2 Modelling

2.1 Plant

Plant: The system to be controlled.

Before designing the controller, we need express the dynamics of the plant with mathematical equation.

Typically, the system is modeled with a discrete system.

Discrete system: System with finite number of degrees of freedom.

Basically for controller design, we need make the equation linear.

Linear system: The basic components of the plant behave linearly.

Equation of motion of one degree of freedom system.

m x f

k c

Equation on motion:
m x  cx  kx  f

2.2 Transfer function

Laplace transform of the equation of motion is

m s s

 cs  k x ( s )  f ( s ) .
Then
x( s) 1
 .
f ( s ) m s  cs  k
s

Transfer function, Tf/x, from x to f is obtained as

1
Tx / f ( s ) 
m s 2  cs  k

When we substitute s  j into the transfer function and calculate the absolute value, gain is obtained.
 1 1
Gain  T ( j )  
k  m  2  jc
k  m  
2 2
 c 
2

Arc tangent of rate of the value of the imaginary part to the real part is phase difference.
 Im(T ( j ))   c 
Phase  tan 1    tan 1  
 Re(T ( j ))   k  m 2 

2.3 State space equation

To design the controller, it is better to express the equation in the form of state space equation.
State space equation form: First order differential equation.
That is,

 x   0 1   x  0 
 x   k c 1f
   x   
   m m   m

We define the following matrices,

 0 1 
A k c
 m  
m

T
 1
B  0
 m 

X  x x T

X  AX  Bf

X  x x T

then represent the equation as

X  AX  Bf
X is called a state vector.

2.4 Output
Output is expressed by
Y  CX  Df

When the output is x, C and D are

C  1 0

D  0

When the output is acceleration x , C and D are

 k c
C   
 m m 

1
D .
m
3. Classic control theory

In active vibration control, skyhook control, D control, is frequently utilized.

3.1 Suspension

Suspension of automobile 1/4 car model

x2
m2

c2
k2
x1
m1

k1

c2 ：Damping coefficient of the suspension

k1 ：Tire stiffness
k2 ：Spring constant of the suspension
m1 ：Mass of tire
m2 ：Mass of body
x1 ：Displacement of the tire
x2 ：Displacement of car body
x0 ：Road roughness

Equation of motion is expressed as the following coupled ordinary differential equations:

m2  x2  c2  x 2  x1   k 2  x2  x1   0
m1  x1  k1  x1  x0   c2 x 2  x1   k 2  x2  x1 
Laplace transform:
m s
2
2

 c2 s  k 2 x2 ( s )  c2 s  k 2 x1 ( s )  0
m s
1
2

 c2 s  k1  k 2 x1 ( s )  c2 s  k 2 x2 ( s )  k1 x0 ( s )
Transfer function:
x2 ( s) k1 c2 s  k2 
T2 ( s)  
  
x0 ( s ) m1s  c2 s  k 1 k2 m2 s 2  c2 s  k2  c2 s  k2 2
2
 x1 ( s) k1 m2 s 2  c2 s  k2 
T1 ( s)  
x0 ( s) m1s 2  c2 s  k 1 k 2 m2 s 2  c2 s  k 2   c2 s  k2 2
Gains are

k1 k2  jc2 
T2 ( j ) 
  
 m1  k 1 k2  jc2  m2 2  k2  jc2  k2  jc2 
2 2

T1 ( j ) 

k1  m2 2  k 2  jc2 
  
 m1 2  k 1 k2  jc2  m2 2  k 2  jc2  k 2  jc2 
2

State space equation

X  AX  B x0

where
X  x1 x 2 
T
x2 x1

 0 0 1 0 
 1 
 k 0 k 0
k2
0
c c2 
A    2
1 2
 m1 m1 m1 m1 
 k2 k c2 c 
  2  2
 m2 m2 m2 m2 
T
 k1 
B  0 0 0
 m1 

Treating displacement of the car body is output, the output equation is written as
Y  CX  Dx0
where
C  0 1 0 0
D  0 ．

Gain plots
 1
10
=0.1
Gain (x / x )
0
0 =0.3
10
=0.5
2

-1
10

-2
10 -1 0 1 2
10 10 10 10
Frequency (Hz)

2 =0.1
10
Gain (x / x )
0

=0.3
=0.5
1

0
10

-2
10 -1 0 1 2
10 10 10 10
Frequency (Hz)

skyhook.m

When we treat acceleration of the car body as output, the output equation is written as
Y  CX  Dx0
where

k k2 c2 c2 
C 2   
 m2 m2 m2 m2 

D  0 ．

3.2 Skyhook Damper System

Skyhook controller simulates damping force of a skyhook damper.
 csky x2

m2

k2 c1 x1

m1
x0
k1

Equation of motion of the system including the skyhook damper.

m2  x2  c2  x2  x1   csky x2  k2 x2  x1   0

m1  x1  k1  x1  x0   c2 x 2  x1   k 2  x2  x1 

The transfer function of the skyhook damper system:
x2 ( s ) k1 c2 s  k2 
T (s)  
 
x0 ( s ) m1s  c2 s  k 1 k2  m2 s 2  c2  csky s  k2  c2 s  k2 2
2

The damping term by the skyhook damper appears only in the denominator, so it is expected not to increase the gain in
the high frequency range.
 Amplitude x2 / x 0
Amplitude x1 / x 0

skyhook.m

The advantage of the skyhook control is it does not worsen the gain in the high frequency range, however it does not
suppress the gain around the second natural frequency.