Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

Note 9
Stability

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University Of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada

Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

1. Stability
Definition: A control system is stable if for every bounded input, the output remains
bounded for all time. Consider the following control system:
R(s)

E(s)

C(s)
G(s)

H(s)

The closed-loop transfer function, T(s), is

T (s) =

C (s )
G (s )
N (s )
=
=
R(s ) 1 + G (s ) H (s ) D(s )

The roots of N (s ) are called closed loop zeros. The roots of D(s ) are called the closed
loop poles.
The characteristic equation of the system is defined as:
D (s ) = 1 + G (s ) H (s ) = 0 .

The roots of this characteristic equation are thus the closed loop poles.
The system outputs is

C (s ) =

N (s )
N (s )
R (s ) =
R(s )
(s P1 )(s P2 )L(s Pn )
D(s )

where P1 , P2 , ..., Pn are the closed loop poles.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University Of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada

Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

Using partial fraction expansion, one has

C (s ) =

k
k1
k
+ 2 + ... + n + the partial fraction terms from R( s )
s P1 s P2
s Pn

Taking the inverse Laplace transform, one has

c(t ) = k1e P1t + k 2 e P2t + L + k n e Pnt + cr (t )

For

c(t ) to be bounded,
the real parts of poles
P1 , P2 , L Pn must be
negative

The term cr (t ) is bounded

if the input r (t ) is bounded

For a control system to be stable, the poles, i.e., the roots of the characteristic equation,
must lie in the left half of the S-Plane. If any one pole lies in the right half plane, the
system is unstable.

Im

Re

Stable Region

Unstable Region

S - Plane
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University Of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada

Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

Special Case: Roots on the Imaginary Axis

A system that has poles on the imaginary axis is marginally stable (please note for the
marginally stable system, the remaining poles, if any, must be in the left half plane,
otherwise it is unstable). A marginally stable system is stable for certain inputs and
unstable for others.
Im

+j
Re

-j

For example, for a control system with the closed-loop transfer function of

T (s ) =

1
C (s )
= 2
R(s ) (s + 1)

one has the closed loop poles s = j , which are shown in the above S-Plane.

If the input of the control system is a sinusoid with a unit magnitude and a frequency of
, i.e., r (t ) = sin (t ) , then the system output, c(t), is given by
c(t ) =| T ( j ) | sin (t + )

Where |T(j)| is the magnitude frequency response,

| T ( j ) |=

Obviously, if = 1,

( j )

+1

1
1 2

T ( j ) = . This indicates the system output is unbounded, so the

system is unstable. However, for other frequencies, the system output is bounded, and
thus stable. Therefore, we say the system is marginally stable.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University Of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada

Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

2. Routh - Hurwitz Criterion

Suppose that the characteristic polynomial of a control system is given by

Q (s ) = an s n + an 1 s n 1 + + a1 s + ao
Please note, in order that the roots of Q(s) are in the left half plane, all coefficients must
be present and of the same sign (necessary, but not sufficient condition).

(1) Generating a Routh table

sn

an

a n2

an4

s n 1

a n 1 a n 3

a n 5

s n2

b1
c1

b2
c2

b3
c3

First two rows

are formed from
the coefficients
of the characteristic
polynomial

s1
s0
Where

b1 =

1 an an2 1
(an an3 an2 an1 ) = an2 an an3
=
an1 an1 an3 an1
an1

b2 =

1 an an 4
1
(an an5 an4 an1 ) = an4 an an5
=
an1 an1 an5
an1
an1

c1 =

1 an1
b1 b1

a n 3

c2 =

1 an1
b1 b1

a n 5

b2

b3

1
(an1 b2 an3 b1 ) = an3 an1 b2
b1
b1

1
(an1 b3 an5 b1 ) = an5 an1 b3
b1
b1

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University Of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada

Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

Note:
-

For an nth order characteristic polynomial, the Routh table has n+1 rows.

A row is calculated from the two rows that are directly above it

The coefficients of any row can be multiplied or divided by a positive number

without changing the result.

(2) Interpreting the Routh Array

The number of roots of the polynomial that are in the right half-plane is equal to the
number of sing changes in the first column. This implies that, if all the entries in the
first column are of the same sign, the system is stable.

Example 1

Given a control system with the closed-loop transfer function of

T (s) =

6
s + 4 s + 5s + 6
3

(a) Determine the characteristic polynomial.

(b) Generate the Routh table.
(c) Determine the stability.

Example 2

Determine the stability of the closed-loop transfer function of

T (s) =

2
s + s + 2s + 8
3

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University Of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada

Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

Special Case 1. A zero only in the first column

If the first element in a row is zero, with at least one non-zero element in the same row,
replace the zero with an arbitrary small number, , and then proceed as usual.

Example 3

Determine the stability of the closed-loop transfer function

T ( s) =

10
s + 2 s + 3s 3 + 6s 2 + 5s + 3
5

Solution

The characteristic polynomial of a control system is

Q (s ) = s 5 + 2 s 4 + 3 s 3 + 6 s 2 + 5 s + 3

(1) Generating a Routh table

Set as a positive small number
6 7
+
_

42 49 6 2 49
=
+
12 14
14

(2) Interpreting the Routh table

There are two sign changes in the first column, so there are two poles in the right half
plane. Therefore, the system is unstable.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University Of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada

Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

Special Case 2. Entire row is zero

If all of the elements in a row are zeros, the procedure to create the Routh table is a bit
different. The difference includes
(1) Forming an auxiliary polynomial. Use the power of s in the label column and
continue, by skipping the following power of s, until s0; and the coefficients are taken
from the elements of the row directly above the zero row.
(2) Taking the derivative of the auxiliary polynomial with respect to s and then replace
the zero row with the coefficients of the new derived polynomial; after that, to
proceed as usual.

Example 4

Determine the stability of the closed-loop transfer function

T ( s) =

10
s + s + 3s 2 + 2s + 2
4

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University Of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada

Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

Please note that the auxiliary polynomial is a factor of the characteristic polynomial. For
instance, the auxiliary polynomial s2+2 in the last example is a factor of the characteristic
polynomial of s 4 + s 3 + 3s 2 + 2s + 2 .
s 4 + s 3 + 3s 2 + 2 s + 2 = ( s 2 + 2)( s 2 + s + 1)
Thus, the roots of the auxiliary polynomial are also the roots of the characteristic
polynomial, or the poles of the control system.

Determining the root location for the auxiliary polynomials

Usually, the auxiliary polynomials are easy to be solved using analytical methods. Thus,
we can determine the location of roots. Also, we can use the following rules to determine
the location of poles without solving the auxiliary polynomials.
Rule (1). In a Routh table, the number of sign changes from the auxiliary polynomial row
to the end equals to the number of right-half-plane roots of the auxiliary
polynomial.
Rule (2). The auxiliary polynomials are even polynomials, which have only even powers
of s. Even polynomials only have roots that are symmetrical about the origin.
This symmetry occurs under three conditions of root position, i.e., A, B, and C
shown in the following figure.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University Of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada

Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

Example 5

Given that an auxiliary polynomial is a 6th order polynomial with only two roots in the
right half plane, determine how many roots in the left half plane and how many roots on
the imaginary axis.

Example 6

Determine the number of poles in the left half-plane, in the right half-plane, and on the
imaginary axis for the control system with the closed-loop transfer function of
T ( s) =

128
s + 3s + 10s + 24s + 48s 4 + 96s 3 + 128s 2 + 192s + 128
8

After that, draw conclusions about the stability of the system.

Solution

The characteristic polynomial of a control system is

Q (s ) = s 8 + 3s 7 + 10 s 6 + 24 s 5 + 48 s 4 + 96 s 3 + 128 s 2 + 192 s + 128

(1) Generating a Routh table

AP Row

(2) Interpreting the Routh table

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University Of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada

10

Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

3. Stability Design via Routh Hurwitz Criterion

In the last section, Routh-Hurwitz Criterion enables us to locate of the poles of control
systems, and thus to determine the system stability. This section is to demonstrate that we
can also use the Routh-Hurwitz Criterion to design control systems such that the systems
meet the requirement of stability.
Example 7

Find the range of gain, K, for the following unity feedback system such that the system is
stable.

R(s)

E(s)

+
_

K
s ( s + 7)( s + 11)

C(s)

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University Of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada

11