Hochschule Ulm Prof. Dr. A.

Beckmann
University of Applied Sciences Dynamics II
Page 1
Final exam 18.12.2008

Describe using your own words:

1. How do you know whether a dynamic system is stable or not? Describe 3 methods.

a) Calculate the poles of the closed loop transfer function. If all poles have and
negative real part (not zero), the control system is stable. (2)

b) Check whether the open loop transfer function has only poles with negative real
part (here one or two poles may be equal to zero) then the simple Nyquist criterion
can be applied: if we draw the frequency response locus of the open loop (controller
+ plant) from e = 0 to e = and the critical point (-1,0) is always located on the left
then the closed loop control system will be stable. (2)

c) Derive gain margin and phase margin of the open loop system. (2)

2. What is the gain margin? (words and diagram) (4)

The gain margin is the inverse of the gain at that frequency where the phase of the
open loop is 180
o
. We can derive it from the Bode plots.
In a Nyquist this corresponds to the gain at the intersection with the real axis. The
inverse of it is the gain margin.
The gain margin tells us, by which factor we could increase the gain of the controller
without getting an unstable system. If we use the maximum factor we will get an
oscillating output of the closed loop with constant amplitude.

3. What is the phase margin? (words and diagram) (4)

The phase margin is the difference between the phase of the open loop system at the
frequency where the gain is 0 dB and the phase -180
o
or +180
o
. We can derive it from
the Bode plots.
In a Nyquist this corresponds to the phase where the frequency response locus of the
open loop control system intersects the unit circle minus the phase -180
o
or +180
o
.

4. What is the behaviour of a PI-controller? (5)

A PI-controller consists of a P-part and an I-part in parallel.
The transfer function is the sum of the individual transfer functions:
s T
K s G
C i
c p C
,
,
1
) ( + = .
The P-controller with gain K
P
,c is amplifying the error signal by a factor of K
P
,c. If
the chosen gain is too high, the control system may become unstable.
The I-controller with time constant T
i,c
integrates the error signal of a time interval
of length T
i,c
. In this way the controller will respond to small deviations of the control
systems output to the reference signal.

The step response is the sum of the individual step responses: t
T
K s y
C i
c p s
,
,
1
) ( + = .
Hochschule Ulm Prof. Dr. A. Beckmann
University of Applied Sciences Dynamics II
Page 2
Final exam 18.12.2008

5. A PT2-plant with
( )( ) 1 3 1 2
1
) (
+ +
=
s s
s G
P
and an I-controller
s T
s G
C
1
1
) ( = build up a
unity negative feedback system.

a) What is the minimum value of T
i
for a stable control system? (4)
b) What happens if we use a lower value for T
i
? (4)
c) Write down the transfer function of the closed loop control system for
s
s G
C
4
1
) ( = .(7)


a) from the lectures we know the equation to calculate T
min
for a PT2-plant that is
controlled by an I-controller:
5
6
3 2
3 2
2 1
2 1
min
=
+

=
+
=
T T
T T
T s



b) The system will oscillate with increasing amplitude, so the control system is not stable
any longer.



c)
s
s G
C
4
1
) ( = ;
( )( ) 1 3 1 2
1
) (
+ +
=
s s
s G
P


open loop transfer function:


( )( )
o
o
P C o
D
N
s s s
s G s G s G =
+ +
= =
1 3 1 2
1
4
1
) ( ) ( ) (

closed loop transfer function:


( )( ) 1 1 3 1 2 4
1
) ( ) (
) (
) ( 1
) (
) (
+ + +
=
+
=
+
=
s s s s N s D
s N
s G
s G
s G
o o
o
o
o
cl












Hochschule Ulm Prof. Dr. A. Beckmann
University of Applied Sciences Dynamics II
Page 3
Final exam 18.12.2008

6. We want to design a satellite control system. The differential equation of a satellite is:

gasjet
T
dt
d
J =
2
2

a) We look for the simplest controller that is possible. What kind of controller do you
suggest? Why? (3)
b) Show that the transfer function of the closed loop control system will fulfill the
requirement 1 ) 0 ( = s G
cl
. (7)


a) The plant is a double I-element:
gasjet
T
J dt
d
=
1
2
2

dtdt T
J
gasjet
}}
=
1


As the plant has an I-element so we use a P-controller as the simplest controller to fulfill
the requirement 1 ) 0 ( = s G
cl
. (3)



b) P-controller:
P C
K s G = ) ( (1); the plant is a double I-element with
2
1
) (
Js
s G
P
= (1)

open loop transfer function:


o
o P
P C o
D
N
Js
K
s G s G s G = = =
2
) ( ) ( ) ( (2)

closed loop transfer function:


P
P
o o
o
o
o
cl
K Js
K
s N s D
s N
s G
s G
s G
+
=
+
=
+
=
2
) ( ) (
) (
) ( 1
) (
) ( (2)

1
0
) 0 ( =
+
=
P
P
cl
K
K
s G the requirement is fulfilled (1)



Hochschule Ulm Prof. Dr. A. Beckmann
University of Applied Sciences Dynamics II
Page 4
Final exam 18.12.2008

7. Why do you not use a P-controller for a PT1-plant? Draw the step response for 3 different
values of the gain of the P-controller. (10)

If we use a P-controller for a PT1-plant we will get a permanent control error. We
see this if we calculate the transfer function of the closed loop and check the steady
state response.

P-controller:
C P C
K s G
,
) ( = PT1-plant:
( ) 1
) (
1
+
=
s T
K
s G
P
P


open loop transfer function:

( ) 1
) ( ) ( ) (
1
,
+
= =
s T
K
K s G s G s G
P
C P P C o

closed loop transfer function:

( )
P C P
P C P
o o
o
o
o
cl
K K s T
K K
s N s D
s N
s G
s G
s G
+ +

=
+
=
+
=
, 1
,
1 ) ( ) (
) (
) ( 1
) (
) (

For steady state we get:

( )
P C P
P C P
P C P
P C P
cl
K K
K K
K K s
K K
s G
+

=
+ +

=
,
,
,
,
1 1 0
) 0 (

The requirement 1 ) 0 ( = s G
cl
cannot be fulfilled for finite values of
C P
K
,
.
Therefore the P-controller is not a good choice.

Unit step response of the control system P + PT1:

final value theorem: ( ) ( ) s Y s t y
s
=

lim
0
) (

( )
( ) ( )
P C P
P C P
cl
s
cl
s
s
K K
K K
s G
s
s G
s t y
+

= = |
.
|

\
|
=

,
,
0 0
1
) (
lim lim


diagram for K
p
= 1
y
s
(t)

1

K
p,c
= 3
K
p,c
= 2
0,5 K
p,c
= 1




5 T
1
t

Hochschule Ulm Prof. Dr. A. Beckmann
University of Applied Sciences Dynamics II
Page 5
Final exam 18.12.2008

Bode Diagram
Frequency (rad/sec)
P
h
a
s
e

(
d
e
g
)
M
a
g
n
i
t
u
d
e

(
d
B
)
-40
-20
0
20
40
60
10
-1
10
0
10
1
-225
-180
-135
-90
Bode Diagram
Frequency (rad/sec)
P
h
a
s
e

(
d
e
g
)
M
a
g
n
i
t
u
d
e

(
d
B
)
-30
-20
-10
0
10
10
-1
10
0
10
1
-90
-45
0
45
90
135
180
225
270
8. Find out from the Bode plots the gain margin and the phase margin of each control
system.
a)



















Gain margin: - 32 dB Phase margin: 180 - (-220) = 40

Is the system stable? NO

b)



















Gain margin: ___ +15 dB ________ Phase margin: 180- 80 = 100 ___________
Is the system stable? YES
-15 dB
-80
+32 dB
-220
Hochschule Ulm Prof. Dr. A. Beckmann
University of Applied Sciences Dynamics II
Page 6
Final exam 18.12.2008

9. The transfer function of a dynamical system is:
9 3
4 2
) (
+
+
=
s
s
s G
P
. It is controlled by a
controller with
5 5
3
) (
+
=
s
s G
C
.
a) Write down the transfer function of the open loop system and the closed loop system.
b) Can you use the simple Nyquist criterion to assess the stability of the closed loop
control system? Why?

a) Controller:
5 5
3
) (
+
=
s
s G
C
; Plant:
9 3
4 2
) (
+
+
=
s
s
s G
P


open loop transfer function:
( )( )
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
+ +
+
=
+
+

+
= =
) (
) (
3 1
2
5
2
9 3
4 2
5 5
3
) ( ) ( ) (
s D
s N
s s
s
s
s
s
s G s G s G
o
o
P C o
(4)
closed loop transfer function:

) ( ) (
) (
) ( 1
) (
) (
s N s D
s N
s G
s G
s G
o o
o
o
o
cl
+
=
+
=

( )
( )( ) ( ) 2 2 3 1 5
2 2
) (
+ + + +
+
=
s s s
s
s G
cl

( ) ( )
19 22 5
2 2
4 2 15 20 5
2 2
) (
2 2
+ +
+
=
+ + + +
+
=
s s
s
s s s
s
s G
cl
(4)

b) Poles of the plant: 0 3 = + s 3
2
= p < 0

The pole has a negative real part, so the plant is stable. As the plant is stable, we
can use the simple Nyquist criterion to assess the stability of the closed loop
system.


10. In the following diagram we see the frequency response locus of an open loop control
system. Is the closed loop control system stable?

a) Im b) Im






-1 -0,5 0,5 1 Re -4 -2 2 4 Re




x stable not stable stable x not stable