King Abdul Aziz University

Department of Production Engineering and Mechanical

Systems Design

MENG-366
SYSTEM DYNAMICS AND CONTROL

(AUTOMATIC CONTROL)
Fall 2014
Prepared and presented by

Dr. Khalid Almatani

Assistant professor of mechanical Engineering
Production Engineering and mechanical systems design department
College of Engineering
King Abdul Aziz University
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Fall, 2014

MENG-366
Automatic Control
LAPLACE TRANSFORMS OF SOME ELEMENTARY FUNCTIONS

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Why do you need a Laplace Transform in control?!

In control, we are trying to control the behavior of a physical
system

The behavior of physical systems, in general, is described by a

differential equation (in time domain)
Laplace Transforms can be used to transform the differential
equation into a simpler equation (in Laplace domain). This
makes the solution easier to be determined.
Laplace Inverse Transforms can be used to transform the
solution back into time domain.

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Why do you need a Laplace Transform in control?!

In control, we are trying to control the behavior of a physical
system

The behavior of physical systems, in general, is described by a

differential equation (in time domain)
Laplace Transforms can be used to transform the differential
equation into a simpler equation (in Laplace domain). This
makes the solution easier to be determined.
Laplace Inverse Transforms can be used to transform the
solution back into time domain.

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Control
Terminology

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Automatic Control

Terminology and Definitions

The figure below shows the block diagram of an industrial control
system.

Controlled Variable is the quantity or condition that is measured

and controlled.
Manipulated variable is the quantity or condition that is varied by
the controller so as to affect the value of the controlled variable.

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Terminology and Definitions

The figure below shows the block diagram of an industrial control
system.

Control means measuring the value of the controlled variable of

the system and applying the manipulated variable to the system to
correct or limit deviation of the measured value from the desired
value.

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Automatic Control

Terminology and Definitions

The figure below shows the block diagram of an industrial control
system.

Plant is a piece of equipment, perhaps just a set of machine parts

functioning together, the purpose of which is to perform a
particular operation. Any physical object to be controlled (such as a
mechanical device, a heating furnace, a chemical reactor,
spacecraft) is called a plant.

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Terminology and Definitions

The figure below shows the block diagram of an industrial control
system.

Disturbance is a signal that tends to adversely affect the value of

the output of a system. If a disturbance is generated within the
system, it is called internal, while an external disturbance is
generated outside the system.

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Terminology and Definitions

The figure below shows the block diagram of an industrial control
system.

Feedback Control refers to an operation that, in the presence of

disturbances, tends to reduce the difference between the output of
a system and the reference input.

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Automatic Control

Terminology and Definitions

CLOSED-LOOP AND OPEN-LOOP CONTROL SYSTEMS

Feedback control systems:

A system that maintains a prescribed relationship between the
output and the reference input by comparing them and using the
difference as a means of control is called a feedback control
system. An example would be a room temperature control
system. By measuring actual room temperature and comparing it
with the reference temperature (desired temperature), the
thermostat turns the heating or the cooling equipment on or off
in such a way as to insure that the room temperature remains at a
comfortable level regardless of outside conditions.

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Terminology and Definitions

CLOSED-LOOP AND OPEN-LOOP CONTROL SYSTEMS

Closed-loop control systems:

Feedback control systems are often referred to as closed-loop
control systems. In practice, the terms feedback control and
closed-loop control are used interchangeably. In a closed-loop
control system the actuating error signal, which is the difference
between the input signal and the feedback signal is fed to the
controller so as to reduce the error and bring the output of the
system to a desired value. The term closed-loop control always
implies the use of feedback control action in order to reduce
system error.

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Automatic Control

Terminology and Definitions

CLOSED-LOOP AND OPEN-LOOP CONTROL SYSTEMS

Open-loop control systems:

Those systems in which the output has no effect on the control
action are called open-loop control systems. In other words, in an
open-loop control system the output is neither measured nor fed
back for comparison with the input. One practical example is a
washing machine. Soaking, washing, and rinsing in the washer
operate on a time basis. The machine does not measure the
output signal, that is, the cleanliness of the clothes. In any openloop control system the output is not compared with the
reference input.

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
Block Diagrams
And Reduction of Multiple
Subsystems

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Automatic Control

Transfer Function
Definition
The transfer function of a linear, time-invariant differential
equation system is defined as the ratio of the Laplace transform of
the output to the Laplace transform of the input under the
assumption that all initial conditions are zero.

Where y is the output u is the input.

Take the Laplace transform of the differential equation:

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
Characteristics of Transfer Function
1) Transfer function of a system is a mathematical model of a
physical system that relates output and input
2) Transfer function is the property of the system.
3) Transfer function includes units necessary to relate input and
output.
4) Transfer function does not provide information about the
physical system.
5) Different physical systems may have same transfer function.
6) If the transfer function is known response of the system to
different inputs can be studied.
7) If the transfer function is not known it may be established
experimentally by introducing known input and studying the
output.

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
Block Diagram
A block diagram of a system is a pictorial representation of the
functions performed by each component and of the flow of
signals. Such a diagram depicts the interrelationships that exist
among the various components.

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Transfer Function
Elements of a Block Diagram
Block: represents a transfer function of the component. Output
signal is obtained by multiplying the input signal with the transfer
function of the block.

Summing point: at which quantities being added or subtracted.

Units should be same.

Branch point: is a point from which the signal goes concurrently

to other blocks or summing points.

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
Block Diagram of a Closed Loop System

In the above block, we have:

C(s): output,
R(s): reference input,
E(s): actuating error,
B(s): feedback signal.

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
Block Diagram of a Closed Loop System
At the summing point, we have the
following relationship:
E ( s) R( s) B( s)

And the feedback signal B(s) can be written as

B( s) C ( s) H ( s)

And the error E(s) can be rewritten as

E ( s) R( s) C ( s) H ( s)

The output C(s) is equal to

C ( s ) E ( s ) G ( s ) C ( s ) [ R( s ) C ( s ) H ( s )] G ( s )

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
Block Diagram of a Closed Loop System
The output C(s) is equal to
C ( s ) E ( s ) G ( s ) C ( s ) [ R( s ) C ( s ) H ( s )] G ( s )

Simplifying the above equation, we get

R( s ) G ( s ) [1 G ( s ) H ( s )] C ( s )

From which:

C (s)
G (s)
Output

Transfer Function
R( s ) [1 G ( s ) H ( s )] Input

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
Closed Loop System Subjected to a Disturbance

Using the same procedure , for the above block diagram, we can write

R(s) C (s) H (s)G (s) D(s) C (s)

Simplifying the above equation, we get

R( s )G ( s ) D( s ) 1 G ( s ) H ( s ) C ( s )

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
Closed Loop System Subjected to a Disturbance
Simplifying the above equation, we get
R( s )G ( s ) D( s ) 1 G ( s ) H ( s ) C ( s )

From which:
R( s )G ( s )
D( s)
C (s)

1 G (s) H (s) 1 G (s) H (s)

If D(s)=0
G (s)
C (s)
R( s)
1 G (s) H (s)

C (s)
G (s)

R( s) 1 G ( s) H ( s)

Which is the same transfer function of the previous system

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
Block Diagram Reduction

By observation, the transfer function of a block diagram can be

determined using the following formula:

TF

Product of the TFs of the feedforward path

1 - (product of the TFs around closed - loops)

MENG-366
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Transfer Function
EXAMPLE#1
Find the transfer function of the shown block diagram

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Automatic Control

Transfer Function
EXAMPLE#1

Feedforward path

Product of the TFs of the feedforward path G1G2G3

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Automatic Control

Transfer Function
EXAMPLE#1

Closed-loop#1

product of the TFs around closed - loop#1 G1G2 H1

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Automatic Control

Transfer Function
EXAMPLE#1

Closed-loop#2

product of the TFs around closed - loop#2 G2G3 H 2

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Automatic Control

Transfer Function
EXAMPLE#1

Closed-loop#3

product of the TFs around closed - loop#3 G1G2G3

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Automatic Control

Transfer Function
EXAMPLE#1
The transfer function can be written as:
TF

G1G2G3
G1G2G3
C

R 1 (G1G2 H1 G1G2G3 G2G3 H 2 ) 1 G1G2 H1 G1G2G3 G2G3 H 2

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
EXAMPLE#2

Product of the TFs of the feedforward path G1G2G3G4

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
EXAMPLE#2

product of the TFs around closed - loop#1 G1G2 H1

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
EXAMPLE#2

product of the TFs around closed - loop#2 G3G4 H 2

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
EXAMPLE#2

product of the TFs around closed - loop#3 G2G3 H 3

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
EXAMPLE#2

G1G2G3G4
G1G2G3G4
C (s)

R( s ) 1 (G1G2 H1 G3G4 H 2 G2G3 H 3 ) 1 G1G2 H1 G3G4 H 2 G2G3 H 3

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
EXAMPLE#3

In the above block diagram, we have two feedforward paths

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
EXAMPLE#3

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
EXAMPLE#3

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
EXAMPLE#3

Product of the TFs of the feedforward path G1G2G3 G4G2G3

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
EXAMPLE#3

product of the TFs around closed - loop#1 G1G2G3 H1

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
EXAMPLE#3

product of the TFs around closed - loop#2 G2 H 2

MENG-366
Automatic Control

Transfer Function
EXAMPLE#3

G1G2G3 G4G2G3
(G1 G4 )G2G3
C (s)

R( s ) 1 (G2 H 2 G1G2G3 H1 G4G2G3 H1 ) 1 G2 H 2 G1G2G3 H1 G4G2G3 H1