Process

Control

First Order
System
Responses
 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

2
 Example: CSTR– step change in inlet
concentration
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
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 
dC A
Component mass balance: 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
 Example: CSTR– step change in inlet
concentration (ctd.)
Disturbance: ΔCA0(t) = CA0’(t) = 1

LC A0 ' t   C A0 ' s  

1
Laplace: s

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

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

5
 First Order Ordinary Differential
Equation (ODE)
• ODE is linear and first order if it can be written as:
dy
t  y  Kf (t )
t is the time constant, K is the static gain. dt
• 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
 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
order: t dt 2  2t dt  y  Kx(t )
2
2nd x(s) (t s  2ts  1)

8
 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
 Effect of Gain, K

Gain K describes the magnitude of the change

• For unit step, the response at infinite time is K times the step size
• K multiplies the change 4

3
K=4

2 K=2

1
K=1
Time

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 11
6 7
 Effect of Time Constant, t

t is time constant
• Larger t means a 1

slower response to t =1
0.8
the step change t =2
63%
• Describes dynamics 0.6
t =4

of change (how K=1

fast?) 0.4

0.2 τ =2 τ =4
τ =1
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Time

12
 First order step response

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

13
 Open discussion

• Discuss the differences in K and t for these two “CSTRs”, assuming the same
concentration, the same change in concentrations, and the same flowrate

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 Example: simple tank

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
15
 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: 1 K

h(s)  K
s (ts  1)

Level
K/2
t / t
Inverse Laplace: h(t )  K (1  e )
0
0 t 2t 3t 4t
Time
 Example: simple
h(t )  K (1 tank
e ) t / t

What is h at t = t? h  K (1  et / t )  K (1  e1 )  0.632K

What is h at t = 4t? h  K (1  e4t / t )  K (1  e4 )  0.982K
What is h at t = 5t? h  K (1  e5t /t )  K (1  e5 )  0.993K
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)

17
 Practical uses – Calculators out
You have been given this tank concentration What is the initial
data by your boss. A unit step change was
made to the system. What’s the time constant concentration? 0.6
of the tank?
What is the final
concentration? 1.2

So K = what? 0.6 or 1.2?

Answer …

18
 Practical uses – Calculators out

You have been given this tank concentration What is the initial
data by your boss. A unit step change was
made to the system. What’s the time constant concentration? 0.6
of the tank?
What is the final
concentration? 1.2

So K = what? 0.6 or 1.2?

Answer … 0.6. Remember, K

describes the MAGNITUDE of
the change 19
 Practical uses – Calculators out

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?
At what time does the change
start? 10 sec
t Is the time constant, and
occurs at 63% of the change

t What is the concentration at

63% of the change?

20
 Practical uses – Calculators out
You have been given this tank concentration At what time does the change
data by your boss. A unit step change was
made to the system. What’s the time constant start? 10 sec
of the tank?
t Is the time constant, and
occurs at 63% of the change

t What is the concentration at

63% of the change?

63%*0.6 = 0.38, but we started

at 0.6, so .6+0.38 =21 0.98
 Practical uses – Calculators out

You have been given this tank concentration What time does 0.98
data by your boss. A unit step change was
made to the system. What’s the time constant concentration happen?
of the tank? 18 min

What is t?
18 min-10 min = 8 min

22
 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

23
 Disturbance types

Disturbance John’s Experience

1 Unit Step Very common. Happens when automated devices (like fans or pumps) turn
on or off. Or when a bad operator changes the setpoint. Remember, off
would be a negative unit step.
2 Pulse Common. One example is when we change from the normal to the spare –
during the transition we usually have both operating
3 Unit Impulse Never seen it. Does not mean it does not happen, it just means that in over
35 years I have never seen it. But … a negative unit impulse happens a lot
(for example, instantaneous power outage)
4 Sine wave Surprisingly frequent. For example, in level control, when the level is
splashing and making waves (can be caused by the wind).
5 Ramp Common. One example is when a good operator changes the setpoint
 Pulse disturbance

• Pulse for 20 sec of 1 unit high 1

• Same as 2 steps 0.8

• 0 to 1 at 0 sec, then 1 to 0 at 20 sec 0.6

• NOTE: K is never reached 0.4

0.2

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

• Linear System, just add responses !!

25
 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 )
26
 First order ramp response
Response: h(t )  Kt  Kt(1  et / t )

Output lags the

input by exactly
one time constant
(when
normalised)

27
 Example: Mixing tank
with no reaction
Process model: 1
C A '  C A0 '
ts  1

For a sine wave disturbance: C A0 ' t   A sin t 

Back to the first example
of the lecture…
A
Laplace table: C A0 ' s   2
s 2

A 1
Substitute into tank model: CA '  2
s   2 ts  1
28
 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 )

29
 Sine wave response


• Phase angle  is “shift”
of the peaks
• Transient response
decays, leaves SS
response
• Brief intro here
• More detail in lectures
on frequency response
t
1 Aw 1 Aw te t A sin( wt   )
L { 2 2 } 
( s  w ) (ts  1) 1  w t
2 2
1  w2t 2
  tan 1 ( wt ) Phase lag/shift

30
 Looking ahead…
Next : 2nd order system responses….

Single loop T1: Modelling

& Laplace TF

T2: 1st Order T3: 2nd Order T4: Deadtime, T5: Frequency
responses responses Block Diagrams Response

T6: PID Control T7: Tuning

loops Control loops

T8: Cascade T9: Feed

Control Forward
& Ratio control

31