Department of Mechanical, Automotive, & Materials Engineering

401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor

Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4
519-253-3000
www.uwindsor.ca

92-321 Control Theory

Summer 2015
Midterm Exam 1

Engineering is a professional faculty, and as a student of engineering, it is expected that you will behave in a
professional manner during your exam, and abide by the following standards of conduct.

1. Unless explicitly allowed, a candidate must not give assistance to, or receive assistance from, or commu-
nicate in any manner with any person other than the examiner or proctors. A candidate who is involved
in such activity may be subject to disciplinary procedures of the University.

2. The possession of any telecommunications device is strictly prohibited during an exam, and will be con-
sidered as cheating, whether it is used or not. Students found with said devices may be subject to to
disciplinary procedures of the University. If you are in possession of any telecommunications devices,
identify yourself to the proctor and surrender them immediately for the duration of the exam. Please note
that the University is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

3. The possession of any unauthorized aids during an exam will be considered as cheating, whether it is used
or not. Students found with said materials may be subject to disciplinary procedures of the University.

4. Be prepared to hand in your exam to the proctors immediately after time expires. Students who delay
collection of the exams by the proctor (i.e., they must wait for you to finish writing, sign your name, etc.,)
may be subject to downward adjustment of their grade.

5. Remain seated quietly until all the exams have been collected, not just your own. Recognize that other
students are still holding their exams and could be influenced by any discussions. There will be plenty of
opportunity to discuss the exam outside the hall.

6. Each student will be allowed a maximum of three inquiries regarding the exam material; further requests
for clarification will be denied. If you have uncertainties about the exam, make sure you have read the
entire question, state your assumptions, and proceed. Do not waste the examiner’s time by asking questions
regarding the correctness of your solution.

7. Answer all questions, to the best of your ability.

1
 Department of Mechanical, Automotive, & Materials Engineering
401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor
Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4
519-253-3000
www.uwindsor.ca

Question 1

Consider the device shown in Figure 1. Two rigid bodies, of mass m1 and m2 respectively, are restricted to
horizontal sliding motion as shown, and each is acted on by a spring, with stiffness k1 and k2 respectively. An
external force f acts on the first body. Between the two sliding bodies is a third body, a wheel of mass m3 and
inertia I G , that translates and rotates based on the relative motion of the two sliding bodies. The rotation of the
third body is determined by a gear wheel with radius r; it does not make contact with the ground.

a) Draw free body diagrams of all three bodies. You can safely ignore vertical forces.
b) Write the equations of motion of the system using the coordinates x 1 and x 2 . Hint: x 3 = x 1 − rθ ,
x 3 = x 2 + rθ .
c) Cast the equations in the form M ẍ~ + K x~ = f~.

m3 , I G r
m1 m2
f
θ

k1 k2

x1 x3 x2

Figure 1: Sliding masses and gear wheel

2 c BP Minaker PhD PEng 2015

 Department of Mechanical, Automotive, & Materials Engineering
401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor
Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4
519-253-3000
www.uwindsor.ca

Solution
a) Free body diagram, see Figure 2

f f4

f3 f4
f1 f2
f3

Figure 2: Free body diagram

b) Consider the summation of forces on body 1

ΣF = f − f1 − f3 = m1 ẍ 1

f1 = k1 x 1
Simplify
m1 ẍ 1 + k1 x 1 + f3 = f
Consider the summation of forces on body 2

ΣF = − f2 + f4 = m1 ẍ 2

f2 = k2 x 2
Simplify
m2 ẍ 2 + k2 x 2 − f4 = 0
Consider the wheel
ΣF = f3 − f4 = m3 ẍ 3
ΣM = r f3 + r f4 = I G θ̈
IG
f3 + f4 = θ̈
r
Solving for f3 , f4 :
m3 IG
f3 = ẍ 3 + θ̈
2 2r
m3 IG
f4 = − ẍ 3 + θ̈
2 2r
Consider the constraints. x 3 = x 1 − rθ , x 3 = x 2 + rθ Solving for x 3 , θ .
x1 + x2
x3 =
2

3 c BP Minaker PhD PEng 2015

 Department of Mechanical, Automotive, & Materials Engineering
401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor
Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4
519-253-3000
www.uwindsor.ca

x1 − x2
θ=
2r
Differentiating:
ẍ 1 + ẍ 2
ẍ 3 =
2
ẍ 1 − ẍ 2
θ̈ =
2r
Substituting:
m3 ẍ 1 + ẍ 2 I G ẍ 1 − ẍ 2
 ‹  ‹
f3 = +
2 2 2r 2r
m3 ẍ 1 + ẍ 2 I G ẍ 1 − ẍ 2
 ‹  ‹
f4 = − +
2 2 2r 2r
m3 ẍ 1 + ẍ 2 I G ẍ 1 − ẍ 2
 ‹  ‹
m1 ẍ 1 + k1 x 1 + + =f
2 2 2r 2r
m3 ẍ 1 + ẍ 2 I G ẍ 1 − ẍ 2
 ‹  ‹
m2 ẍ 2 + k2 x 2 + − =0
2 2 2r 2r
c) Rewriting
       
m1 + (m3 + I G /r 2 )/4 (m3 − I G /r 2 )/4 ẍ 1 k 0 x1 f
+ 1 =
(m3 − I G /r )/4
2
m2 + (m3 + I G /r 2 )/4 ẍ 2 0 k2 x2 0

4 c BP Minaker PhD PEng 2015

 Department of Mechanical, Automotive, & Materials Engineering
401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor
Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4
519-253-3000
www.uwindsor.ca

Question 2

As a part of an industrial process, a small motor and pump fill a reservoir tank with water, where it is chemically
treated. A small drain allows the treated water to flow out of the tank to its destination. A schematic diagram
of the system is shown in Figure 3. A model of the motor/pump/tank system is required.
Assumptions:

• The volume flow rate of water through the pump is proportional to its angular speed: qi = k p ω

• The torque on the pump is proportional to the water pressure in the line: t p = k f p

• The line pressure is due only to the depth of water in the tank; dynamic effects can be ignored

• The drain allows the water to develop a laminar flow, i.e., the volume flow rate is proportional to pressure,
qo = p/R d

• The ‘back-voltage’ of the motor is proportional to its angular speed: vb = ke ω

• The torque produced by the motor is proportional to the motor current: t m = k t i

• The inductance effect in the motor is negligible, L = 0

• The pump and motor together have a combined drag torque t d = cω

• The pump and motor together have a combined inertia I

Required:

a) Find two differential equations relating the input voltage v applied to the motor, its angular speed ω, and
the height of the water in the tank h. Hint: sum of moments on the motor, conservation of water volume
in the tank.
b) Draw the a block diagram that is equivalent to the differential equations, with v as the input and h as the
output. Label the paths with variables, and do not simplify the diagram (i.e., give a diagram where each
individual block is as simple as possible, with many blocks).

5 c BP Minaker PhD PEng 2015

 Department of Mechanical, Automotive, & Materials Engineering
401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor
Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4
519-253-3000
www.uwindsor.ca

h
i R

v ω

vb

Figure 3: A water tank, pump and motor

a) Using Newton’s 2nd law obtain a summation of the moments acting on the electric motor: the torque
generated, less the driving torque of the pump and the drag torque give the rate of change of angular
momentum.
ΣM = I ω̇ = t m − t p − cω
Knowing the motor torque is proportional to the current, and the driving torque of the pump is propor-
tional to the pressure:
ΣM = I ω̇ = k t i − k f ρ gh − cω
By applying Kirchoff’s law on the electric motor circuit, we get:

v − vb = iR

v − ke ω = iR
v − ke ω
i=
R
We can obtain an expression for ω in terms of v and h by substituting i:

k t ke kt
I ω̇ = ( + c)ω − k f ρ gh − v
R R
By applying the conservation of volume on the water tank system:

V̇ = qin − qout
ρg
Aḣ = k p ω − h
Rd

6 c BP Minaker PhD PEng 2015

 Department of Mechanical, Automotive, & Materials Engineering
401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor
Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4
519-253-3000
www.uwindsor.ca

b) Block diagram: start with diagrams for the motor and the tank, assuming that eventually the back voltage,
the pump torque, the drag torque, and the tank out flow will be known. Then, connect the two blocks
with the appropriate pump equations, and compute the out flow to feed back. Finally, use the values of
angular speed and tank pressure that are now know to compute the unknown back voltage, pump torque
and drag torque.

7 c BP Minaker PhD PEng 2015

 Department of Mechanical, Automotive, & Materials Engineering
401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor
Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4
519-253-3000
www.uwindsor.ca

tp td qout
v i tm ḣ h
1
kt ΣM 1 1
R qin A s

vb

p
1
Rd ρg
tp td qout
v i tm ω̇ ω ḣ h
1 1 1 1 1
R kt I s kp qin A s

vb

p
1
kf c Rd ρg
tp td qout
v i tm ω̇ ḣ h
1 1 1 1 1
R kt I s kp qin A s

vb ω
ke

Figure 4: Block diagram

8 c BP Minaker PhD PEng 2015

 Department of Mechanical, Automotive, & Materials Engineering
401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor
Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4
519-253-3000
www.uwindsor.ca

Useful Information For a state space A,B,C,D, the transfer function is

Laplace transforms G(s) = C[Is − A]−1 B + D

F(s) f(t) det[Is − A + BC] − det[Is − A]
= +D
1 δ(t) det[Is − A]
det[Is − (A − BC)] − det[Is − A]
1 = +D
s us (t) det[Is − A]
1
s+a e−at
Complex numbers
b
s2 +b2
sin bt
The magnitude of a complex number
s
s2 +b2
cos bt
p
c + di c2 + d 2
b
e−at sin bt =p
(s+a)2 +b2 a + bi a2 + b2
s+a
(s+a)2 +b2
e−at cos bt The angle of a complex number
df
sF (s) − f (0) c + di
 ‹  ‹  ‹
dt d b
∠ = t an−1 − t an−1
a + bi c a
df d2 f
s2 F (s) − s f (0) − dt d t2
t=0

Determinants
State space The determinant of a matrix A is computed by choos-
For a transfer function of the form ing any row or column, proceeding along this row or
column, multiplying each entry of the row or column
c3 s3 + c2 s2 + c1 s + c0 by the determinant of the ‘minor’ (i.e, the matrix, with
G(s) =
s4 + d3 s3 + d2 s2 + d1 s + d0 the row and column of the current entry ommitted.)
Additionally, the sign of every other entry is reversed.
A possible state space representation is This relies on the recognition that the determinant of
a 2x2 matrix is the product of the main diagonal, less
0 1 0 0
 
the product of the off-diagonal. For example, using the
 0 0 1 0 
A= first column
0 0 0 1

−d0 −d1 −d2 −d3  
a11 a12 a13
0

 A = a21 a22 a23 
a31 a32 a33
 0 
B=
0

1 det[A] =a11 (a22 a33 − a23 a32 )
− a21 (a12 a33 − a13 a32 )
 
C= c0 c1 c2 c3
+ a31 (a12 a23 − a13 a22 )
9 c BP Minaker PhD PEng 2015
 Department of Mechanical, Automotive, & Materials Engineering
401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor
Ontario, Canada N9B 3P4
519-253-3000
www.uwindsor.ca

Matrix Inverse Frequency response

A−1 A = I s = iω

If   Æ
a b ωr = 1 − 2ζ2 ωn
A=
c d
then   Dynamics
−1 1 d −b
A = The equations of motion for translation
ad − bc −c a
Σ F~ = m~
aG
Eigen analysis
The equations of motion for rotation for planar prob-
det[Is − A] = 0 lems can be written using A, an arbitrary point as a
[Is − A]X~ = 0 reference
ΣM~ A = I Aα
~ + ~rG/A × m~
aA
For an eigenvalue s = a ± bi, the natural frequency and
or
damping ratio are
~ A = IG α
ΣM ~ + ~rG/A × m~
aG
p
ωn = a2 + b2 If the point A is chosen as either the centre of mass, G,
or a fixed point, O, the equations can be simplified
−a
ζ= p
a2 + b2 ~ G = IG α
ΣM ~
a = −ζωn
or
~ O = IO α
Æ
b = ω d = 1 − ζ2 ω n ΣM ~

10 c BP Minaker PhD PEng 2015