CHE3162 Lecture 3

First Order
System
Responses

Chapter 5: Seborg
Chapter 5: Marlin
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 Learning Objectives
• Be able to identify a 1st order system
– Identify gain K and time constant t
• Be able to transform 1st order equations to
Laplace domain
• Be able to plot the response of a 1st order
system to a change in the input
– Step change, ramp, sine wave etc

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 Example: CSTR– step change in inlet
concentration
(active learning problem 1)
A CSTR has been operating at steady state for a long time
with a constant feed composition of 0.5 kmol/m3. The feed
composition experiences an instantaneous change (step
change) to 1.5 kmol/m3. All other variables are constant.
Determine the dynamic response of CA.

F0 F1

V=2.1 m3;
Fo= F1 = 0.085 m3/min
CAO,SS = 0.5 kmol/m3
CAO = 1.5 kmol/m3
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Based on Marlin example 3.1
Example: CSTR– step change
in inlet concentration
dV
Overall mass balance:   FO  F1  0
dt

 F C AO  C A 
Component mass balance:
dC A
V
dt

1
Convert to deviation variables, C A '  C A0 '
Use Laplace to integrate, ts  1
Rearrange to standard form: V
where τ 
F 4
 Example: CSTR– step change
in inlet concentration ctd.
Disturbance: ΔCA0(t) = CA0’(t) = 1

Laplace: LC A0 ' t   C A0 ' s  

1
s
Substitute: C A ' s  
1 1
s (ts  1)
t
Invert: C A ' t   1  e t

Subst. initial conditions: C A (t )  C A (0) (1  e t /t )

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 First Order ODE
• ODE is linear and first order if it can be
written as:
dy
t  y  Kf (t )
dt
t is the time constant, K is the static gain.

• Take Laplace transforms:

y(s) K

f ( s ) ts  1
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 Laplace of 1st order ODE

 dy 
Take Laplace transforms: L t  y  Kf (t ) 
 dt 
 tsy ( s)  y( s)  Kf ( s)

Rearrange: (ts  1) y( s)  Kf ( s)

y( s) K
Standard form of a 1st

order transfer function: x( s ) ts  1

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 Order of the Transfer function

• The order of the TF is defined to be the order of

the denominator polynomial.
• Note: The order of the TF is equal to the order of
the ODE.
dy y( s) K
1st order: t  y(t )  Kx(t ) 
dt x( s) ts  1
2 y ( s) K
d y dy  2 2
t2 2  2t  y  Kx(t )
2nd order: dt dt x(s) (t s  2ts  1)
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 Transfer Functions

A transfer function (TF) relates one input and one output:

xt  y t 

 TF 

X s  Y s 

The following terminology is used:

x y
input output The Laplace function
forcing function response goes inside the TF box
disturbance “effect”
“cause” G(s) used for a general TF

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 Steady-State Gain, K
(also called static gain)
The steady-state gain of a TF can be used to calculate the
steady-state change in an output due to a steady-state
change in the input.
If you know two steady states for an input, u, and an
output, y, we can calculate the steady-state gain, K, from:
y2  y1
K
x2  x1
For a linear system, K is a constant. But for a nonlinear
system, K will depend on the operating condition

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 Effect of Gain, K
Gain K describes the 4

magnitude of the
change 3
K=4

• For unit step, the

response at infinite 2 K=2

time is K times the

K=1
step size 1

• K multiplies the
0
change 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Time

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 Effect of Time Constant, t
t is time constant
• Larger t means a 1
t =1
slower response 0.8
t =2
to the step change 63%
0.6
t =4
• Describes
K=1
dynamics of 0.4

change (how
0.2 τ =2 τ =4
fast?) τ =1
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Time
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 First order step response
(active learning )
y
y
t ___
y
0 0
y
τ 0.632
2τ 0.865
3τ 0.950
t 0.982
4τ
τ 0.993 We define 5t
5τ
as reaching SS

Note: Large τ means a slow response

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Example – If step change is 2?

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 Example: simple tank
(active learning)
F0 Assume laminar flow out through a
hole (R = resistance): h
F1 
R
dht  ht 
F1 Mass Balance: A  F0 (t ) 
dt R

dht 
Rearrange: AR  ht   RF0 (t )
dt
h( s ) R
Laplace: 
F0 ( s ) ARs  1
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 Example: simple tank

Recognise as first order TF: h( s ) K


(where R = K and τ = AR) F0 ( s ) ts  1

For a unit step change in F0: K

1 K
h( s ) 
s (ts  1) Level
K/2
Inverse Laplace:
t / t
h(t )  K (1  e ) 0
0 t 2t 3t 4t
Time
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Example: simple tank
h(t )  K (1  e t / t )
(active learning)
What is h at t = t? h  K (1  e  t / t )  K (1  e 1 )  0.632 K
4 t / t 4
What is h at t = 4t? h  K (1  e )  K (1  e )  0.982 K
What is h at t = 5t? h  K (1  e 5t /t )  K (1  e 5 )  0.993 K
We define 5t as reaching SS (in this unit)

What value is h at t →  ?
sK
lim f (t )  lim [ sf ( s)]  lim [ ] K
t  s 0 s 0 s (ts  1)

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Practical uses (active learning)
You have been given this tank concentration data by your boss. A unit
step change was made to the system. What’s the time constant of the
tank?
63% of response
occurs after one time
constant t

63% of (1.2-0.6)
=0.38

We are at 1 t when
Conc=0.6+0.38=0.98

Conc=0.98 when
t=18min

Time constant t
= 18-10= 8min 18
 Disturbance types
Five types Unit Step Pulse
1. Unit Step
2. Pulse
3. Unit Impulse
4. Sine wave
5. Ramp
Sine wave
Unit Impulse
Ramp

t=0 t

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 Pulse disturbance
• Pulse for 20 sec of 1 unit high
– Same as 2 steps
– 0 to 1 at 0 sec, then 1 to 0 at 20 sec
1

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

• Linear System, just add responses !!

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 1st order ramp response
Unit ramp: f(t)=rt where r is the ramp unit: 1
F ( s)  2
s
h( s ) K
For a simple tank: 
F0 ( s ) ts  1

K
Substitute ramp function for F0(s): h( s )  2
s (ts  1)
Use partial fractions and Laplace table to invert:
h(t )  Kt  Kt  Kte t /t
 Kt  Kt (1  e t /t ) 21
 First order ramp response

Response: h(t )  Kt  Kt(1  e t / t )

Output lags the

input by exactly
one time constant
(when
normalised)

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Example: Mixing tank Back to the first example
of the lecture…
with no reaction
Process model:
1
C A '  C A0 '
ts  1
For a sine wave disturbance:
C A0 ' t   A sin t 
Laplace table:
A
C A0 ' s   2
s 2
Substitute into tank model:
A 1
CA '  2
s   2 ts  1 23
 Mixing tank (no reaction)
– sine wave disturbance
Inverse Laplace from table:
t
1 Aw 1 Awte t A sin( wt   )
L { 2 } 
( s  w ) (ts  1) 1  w t
2 2 2
1  w2t 2

  tan 1 ( wt )

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 Sine wave response
 • Phase angle  is
“shift” of the peaks
• Transient response
decays, leaves SS
response
• Brief intro here
• More detail in
lectures on
t
1 Aw 1 Awte t A sin( wt   ) frequency response
L { 2 2 } 
( s  w ) (ts  1) 1  w t
2 2
1  w2t 2
  tan 1 ( wt ) Phase lag/shift
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 What’s next…
• Continuation of single control loops
– Second order systems
– Block diagrams
– Deadtime

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