Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

Note 11

Controller Design via Root Locus

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Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

1. Improving Transient Response – Using PD

Controller
Motivation: Consider the following closed-loop system

Compensator Plant
R(s)
+ C(s)
K G (S )
_

Assuming that the desired transient response, defined by percent overshoot and settling
time, is represented by point B in the following figure (a). Figure (b) shows us the desired
transient response, as well as the transient response defined by point A. It is noted that
point A is on the root locus, as shown in figure (a). These two responses have the same
percent overshoot (due to the same ζ), but the response defined by the point B is faster
than that defined by the point A (due to the larger real part of B than A).

Problem: the point B is not on the root locus, so we cannot design the system by simply
adjusting the gain, K.

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Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

Solution: Add a zero to the transfer function of the controller such that the system has a
root locus that goes through the desired pole location (i.e., the point B). The new control
system is shown in the following.

PD Controller Plant
R(s) + E(s) M(s) C(s)
K(s+a) G (S )
_

The new controller is called an ideal derivative compensator. It has the transfer function

Gc ( s ) = K ( s + a ) = Ka + Ks

The value of a is to be determined by using the angle criterion, i.e., the angle of the new
open-loop transfer function Gc ( s )G ( s ) is an odd multiple of 180o. And the value of K is
to be determined by using the magnitude criterion, i.e., the magnitude of Gc ( s )G ( s ) is 1.

Systems that feed the error forward to the plant are called proportional (P) control
systems. Systems that feed the integral of error forward to the plant are called integral
(I) control systems. Systems that feed the derivative of error forward to the plant are
called derivative (D) control systems.

Thus, the above ideal derivative compensator is also called a proportional-plus-

derivative (PD) controller.

Design Problem 2

Consider the system shown in the following figure. Design a PD controller to yield
4.60% overshoot, with a settling time of 1.0 sec.

R(s) C(s)
+ 1
K
_ ( s + 1)( s + 3)( s + 10)

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Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

2. Improving Steady-State Error – Using PI Controller

2.1 Review the steady-state error

Steady-state error is the difference between the input and the output for a prescribed test
input (such as step, ramp, or parabola) as t → ∞ . Consider the following unity feedback
system

Controller Plant
E(s) C(s)
R(s) +
Gc (s ) G (S )
_

The closed-loop transfer function of the system, T(s), is

C (s) Gc ( s )G ( s )
T (s) = =
R( s ) 1 + Gc ( s )G ( s )

The error, E(s), is the difference between the system input, R(s), and the system output,
C(s), and given by

E ( s ) = R( s ) − C ( s ) = R( s ) − R( s )T ( s )

R( s )Gc ( s )G ( s ) R( s)
= R( s) − =
1 + Gc ( s )G ( s ) 1 + Gc ( s )G ( s )

Using the final value theorem, the steady-state error is given by

sR ( s )
e(∞) = lim sE ( s ) = lim
s →0 s →0 1 + G ( s )G ( s )
c

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Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

Example

Develop the expression of the steady-state error for the following P control system if the
input is a step (or R(s)=1/s).

Plant
P Compensator
R(s)
+ 1 C(s)
K
_ ( s + 1)( s + 2)( s + 10)

2.2 Improving Steady-State Error – Using PI Controller

Objective: design a control system to eliminate the steady-state error without affecting
the transient response.

The steady-state error of P control system can be eliminated by adding an integrator (i.e.,
1/s) to the controller. The resultant controller is called an integral (I) controller.

Problem: Using the I controller, Point A that represents the desired transient response is
no longer on the root locus, as shown in the following figures.

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Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

Solution: Add a zero that is close to the pole at the origin, as shown in following figure,
such that the new system has a root locus going through Point A.

-a

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Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

The resultant controller is called an proportional-plus-integral (PI) controller or ideal

integral compensator. It has the transfer function

K ( s + a) Ka
Gc ( s ) = =K+
s s

In the design of PI controller, the zero must be chosen to be close to the pole at the origin
so that the angular contributions from the zero and the pole cancel out, i.e., θ zc − θ pc = 0 ,
as shown in the above figure. As a result, Point A is still on the root locus; meanwhile the
steady-state error is eliminated. Typically, the value of a is set as 0.1.

Design Problem 3

Given the system shown in the following figure, which operates with a damping ratio of
0.174. Design a PI controller to reduce the steady-state error of the step response to zero,
and then compare the system specifications before and after using the PI controller.

R(s)
+ 1 C(s)
K
_ ( s + 1)( s + 2)( s + 10)

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Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

3. Improving Steady-State Error and Transient

Response – Using PID Controller
We now combine the design techniques discussed previously to obtain improvement in
both steady-state error and transient response. Basically, we first improve the transient
response by using a PD controller and then eliminate the steady-state error to 0 by using a
PI controller. The resultant controller is called a proportional-plus-integral-plus
derivative (PID) controller.

In other words, a PID controller is combination of a PD controller and a PI controller.

Therefore, it has the following transfer function of

K ( s + a1 )( s + a 2 )
Gc ( s ) =
s

The PID controller has two zeros plus a pole at the origin. One zero (-a1) is designed as
the PD controller; the other zero (-a2, typically taking a value of -0.1) and the pole at the
origin are designed as the PI controller. Gc(s) can also be expressed as

K ( s + a1 )( s + a2 ) Ks 2 + (a1 + a2 ) Ks + a1a2 K K
Gc ( s ) = = = K1 + 2 + K 3 s
s s s

where K 1 = (a1 + a 2 ) K , K 2 = a1 a 2 K , and K 3 = K . The block diagram of the PID control

system is shown in following figure.

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Lecture Notes of Control Systems I - ME 431/Analysis and Synthesis of Linear Control System - ME862

Design Problem 4

Consider the system shown in the following figure. Design a PID controller that will
yield a peak time of 0.785 sec. and a settling time of 0.8 sec., with the zero steady-state
error for a step input.

R(s)
+ 1 C(s)
K
_ ( s + 1)( s + 5)

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