The Open University of Sri Lanka

Faculty of Engineering Technology

Study Programme : Bachelor of Technology Honours in Engineering
Name of the Examination : CAT #1 –(Open Book Type)
Course Code and Title : MEX4243 – Control Systems Engineering
Academic Year : 2016/17
Date : 08th May 2017
Time : 0900hr-1015hr
Duration : 1 hour and 15 minutes

General instructions
1. Read all instructions carefully before answering the questions.
2. Answer all questions.
3. It is extremely important that you do not remove the question paper or any part of the paper from
the examination hall.
4. Please attach the question paper along with the answer book.

Q1.
(i) Differentiate the following.
a. Open loop control systems vs closed loop control systems
b. Feedback control systems vs feed forward control systems (10 marks)

(ii) Adjustable air

spoiler (aerofoil)

Fig. Q1

A computerized high performance race car with an adjustable air spoiler

(aerofoil) is shown in Figure Q1. In order to measure the road adhesion;
internal strain gauges are fixed in the tires. You need to develop a control
system block diagram, describing the ability of the spoiler to keep a
constant road adhesion between the car’s tires and the race track surface.

(a) Identify and mark all the necessary components and parameters
of the feedback control system in your diagram. (20 marks)
(b) Why is it important to maintain good road adhesion? (10 marks)

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Q2. (i) Find the equivalent transfer function, T(s) = C(s)/R(s), for the system
shown in figure Q2 using the block diagram reduction method.
(20 marks)

+ +
R(s) + + C(s)
G1 G2
-
+

H1
+
G3
+

H2

Fig. Q2

25
Q3. A unity negative feedback system has a feed forward transfer function,
s( s  9)

i. Draw the block diagram of the above system and find the closed loop transfer
function. (10 marks)
ii. Find the location of poles and zeros of the above transfer function and plot
them on the s-plane. (08 marks)
iii. Hence draw the nature of the time response of the above system and state the
type of the system. (02 marks)
iv. For a unit step input, find
a) the expected percent overshoot.
b) the settling time of the system. (10 marks)

v. If u (t ) is a unit step function, find the steady state error for an input of 2tu (t ) .
(10 marks)

END

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