Chapter 5

Transfer Functions and

State Space Models
 Overall Course Objectives
• Develop the skills necessary to function as an
industrial process control engineer.
– Skills
• Tuning loops
• Control loop design
• Control loop troubleshooting
• Command of the terminology
– Fundamental understanding
• Process dynamics
• Feedback control
 Transfer Functions
• Provide valuable insight into process
dynamics and the dynamics of feedback
systems.
• Provide a major portion of the terminology
of the process control profession.
 Transfer Functions
• Defined as G(s) = Y(s)/U(s)
• Represents a normalized model of a
process, i.e., can be used with any input.
• Y(s) and U(s) are both written in deviation
variable form.
• The form of the transfer function indicates
the dynamic behavior of the process.
 Derivation of a Transfer Function
dT
M  F1 T1  F2 T2  ( F1  F2 ) T • Dynamic model of
dt
CST thermal mixer

• Apply deviation
Tˆ  T  T0 Tˆ1  T1  T0 Tˆ2  T2  T0 variables

• Equation in terms of
dTˆ deviation variables.
M  F1 Tˆ1  F2 Tˆ2  ( F1  F2 )Tˆ
dt
 Derivation of a Transfer Function

F1 T1 ( s )  F2 T2 ( s ) • Apply Laplace transform to

T ( s) 
 M s  F1  F2  each term considering that
only inlet and outlet
temperatures change.
T ( s) F1 • Determine the transfer
G(s)  
T1 ( s )  M s  F1  F2  function for the effect of
inlet temperature changes on
the outlet temperature.
• Note that the response is
first order.
 In-Class Exercise: Derive a
Transfer Function
For a level process:
dL
A  Fin  kL
dt
Fin is the input variable
L is the output variable
Derive the transfer function for this process
 Poles of the Transfer Function
Indicate the Dynamic Response
1
G ( s) 
( s  a) ( s 2  bs  c) ( s  d )
A B C
Y ( s)   2 
( s  a ) ( s  bs  c) ( s  d )

y (t )  A e  at  B e pt sin( t )  C  e dt

• For a, b, c, and d positive constants, transfer

function indicates exponential decay, oscillatory
response, and exponential growth, respectively.
Poles on a Complex Plane

Im

Re
Exponential Decay

Im

Re

Time
Damped Sinusoidal

Im

Re

Time
 Exponentially Growing
Sinusoidal Behavior (Unstable)

Im

Re
y

Time
What Kind of Dynamic Behavior?
Im

Re
 Unstable Behavior
• If the output of a process grows without
bound for a bounded input, the process is
referred to a unstable.
• If the real portion of any pole of a transfer
function is positive, the process corresponding
to the transfer function is unstable.
• If any pole is located in the right half plane,
the process is unstable.
 Routh Stability Criterion
an s n  an 1s n 1  ...  a1s  a0  0 where ai  0.
A necessary and sufficient condition for all the
roots of the polynomial to have negative real parts
is that all the elements of the first column of the
Routh array are positive.
Note that the stability of a system can be assessed
by applying the Routh stability criterion to the
denominator of the system transfer function.
Routh Array for a 3rd Order System

 a3 a1 
 a 
a0 
 2

 a2 a1  a3 a0 
 0
 a 2 
 a0 0 
 Routh Stability Analysis Example
Deterine if this system is stable:
s  2s  1
2
G p (s)  3
s  2 s 2  3s  9
Routh Array: a3  1; a2  2; a1  3; a0  9
 1 3
 2 9 

6  9  Therefore, this system is unstable
 2 0
 
 9 0 
 In-Class Exercise

Determine the stability of the

system represented by the
following transfer function:
s 8
G p (s)  3
3s  4 s  6 s  7
2
 Zeros of a Transfer Function
• The zeros of a transfer functions are the
value of s that render N(s)=0.
• If any of the zeros are positive, an inverse
response is indicated.
• If all the zeros are negative, overshoot can
occur in certain situations
 Combining Transfer Functions
• Consider the CST thermal mixer in which a
heater is used to change the inlet
temperature of stream 1 and a temperature
sensor is used to measure the outlet
temperature.
• Assume that heater behaves as a first order
process with a known time constant.
 Combining Transfer Functions
T1 ( s ) 1 • Transfer function for
Ga ( s )  
T1, spec ( s )  H s  1 the actuator

T (s) F1 • Transfer function for

G(s)  
T1 ( s )  M s  F1  F2  the process

Ts ( s ) 1
Gs ( s )   • Transfer function for
T (s)  s s  1
the sensor
 Combining Transfer Functions

Goa ( s )  Ga ( s ) G ( s ) Gs ( s )

F1
Goa ( s ) 
 H s  1 M s  F1  F2  s s  1
 In-Class Exercise: Overall Transfer
Function For a Self-Regulating Level

For a level process (earlier in-class exercise):

dL
A  Fin  kL
dt
Fin is the input variable
L is the output variable
Derive the overall transfer function for this process
 Block Diagram Algebra

• Series of transfer functions

• Summation and subtraction
• Divider
 Block Diagram Algebra

C(s) D(s) E(s) Y(s)

U(s) G 1(s) G 2(s) +
+

F(s) H(s)
G 3(s)
 Block Diagram Algebra
We want to determine Y ( s) / U ( s) so we start with
Y ( s)  E (s)  H (s) (summation function)
E ( s) / C ( s )  G1 ( s )G2 ( s) (series of tranfer functions)
U ( s)  C (s)  F ( s) (divider function)
H ( s) / F ( s )  G3 ( s ) (transfer function definition)
Substitute into 1st eqn:
Y ( s )  G1 ( s )G2 ( s )U ( s )  G3 ( s )U ( s )
Rearrange: GOA ( s)  Y ( s) / U ( s )  G1 ( s)G2 ( s)  G3 ( s)
 In-Class Exercise: Block
Diagram Algebra

E(s) K c Ds 1/  I s ++ C(s)

Solution of In-Class Exercise
For summation :
 1 
E ( s ) K c  E ( s ) K c D s    C ( s )
 I s 
Rearranging
C (s)  D 
 K c 1  
E (s)  I 
 What if the Process Model is
Nonlinear
• Before transforming to the deviation
variables, linearize the nonlinear equation.
• Transform to the deviation variables.
• Apply Laplace transform to each term in the
equation.
• Collect terms and form the desired transfer
functions.
• Or instead, use Equation 5.7.3.
Transfer Function for a Nonlinear
Process
Consider a nonlinear first-order ODE
dy
 f ( y, u )
dt
f ( y, u )
Y (s) u y ,u
Equation 5.7.3 : G( s)  
U (s) f ( y, u )
s
y y ,u
 Advantages of Equation 5.7.3
• Equation 5.7.3 was derived based on
linearing the nonlinear ODE, applying
deviation variables, applying Laplace
transforms and solving for Y(s)/U(s).
• Therefore, Equation 5.7.3 is much easier to
use than deriving the transfer function for
both linear and nonlinear first-order ODEs.
 Application of Equation 5.7.3
dL
Consider:  Fin  k L  f ( L, Fin )
dt
dL
Initially,  0, L  L0
dt
From the ODE, Fin (0)  k L0
f ( L, Fin ) f ( L, Fin ) 1
 1; 
Fin L ,F
L L0 , Fin (0) 2 L0
0 in (0)

1
G(s)  based on the initial conditions
s  1/(2 L0 )
 In-Class Exercise

Determine the transfer function

based on the initial conditions for
dy
 auy  y at t  0, y  y0 , u  u0
2

dt
 State Space Models
• State space models are a system of linear
ODEs that approximate a system of
nonlinear ODEs at an operating point.
• Similar to Equation 5.7.3, state space
models can be conveniently generated using
the definitions of the terms in the
coefficient matrices and the nonlinear
ODEs.
 State Space Models
dx
 Ax + Bu y = Cx
dt
A, B,C are matrices; x,u, y are vectors
x  state variables; u  input variables
y  measured or output variables
fi fi
aij  bij 
x j x,u
u j x,u
Poles of a State Space Model

The poles of a system are equal to

the values of s that satisfy
det  sI  A   0
based on a local linearization.
 Overview
• The transfer function of a process shows the
characteristics of its dynamic behavior
assuming a linear representation of the
process.