CONTROL ENGINEERING

TOPIC 3: REDUCTION OF SYSTEM

REPRESENTATION AND STABILITY
 SUBTOPIC 1
Reduction of Subsystems

At the end of the presentation, the students should be able to:

 Simplify block diagram representations of control systems
 Sketch signal flow graphs
 Block Diagrams
 It consists of blocks for the controller, plant and feedback
signal plus summing junctions and take-off points.
 In a practical system, the representation is complicated so
systematic block diagram reductions should be applied in
order to simplify it.

Fig. 1: Reduced Block Diagram (DiStefano et al., 1990)

 Canonical and Unit Feedback Forms

Fig. 2: Canonical Form (DiStefano et al., 1990) Fig. 3: Unity Feedback Form (DiStefano et al., 1990)

𝐺 = 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑓𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

H = 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑓𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝐺𝐻 = 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑝 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑓𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝐶
= 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑝 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑓𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝑅
Block Diagram Transformation Theorems

(Source: DiStefano et al., 1990)

Block Diagram Transformation Theorems

(Source: DiStefano et al., 1990)

Block Diagram Transformation Theorems

(Source: DiStefano et al., 1990)

Block Diagram Transformation Theorems

(Source: DiStefano et al., 1990)

 Signal Flow Graphs
 Displays the transmission of signals through the system

Fig. 4: Signal Flow Graph (DiStefano et al., 1990)

 Input node or source – node with only outgoing branches

 Output node or sink – node with only incoming branches
 Forward path – path from input node to output node
 Feedback loop – path which originates and terminates on the
same node
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!
 References
 Distefano, J.J. III, A.R. Stubberud & I.J. Williams (1990).
Schaum’s Outline of Theory and Problems of Feedback
and Control Systems 2nd Edition. The McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc.
 Nise, N.S. (2011). Control Systems Engineering 6th
Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
 SUBTOPIC 2
Stability

At the end of the presentation, the students should be able to:

 Identify if the system is stable, unstable or marginally stable
 Sketch pole-zero maps of transfer functions
 Stability
 For a linear, time-invariant system:
• Stable – if the natural response approaches zero as time
approaches infinity
• Unstable – if the natural response approaches infinity as time
approaches infinity

• Marginally stable – if the natural response neither decays nor

grows but remains constant or oscillates

 Routh-Hurwitz Test – a method for determining stability of a

linear system directly from the transfer function.
 Pole-Zero Map
 s-plane including the locations of the poles and zeros

(𝑠 + 1)(𝑠 − 2)
𝐺 𝑠 =
(𝑠 + 3)(𝑠 + 1 + 𝑗)(𝑠 + 1 − 𝑗)

𝑠+1 𝑠−2 =0
𝑧𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑠 (𝑂): −1, 2

𝑠+3 𝑠+1+𝑗 𝑠+1−𝑗 =0

𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠 (𝑋): −3, −1 − 𝑗, −1 + 𝑗
Fig. 1 Pole-Zero Map (Nise, 2011)
 Stable System
 The real parts of the poles are all negative
 Bounded input yields bounded output

(Source: Nise, 2011)

3
𝑠(𝑠 + 1)(𝑠 + 2) 𝑠 3 + 3𝑠 2 + 2𝑠 + 3 = 0
𝐺 𝑠 =
3
1 + (1)
𝑠(𝑠 + 1)(𝑠 + 2)
𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠: −2.672, −0.164 ± 1.047𝑗
3
𝐺 𝑠 = 3
𝑠 + 3𝑠 2 + 2𝑠 + 3
Stable System

(Source: Nise, 2011)

 Unstable System
 If at least one pole has positive real part
 Bounded input yields unbounded output

(Source: Nise, 2011)

7
𝑠(𝑠 + 1)(𝑠 + 2) 𝑠 3 + 3𝑠 2 + 2𝑠 + 7 = 0
𝐺 𝑠 =
7
1 + (1)
𝑠(𝑠 + 1)(𝑠 + 2)
𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠: −3.087, 0.0434 ± 1.505𝑗
7
𝐺 𝑠 = 3
𝑠 + 3𝑠 2 + 2𝑠 + 7
Unstable System

(Source: Nise, 2011)

 Marginally Stable System
 Some poles with real parts equal to zero but none with positive
real parts.

1386
𝑠(𝑠 + 7)(𝑠 + 11) 𝑠 3 + 18𝑠 2 + 77𝑠 + 1386 = 0
𝐺 𝑠 =
1386
1 + (1)
𝑠(𝑠 + 7)(𝑠 + 11)
𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠: −18, 0 ± 8.775𝑗
1386
𝐺 𝑠 = 3
𝑠 + 18𝑠 2 + 77𝑠 + 1386
Marginally Stable System
 Second-Order System
Overdamped: Critically damped:
2 distinct real poles Repeated real poles

Underdamped: Undamped:
Complex poles with Complex poles with
negative real parts zero real parts
 Routh-Hurwitz Criterion
 States that the number of roots of the polynomial that are in the right
half-plane is equal to the number of sign changes in the first column

(Source: Nise, 2011)

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!
 References
 Distefano, J.J. III, A.R. Stubberud & I.J. Williams (1990).
Schaum’s Outline of Theory and Problems of Feedback
and Control Systems 2nd Edition. The McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc.
 Nise, N.S. (2011). Control Systems Engineering 6th
Edition. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
 https://www.egr.msu.edu/classes/me451/jchoi/2007/hando
uts/ME451_S07_lecture16.pdf