BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Engineering, Architecture and Fine Arts

Gov. Pablo Borbon Campus II,
Alangilan, Batangas City, Philippines 4200
www.batstate-u.edu.ph Telefax: (043) 300-4044 locs. 106-108

CHEMICAL AND FOOD ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

Process Dynamics and Control

FIRST ORDER OPEN LOOP SYSTEMS

Cabral, Daisy Anne M.

Makalintal, Thaddeus M.
Paa, Kimberly Anne H.

Torres, Jean Adrian

Engr. Naneth Jacinto

Instructor

March 2017
I. Introduction

In the study of control systems it is very difficult to make generalizations and

formulate rules of thumb, because the dynamics, characteristics, and parameters of
each system can vary so greatly. In an effort to help bring order to this subject, some
types of simple systems have been modeled mathematically, and studied carefully.

One of these simple systems is the first order system, so named because it can
be mathematically defined by a linear first order differential equation with constant
coefficients. Interestingly, we find this system in mechanical, fluid, electronic, and
thermal contexts.

II. First Order Systems

A first order system is a system whose dynamics is modeled by the first order
differential equation.

equation 1

where, u(t) and y(t) are input and output of the process respectively. This may be
simplified to

equation 2

where:

At steady state condition { ys, us }, the equation can be re-written as:

equation 3

Subtracting equation 3 from equation 2, we can obtain

equation 4

Taking Laplace Transform of the equation 4 we obtain,

equation 5

Rearranging the above equation,

equation 6

where Gp(s) is called the transfer function of the process, K p and p are called as gain
and time constant of the process.
Examples of First Order Systems

a. Flow of a fluid into a tank the relationship between the height (as output) to the
inlet flow rate (as input)
b. Thermometer the relationship between the thermometer reading (as output) to
the surrounding temperature (as input)

c. A stirred- tank heater resulting from the heat balance of the system

The following figure represents a water storage system.

Figure 1. Example of first-order process A

water storage system

Where:

A = cross sectional area of cylindrical tank , m2

Fi = inlet volumetric flow rate , m3 / s
Fo = outlet volumetric flow rate , m3 / s
h = height of water, m

Water storage system is a first order process which can be represented by the equation:

equation 7

where

III. Response of First-Order System

Getting time response of the thermometer reading y to the surrounding temperature

x.
Assumptions:

All the resistance to heat transfer reides in the film surrounding of the bulb.
All the thermal capacity is in the mercury.
The glass wall does not expand or contract.

By applying unsteady state energy balance:

Input rate - Output rate = Accumulation

where:

A=surface area of bulb

C=heat capcity of mercury

m=mass of mercury

h=film coefficient of heat transfer

Prior to change in x, the thermometer is at steady state and derivatie of dy/dt is

zero, the equation now becomes,

hA( xs ys ) 0
Subtracting first eqution to second equation, it becomes,

d ( y ys )
hA[( x xs ) ( y y s )] mC
dt

let X=x - xs , Y=y-ys and mC/hA =
 dy
[ X ( s ) Y ( s )]
dt
Taking Laplace form and rearranging,

Y ( s) 1

X (s) s 1
whereby t is a time constant and has the unit of time

The equation on the right side is called the transfer function of the system
which is the ratio of the Laplace transform of the deviation in thermometer reading
to the laplace tranform of the deviation in the surrounding temperature.

Properties of Transfer Function

This relates two variables, the cause and its effect.

Transfer function is given by:

Y (s)
G (s)
X ( s)
where G(s)=transfer function

Y(s)=output in deviation form

X(s)=input in deviation form

By taking the inverse of Y(s), we get Y(t), the response of the system. The
transfer function results from a linear differential equation, therefore, the
principle of superpostition is applicable.
This means that the transformed response of a system with transfer function
C(s) to a forcing function:

X ( s ) a1 X 1 ( s ) a2 X 2 ( s )
where X1 and X2 are forcing functions, and a1 and a2 are constants.

The functional relationship contained in a transfer function is often represented by a

block diagram as shown below. The arrow entering the box is the forcing function or
input variable and the arrow leaving the box is the response or out put function.
Inside the box is the Transfer function.

X(s) Y(s)
G(s)
 A. Transient Function

Since the first order system occurs so frequently in practice, it is worthwhile to study its
response to several common forcing functions

Step
Impulse
Sinusoidal

B. Step Function

This can be mathematically expressed as:

X (t ) Au (t )
where u(t) is a unit-step function

First Order Linear Ordinary Differential Equation

Consider this:

dx
P(t ) x Q( t )
dt
with a given value of x known at a fixed point in time: x(to)=xo, where it is an
initial condition at t=0

IF e
Pdt
multiplying both sides by:

d
[ xe ] Q( t ) e
Pdt Pdt

dt

Integrating yields:

x e { Q(t )e dt c1}
Pdt Pdt
Example Problem:

A thermometer having a time constant of 0.1 min is at a steady-state temperature

of 90F. At time = 0, the thermometer is placed in a temperature bath maintained at 100
F. Determine the time needed for the thermometer to read 98 F.

Given:

r = 0.1 min

xs = 90 F

Tmax = 100F

A = 10 F

Y(t) = 8 F

Solution:

Y(t) = A (t - e-t/x)

= 10 (1 e-t/r )

= 0.1609 min

C. IMPULSE FUNCTION

Unit impulse function is also called Delta function

Unit impulse function is simply the derivative of the Unit Step Function
The unit impulse function has
o zero width
o infinite heighta
o integral (area) of one
Is used more frequently as a mathematical and then as an actual input to a
physical response
Unit impulse function finds use as an idealized disturbance in control systems
and analysis design

Impulse function of magnitude A is also called Scaled Impulse which can be

mathematically written as:

We consider a unit impulse for which the laplace transform is

**Transfer function for First-Order systems

Laplace Inverse

D. SINUSOIDAL INPUT

Sinusoidal response is the ultimate response in the first order system.

Mathematical representation:

t<0

Where:

A = amplitude

= radian frequency

=2 f

Sinusoidal input:

Laplace Transform: