Root Locus Techniques

EEN-322

Chapter 8: Nise, N. S.
Control System Engineering
Chapter 6: Dr. Rajeev Gupta
Nise’s Control System Engineering
 Root-Locus Method
• Root locus analysis is a graphical method for
examining how the roots of a system change with
variation of a certain system parameter, commonly
the gain of a feedback system
• The technique was developed by Walter R. Evans
• Till now, gains and other system parameters have
been designed to get desired transient response for
1st and 2nd order systems
• Even though, the root locus can do that, its real
power lies in its ability to give solutions of
systems with order higher than 2
 Typical Feedback System

a. Closed-loop system b. Equivalent Transfer Function

KG ( s)
Closed - loop gain
1 KG ( s) H ( s)

Open - loop gain KG ( s) H ( s)

 Common Issues
Let
( s 1) ( s 3)
G(s) and H (s)
s ( s 2) ( s 4)
Poles and zeros of the open - loop T.F.can be given by
K ( s 1)(s 3)
KG ( s ) H ( s )
s ( s 2)(s 4)
Poles and zeros of the closed - loop T.F.can be given by
KG ( s ) K(s 1)(s 4)
T (s)
1 KG ( s ) H ( s ) s 3 (6 K ) s 2 (8 4k ) s 3K
 Common Issues (Cont’d)
• The poles of T(s) are not immediately
known without factoring the denominator
• Also the denominator is the function of gain
K
• Moreover, system performance changes as
the value of K is changed
• System transient response and stability
depend on poles of T(s) which are unknown
and hard to figure out
 Solution

Root Locus Technique

 Vector Representation of
Complex numbers
• Any complex number σ+jω (Polar form
M∟ϴ) can be represented by a vector as,
 Vector Representation of
Complex numbers (Cont’d)
• If a complex number σ+jω is substituted
into a complex function F(s), then another
complex number will result. e.g.
• F(s) = (s + a) and s = σ+jω then,
F(s) = (σ+a) + jω

OR

Translating the vector a units to the left

F(s) has zero at -a gives an alternate representation originating
at zero of F(s) and terminating at s= σ+jω
 Vector Representation of
Complex numbers (Cont’d)
• We conclude that (s+a) is a complex
number and can be represented by a vector
drawn from the zero of the function to the
point s
• For example, is a complex number
drawn from -7 to the point s=5+j2
Magnitude and Angle Determination

( s zi )
F ( s)
(s p j )
( s zi )
M
(s pj)
( s zi ) (s pj)
Finding
the
value of
F(s) at s
 Example 6.1/8.1

s 1
Given F ( s)
s( s 2)
Find F(s) at the point s 3 j4
 Solution

M 0.217 114.3

Also Try Skill

Assessment Ex 6.1
Defining the Root Locus
Camera tracking system
Pole location as a function of gain for
the system

Increasing K moves the closed loop poles towards each other

until K=25, after which they break away from the real-axis and
move into the complex plane
 a. Pole plot

In root locus, the individual pole

locations removed and their
paths represented with solid lines

b. Root locus
 Root Locus
• The representation of paths of closed loop
poles as the gain K is varied, is called the
root locus
• In the preceding example, K<25 represents
overdamped system, K=25 represents
critically damped system while K>25
represents underdamped system
• In underdamped case, regardless of the
value of K, the real part of complex poles
remain the same and hence Ts remains same
 Root Locus (Cont’d)
• Increasing K decreases damping ratio and
increases percent overshoot
• The damped frequency of oscillations
equaling the imaginary part of the pole, also
increases with increasing gain, resulting in
reduction of peak time
• The system is always stable as the root
locus never crosses over into the right plane
• The aforementioned conclusions can be
made, thanks to root locus, for higher order
systems as well
 Angle and Magnitude
Conditions
KG ( s )
Closed - loop gain T ( s )
1 KG ( s ) H ( s )
The characteristics equation is written below which shows that
poles exists if,
1 + KG(s)H(s) = 0
KG(s)H(s) = -1
In general, KG(s)H(s) is a complex quantity which can be
represented in polar form as,

Magnitude Condition : KG ( s ) H ( s ) 1
Angle Condition : KG ( s ) H ( s ) (2k 1)180
where k 0, 1, 2, 3,......
 Characteristics Equation in Polar
Form
KG(s) H (s) 1 1 (2k 1)180
The above equation implies, if a value of “s” is substituted
into the function KG(s)H(s), a complex number results. If
angle of complex number is an odd multiple of 180, the
value of “s” is a system pole for some particular value of
K. 1
K
G (s) H (s)
 Example
Given the unity feedback system,

Do the following:
a. Calculate the angles at points (-2+j3) and
(-2+j0.707)
b. Determine if the points specified in (a) is on the
root locus?
c. If it is on root locus, find the gain, K, using the
lengths of the vectors.
 Solution
K ( s 3)(s 4)
Open - loop T.F.is KG ( s) H ( s)
( s 1)(s 2)
K(s 3)(s 4)
Closed - loop T.F.is T(s)
(1 K ) s 2 (3 7 K ) s (2 12K )

Put the values of s in open-loop TF and find the angles.

If the angle is multiple of 180, then the point lies on root locus.
Find the value of gain by formula,

1 1 pole lengths
K
G (s) H ( s) M zero lengths
Root Locus
 Skill Assessment Ex- 6.2/8.2
Given a unity feedback system that has the forward transfer
function

Do the following:
a. Calculate the angle of G(s) at the point (-3+j0) by finding
the algebraic sum of angles of the vectors drawn from the
zeros and poles of G(s) to the given point.
b. Determine if the point specified in a is on the root locus.
c. If the point specified in a is on the root locus, find the gain,
K, using the lengths of the vectors.
 Solution: SA Ex- 6.2/8.2
• First draw the vectors
Summary of root locus