Feedback Control Systems: Effects on

System Performances

Dr. Madhubanti Maitra

Control System Section
Electrical Engineering Department
Jadavpur University.

Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
 2. Closed Loop (Feedback) Control Systems

 Open loop systems are not amenable to more accurate and more
adaptive control due to the missing link or feedback from the
output to the input of the system.
 To obtain more accurate control, the controlled output signal
should be fed back and compared with the reference input.
 An actuating signal proportional to the difference of the input and
the output must be sent through the system to correct the error.
 A system with one or more feedback paths is called a closed-loop
system.

A closed loop idle speed control system is shown in Fig 2.1.

TL
Wr         +  Wc  
+ W
Controller Engine
‐  +

Speed
Transducer

Fig 2.1 Block Diagram of a closed loop idle speed control system

Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
 Note:

 Reference input wr sets the desired idling speed.

 The engine speed at idle should agree with the reference value, wr.
 Any difference such as the load toque TL is sensed by the speed
transducer and error detector.
 The controller will operate on the difference and provide a signal
to adjust the throttle angle to correct the error.
 The objective of the idle speed control system also known as a
regulator system is to maintain the system output at a prescribed
level.

Desired Idle speed

Desired
Idle
speed Time

Time

Fig. 2.2 Typical response of the open loop idle-speed control system and
the closed loop idle-speed control system

Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
The question: What are the effects of the feedback?

The answer:

 The motivation for using feedback is generally somewhat

oversimplified in a sense that feedback is only used to reduce the
error between the reference input and the system output.

 However, the significance of the effects of feedback in control

systems is more complex.

 In addition to the reduction of system error, feedback also has effects

on system performance characteristics such as sensitivity, stability,
bandwidth, overall gain, disturbance rejection etc……

+ E(S)
Process C(s)
R(s) ± G(s)
B(S)

Sensor

H(s)

Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical

Fig. 2.3Engineering
Feedback Department,
System Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
 2.1 Reduction of Parameter Variation by Use of Feedback

One of the primary purposes of using feedback in control systems is to

reduce the sensitivity of the system to parameter variations. The
parameters of a system may vary with age, with changing environment
(e.g., ambient temperature), etc. Conceptually, sensitivity is a measure of
the effectiveness of feedback in reducing the influence of these
variations on system performance.

Let us define sensitivity on a quantitative basis. In the open-loop case

C s  G  s R s

Suppose due to parameter variations, G  s  changes to G  s   G  s   ,

where |G(s)| >>.|ΔG(s)|. The output of the open-loop system then

changes to
C  s   C  s   G  s   G  s   R  s 

or, C  s   G  s  R  s  (2.1)

Similarly, in the closed-loop case, the output

G s
C s  R s
1 G s H s

changes to
Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
 G  s   G  s 
C  s   C  s   R s
1  G  s  H  s   G  s  H  s 

due to variation G  s  in G  s  , the forward path transfer function. Since,

|G(s)| >>.|ΔG(s)|, we have from the above, the variation in the output as
G  s 
C  s   R s …(2.2)
1 G s H s

From eqns.(2.1) and (2.2) it is seen that in comparison to the open-loop

system, the change in the output of the closed-loop system due to
variation in G s is reduced by a factor of 1  G  s  H  s   which is much

greater than unity in most practical cases.

The term system sensitivity is used to describe the relative variation in
C s
the overall transfer function T  s   R s
due to variation in G  s  and is

defined below:
percentage change in T  s 
Sensitivity =
percentage change in G  s 
For small incremental variation in G s , the sensitivity is written in the
quantitative form as
T
SGT  T
G
G
Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
Where SGT denotes the sensitivity of T with respect to G.
In accordance with the above definition, the sensitivity of the closed-
loop system is
T G 1  GH   GH G
SGT    
G T 1  GH 
2
G
1  GH 
1
 …(2.3)
1  GH

Similarly, the sensitivity of the open-loop system is

T G
SGT   1 (in this case T = G) ….(2.4)
G T

Thus, the sensitivity of a closed-loop system with respect to variation in

G is reduced by a factor 1  GH  as compared to that of an open-loop
system.
The sensitivity of T with respect to H, the feed back sensor, is given as

T H  G  H
S 
T
 G 
H T  1  GH  
H 2
G
1  GH 
GH
 (2.5)
1  GH

Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
The above equation shows that for large values of GH, sensitivity of the
feedback system with respect to H approaches unity. Thus, we see that
the changes in H directly affect the system output. Therefore, it is
important to use feedback elements which do not vary with
environmental changes or can be maintained constant.

The use of feedback in reducing sensitivity to parameter variations is an

important advantage of feedback control systems. To have a highly
accurate open-loop system, the components of G  s  must be selected to
meet the specifications rigidly in order to fulfill the overall goals of the
system.

On the other hand, in a closed-loop system G  s  may be less rigidly

specified, since the effects of parameter variations are mitigated by the
use of feedback. However, a closed-loop system requires careful
selection of the components of the feedback sensor H  s  . Since G  s  is

made up of power elements and H  s  is made up of measuring elements

which operate at low power levels, the selection of accurate H  s  is far
less costly than that of G  s  to meet the exact specifications.

Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
The price for improvement in sensitivity by use of feedback is paid in
terms of loss of system gain.

The open-loop system has a gain of G  s  , while the gain of the closed-
G s
loop system is . Hence by use of feedback, the system gain
1  G  s  H  s  

is reduced by the same factor as by which the sensitivity of the system to

parameter variations is reduced.

Note: Sufficient open-loop gain can, however, be easily built into a

system so that we can afford to lose some gain to achieve improvement
in sensitivity.

An Example:
Let us consider the speed control system of a dc motor, which is being
operated in closed loop mode (due to the inherent feedback and tacho
feedback). A representative signal flow graph of this system is given in
Fig. 2.4. We also assume that
K A KT Ra J
K ; 
Ra f  KT K b Ra f  KT K b

Here, all the notations carry their usual meanings. The SFG is as
follows:

Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
 K
G s 
Er  s   s 1   s  s
1 1

H  s   Kt

Fig.2.4 Signal Flow Graph for armature controlled DC motor

 The sensitivity of the open-loop mode of operation to variation in

the constant K is unity.
 Sensitivity of the closed-loop mode is evaluated below:

From the signal flow graph of Fig.2.4

K
T s 
 s  1  KKt 
1
s
T K 
S KT   
K T  1  KK t  (2.6)
s 
  

Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
 For a typical application of this system, we might have 1/τ = 0.1
1  KKt 
and   10 . Therefore from eqn.(2.6) we obtain

s  0.1
S KT 
s  10 (2.7)

 It follows from above that the sensitivity is a function of s and must

be evaluated over the complete frequency band within which input
has significant components.

 Our interest is to determine the upper limit for the sensitivity function
S KT over the frequency band and the frequency at which the

maximum value occurs.

 At a particular frequency, e.g., s  j  j1 , the magnitude of the

sensitivity is approximately:

S KT  0.1
(2.8)

Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
Thus the sensitivity of the closed-loop speed control system at this
frequency is reduced by a factor of ten compared to that of the open-loop
case.

2.2 Effect of Feedback on Overall Gain

The closed loop transfer function of a feedback system is given by

C (s) G( s)
T (s)   (2.9)
R( s) 1  G ( s) H ( s)

Feedback affects the gain G of a nonfeedback system by a factor

(1±GH).
Generally we use negative feedback systems. Hence, a minus sign
is assigned to the feedback signal.
However, the quantity GH may itself include a minus sign, so the
general effect of feedback is that it may increase or decrease the
gain G in a practical control system.
Moreover, G and H are functions of frequency. So the magnitude
of (1+GH) may be greater than 1 in one frequency range but less
than 1 in another.

Hence note:

Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
 Feedback could increase the gain of system in one frequency
range but decrease it in another.

2.3 Effect of Feedback on Stability

Stability is a notion that describes whether the system will be able to

follow the input command.
In a non-rigorous manner, a system is said to be unstable if its output is
out of control.
 Consider GH= -1……
Under this situation, for a negative feedback control system,
whatever be the input (even bounded) the output will be
unbounded. Hence the system is BIBO unstable!!!!

Conclusion: Feedback can cause a system that is originally

stable to become unstable.
Hence feedback is a double-edged sword; consequently, it
should be properly used.

 Nonetheless, in contrast, it can be demonstrated that one of the

advantages of incorporating feedback is that it can stabilize an
unstable system.

Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
 If we introduce another feedback (even when GH=-1) loop through a
negative feedback gain of F, the input/output relation of the overall
system is
C (s) G
T (s)   (2.10)
R (s) 1  GH  GF

It is apparent that though the properties of G and H are such that the
inner loop feedback system is unstable, as GH=-1, the overall system
can be stable by properly selecting the outer loop feedback gain F.
In practice, GH is a function of frequency, and the stability
condition of the closed-loop system depends on the magnitude and
phase of GH.
The bottom line is that the feedback can improve stability or be harmful
to stability if it is not properly applied.

2.4 Effect of Feedback on External Disturbance or Noise

o All physical systems are subject to some type of extraneous signals

or noise during operation. Examples of these signals are thermal-
noise voltage in electronic circuits and brush or commutator noise
in electric motors.
o External disturbances, such as wind gusts acting on antenna, are
also quite common in control systems.

Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
 o Therefore, control systems should be designed so that they are
insensitive to noise and disturbances and sensitive to input
commands.
o Feedback can reduce the effect of noise and disturbances on
system performance.

Let us refer to the system shown in Fig. 2.5, in which r denotes the
command signal and n is the noise signal. In the absence of feedback,
that is H=0, the output y due to n acting alone is

y = Gn 2 (2.11)

With the presence of feedback, the system output due to n acting alone is

G2
y n (2.12)
1  G1G2 H

Comparing equations 2.11 and 2.12, it is apparent that the noise

component in the output, under feedback, is reduced by the factor
(1+G1G2H).

Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
Generally, (1+G1G2H) is greater than unity and the system is much
insensitive to the noise and/or the external disturbances.
n
r + y
G1 +
G2
- +

Fig 2.5 Feedback system with a noise signal

2.5 Control over System Dynamics by Use of Feedback

Let us consider an elementary system shown in Fig.2.6

R  s K C s

s 

Fig.2.6 A simple feedback system

Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
The open-loop transfer function of the system is

K
G s  (2.13)
s 
It has a real pole at s   in the s-plane.

 The output for the non-feedback system is given by (vide Fig. 2.6)
K
C s 
s  (2.14)

 and for the feedback system by

K
C s 
s   K (2.15)

 Taking the inverse Laplace transform of the above equations we

get (these responses are shown in Fig.2.7.)

c  t   Ke t (for non-feedback system) (2.16)

 K  t
 Ke (for feedback system) (2.17)

Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
 j
c t  c t 

K K

t t
 b  a
   K   

Fig.2.7 Impulse response of system shown in Fig.2.6

Inferences

For the non-feedback system with the pole located at s , the
impulse response is shown in Fig.2.7(a).
The nature of the response is an exponential decay with a time
constant of   1 .

For positive values of K, the effect of the feedback is to shift the

pole negatively to s     K  and so the time constant reduces to

Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
 1
 K   . This implies that as K increases the system dynamics
continuously becomes faster, i.e., the transient response decays
more quickly as shown in Fig.2.7 (b).
From this example, it is concluded that feedback controls the
dynamics of the system by adjusting the location of its poles.

Example
 Consider once again the speed control system of a dc motor. Let
A
the system be subjected to a step input which is Er  s   , where
s
A is a constant.
 The output response of the system obtained by reference to the
signal flow graph of Fig.2.4 is

KA
 s  
 1 (for open-loop operation, i.e., Kt = 0) (2.18)
ss  
 
KA
 
 1  KK t  (for closed-loop operation) (2.19)
ss 
  

Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

 
  Taking the inverse Laplace transform of the above equations, we
get

  t   KA 1  e 1

 (for open-loop operation) (2.20)

KA   t 
c
 1  e  (for closed-loop operation) (2.21)
1  KK t  

Where,  c (closed-loop time constant) =
1  KKt  .
 It is seen from the above that if the open-loop time constant  is
large, the transient response is poor and one choice is to replace the
motor by another one with a lower time constant.
 Such a motor will obviously be more expensive and further due to
physical limitations it is not possible to design and manufacture
motor of a given size with time constant lower than a certain
minimum value.
 Under such circumstances the closed-loop mode provides a lower
time constant  c which can be conveniently adjusted by a suitable
choice of KKt.

**From the above illustration we conclude that feedback is a

powerful technique for control of system dynamics.
Dr. Madhubanti Maitra, Electrical Engineering Department, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.