Chapter 6 Root-Locus Analysis

6.1 Introduction

- In some systems simple gain adjustment may move the closed-

loop poles to desired locations. Then the design problem may
become the selection of an appropriate gain value. If the gain
adjustment alone does not yield a desired result, addition of a
compensator to the system will become necessary.
- Unless otherwise stated, we shall assume that the gain of the
open-loop transfer function is the parameter to be varied
through all values, from zero to infinity.
- By using the root-locus method the designer can predict the eff
ects on the location of the closed-loop poles of varying the gai
n value or adding open-loop poles and/or open-loop zeros.
- The values of s that fulfill both the angle and magnitude
conditions are the roots of the characteristic equation, or the
closed-loop poles.
- A locus of the points in the complex plane satisfying the angle c
ondition alone is the root locus.
- The roots of the characteristic equation (the closed-loop poles) co
rresponding to a given value of the gain can be determined from
the magnitude condition.
- Begin sketching the root loci of a system by the root-locus
method. For example, if G(s)H (s) is given by
Figure 6-2 (a) and (b) Diagrams showing angle measurements from open-loop poles
and open-loop zero to test point s.
Figure 6-3 Control system.
- The number of individual root loci for this system is three,
which is the same as the number of open-loop poles.
Figure 6-4 Three asymptotes.
Figure 6-5 Construction of root locus.
Figure 6-6 Root-locus plot.
Figure 6-7 Control system.
Figure 6-9 Determination of the angle of departure.
1  G (s)  0
- If a root locus lies between two adjacent open-loop poles on the
real axis, then there exists at least one breakaway point between
the two poles.

- If the root locus lies between two adjacent zeros (one zero may be
located at -) on the real axis, then there always exists at least
one break-in point between the two zeros.

- If the root locus lies between an open-loop pole and a zero (finite
or infinite) on the real axis, then there may exist no breakaway or
break-in points or there may exist both breakaway and break-in
points.
- The angle of departure (or angle of arrival) of the root locus
from a complex pole (or at a complex zero) can be found by
subtracting from 180 the sum of all the angles of vectors from
all other poles and zeros to the complex pole (or complex
zero) in question, with appropriate signs included.
Figure 6-12 Construction of the root locus. [Angle of departure =180°- (ϴ1+ϴ2 )+Φ.]
Figure 6-15 Control system.
Figure 6-17 Root-locus plot.
Figure 6-18 Root-locus plot.
Figure 6-19 Closed-loop control system.
Figure 6-20 Root-locus plot of system defined in state space, where A, B, C, and D
are as given by Equation (6–15).
Figure 6-21 (a) Complex poles; (b) lines of constant damping ratio ζ.
Figure 6-22 Constant ζ lines and constant ωn circles.
Figure 6-23 Constant ζ lines and constant ωn circles superimposed on a root-locus plot.