Chapter 4

Laplace Transforms

From

Chemical and Bio-Process Control

James B. Riggs
M. Nazmul Karim
 Laplace Transforms
• Provide valuable insight into process
dynamics and the dynamics of feedback
systems.
• Provide a major portion of the terminology
of the process control profession.
 Laplace Transforms

L  f (t )   f (t ) e dt  F ( s)

 st
0

• Useful for solving linear differential equations.

• Approach is to apply Laplace transform to
differential equation. Then algebraically solve for
Y(s). Finally, apply inverse Laplace transform to
directly determine y(t).
• Tables of Laplace transforms are available.
 Method for Solving Linear
ODE’s using Laplace Transforms

sY(s) - y(0) =
Y(s) = H(s)
F(s,Y)

Laplace Domain

Time Domain

dy/dt = f(t,y) y(t) = h(t)

 Some Commonly Used Laplace
Transforms
Unit Step  1 / s f (t   )  F ( s ) e  s

n! d f (t )
t n
 n 1  s F ( s )  f ( 0)
s dt

1 d 2 f (t )
e  at   s 2
F ( s )  s f (0)  f (0)
sa dt 2

 
sin( t )  2 e  at
sin( t ) 
s  2 (s  a) 2   2
 Final Value Theorem

• Allows one to use the

Laplace transform of a
function to determine
lim t   f (t )  lim s0 s F (s) the steady-state resting
value of the function.
• A good consistency
check.
 Initial-Value Theorem

• Allows one to use the

Laplace transform of a
function to determine
lim t 0  f (t )  lim s s F (s) the initial conditions
of the function.
• A good consistency
check
 Apply Initial- and Final-Value
Theorems to this Example
2 • Laplace
Y ( s) 
s ( s  2) ( s  4) transform of the
function.

lim t   f (t ) 
2 (0) 1
 • Apply final-value
(0) (0  2) (0  4) 4
theorem

2 ( )
lim t 0  f (t )  0 • Apply initial-
() (  2) (  4)
value theorem
 Partial Fraction Expansions
s 1 A B
  • Expand into a term for
( s  2) ( s  3) s  2 s  3
each factor in the
denominator.
s 1 A( s  3)  Bs  2
 • Recombine RHS
( s  2) ( s  3) ( s  2) ( s  3)

A  B 1 3 A  2 B 1 • Equate terms in s and

constant terms. Solve.
s 1 1 2 • Each term is in a form so
 
( s  2) ( s  3) s  2 s  3 that inverse Laplace
transforms can be applied.
 Heaviside Method
Individual Poles

N ( s) N ( s)
Y ( s)   
D( s ) ( s  a1 )( s  a2 )  ( s  an )
C1 C2 Cn
  
s  a1 s  a2 s  an
N ( s)
Equation 4.4.2 : Ci 
D( s) /( s  ai ) s  a
i
 Heaviside Method
Individual Poles
s3 C1 C2
Y ( s )   
( s  1)( s  2) s  1 s  2
N (s)
Equation 4.4.2 : Ci 
D( s ) /( s  ai ) s  a
i

s3 s3
C1   2; C2   1
s  2 s 1 s  1 s 2
s3 2 1
Y ( s)   
( s  1)( s  2) s  1 s  2
 Heaviside Method
Repeated Poles

N ( s) N ( s)
Y (s)   
D( s) ( s  a) n

C1 C2 Cn
  
s  a (s  a) 2
(s  a)n
1 d i  ( s  a)n N ( s) 
Equation 4.4.2 : Ci  i  
i ds  D( s)  s  ai
 Heaviside Method
Example with Repeated Poles
N (s) s3 C1 C2 C3
Y (s)     
D( s ) ( s  1) ( s  2) s  1 ( s  1) s  2
2 2

s3 s3
C2   2; C3  1
s  2 s 1 ( s  1) 2 s 2

1 d i  (s  a)n N (s) 
Equation 4.5.3 : Ci 
i ds i  D(s) 
 s  ai
1 d  s  3  1 s3 
C1      2
 1
1 ds  s  2  s 1  s  2 ( s  2)  s 1
s3 1 2 1
Y (s)    
( s  1) ( s  2) s  1 ( s  1) s  2
2 2
 Example of Solution of an ODE
d2y dy
2
 6  8 y  2 y (0)  y' (0)  0 • ODE w/initial conditions
dt dt

s 2 Y ( s )  6s Y ( s )  8 Y ( s )  2 / s • Apply Laplace transform

to each term
2
Y ( s)  • Solve for Y(s)
s ( s  2) ( s  4)

1 1 1
Y ( s)    • Apply partial fraction
4s 2 ( s  2) 4 ( s  4)
expansions w/Heaviside
1 e 2t e 4t
y (t )    • Apply inverse Laplace
4 2 4
transform to each term
 Overview
• Laplace transforms are an effective way to
solve linear ODEs.