 ( s)  G1G 2 G3 ( s)

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 19
 BLOCK DIAGRAM REDUCTION

Example 2: determine the equivalent transfer function of the block

diagram below:

Q2 ( s ) 1

Q( s ) R1 R2 C1C 2 s 2  ( R1C1  R2 C1  R2 C 2 ) s  1

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 20
 BLOCK DIAGRAM REDUCTION

Example 3: determine the equivalent transfer function of the block

diagram below:

C ( s) G  H 1

R( s) 1  GH 2

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 21
 BLOCK DIAGRAM FROM AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT

Procedure for implementing a block diagram of an electrical system:

1. Write the equations describing the dynamical behavior of
each component
2. Take the Laplace transforms of these equations, assuming
zero initial conditions
3. Represent each Laplace-transformed equation individually in
block form
4. Assemble the elements into a complete block diagram

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Semester 1 2018 22
 BLOCK DIAGRAM FROM AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT

Example 4: draw the block diagram for the following system:

Time domain equations and corresponding Laplace transforms:

ei (t )  eo (t ) Ei ( s )  Eo ( s )
i (t )  I ( s) 
R R

e (t ) 
 it
Eo ( s ) 
I ( s)
o
C Cs

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Feb 2018 23
 BLOCK DIAGRAM FROM AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT

Example 4:

Complete system

1
E0 ( s) RCs  1
G( s)  
Ei ( s) 1  1 1  RCs
RCs

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Feb 2018 24
 BLOCK DIAGRAM REDUCTION

Problem 1: determine the equivalent transfer function of the block diagram

below; also write the Matlab program to determine the equivalent transfer
function.

Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Feb 2018 25
 BLOCK DIAGRAM FROM AN ELECTROMECHANICAL
CIRCUIT
Problem 2: A DC servomotor is an electromechanical system whose
speed may be regulated by controlling the armature current, which is in
turn controlled by means of the armature voltage; the differential equations
governing the operation of the constant-field, armature current-controlled
servomotor are:
T  Ki a where:
T  armature torque
d (t )
eb (t )  K b K  motor-torque cons tan t
dt Determine the block
i a  armature current
dia (t ) diagram for the system,
La  R a i a (t )  eb (t )  e a (t ) a
e  armature emf Taking the input to be the
dt
eb  back-emf Armature voltage, and the
d  (t )
2
d (t ) K b  back  emf cons tan t Output to be the angular
J  b  T
dt 2 dt θ(t)  motor angular displacement Displacement. Also determine
L a  armature induc tan ce
The transfer function
R a  armature resis tan ce
J  motor mome nt of inertia
b  motor viscous friction
Control Systems II CYS201S Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Bellville) Feb 2018 26