Control Systems (Stability)

Stability

Objective

Upon completion of this chapter you will be able to:

 Characterize the system in terms of stable, unstable and marginally stable.

 Calculate the number of poles of closed loop system in left half plane, right half plane
and on the imaginary axis.
 Calculate the range of the gain of open loop system for stability of closed loop
system.
 Analyse relative stability of a control system.

Introduction

Among the many forms of performance specifications used in the design of control system,
the most important requirement is that system must be stable at all times. Stability in a
system implies that small changes in input, in initial condition or system parameters do not
result in large changes in system output. A stable system if disturbed from its equilibrium
position returns to its original state eventually after disturbance is removed. As for an
example when pendulum is disturbed from its original position by a small amount it exhibits
damped oscillations about mean position and finally settles down to original mean position.

Criterion for Stability

 A linear – time invariant system is stable if following two notions of stability are satisfied:

a) When the system is excited by bounded input the output is bounded. BIBO  
b) In the absence of input, output tends towards zero (the equilibrium state of system)
irrespective of initial conditions; this is called as asymptotic stability. An example of
asymptotically stable system is discharging RC circuit where voltage across capacitor is
eventually reduced to zero.

 If the system is excited by unbounded inputs & output is also unbounded then nothing
can be said about its stability.

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 Control Systems (Stability)

 Consider a single i/p, single o/p system with a transfer function.

C s b sm  b sm  1  ............b
 G s  0 1 m
R s n
a s a s n  1  ...............a
0 1 n

Initial conditions are assumed to be zero.

c  t   L1 G  s  R  s  


c t   g    r  t    d
0

 
g     L1 G  s  is impulse response of system

Take absolute value both sides


c t   g    r  t    d
0
Since absolute value of integral is always less than integral of absolute value.

c t   g    r  t    d
0
For bounded input r  t   M  
1

c  t   M  g    d  M
1 2
0
Which means that output is bounded which is the criteria for BIBO stability.

First notion of stability is satisfied if g(t) is absolutely integrable.


i.e.  g    d is finite
0
This is the criterion for BIBO stability.

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 Control Systems (Stability)

Relation between locations of roots & stability

 When all roots characteristics equation lie in left half plane the system response due to
initial conditions will decrease to zero as time approaches infinity.

 If one or more pairs of simple roots lie on imaging axis of s – plane but there are no roots
in RHP the response to initial conditions is un damped sinusoidal oscillations.

 If one or more roots are found in right half of s – plane, the response increases in
magnitude as time increases.

Pole Location Stability Impulse Response

1 Absolutely Stable
F s 
sa

1 Absolutely Stable
F s 
 s  a2

1 Absolutely Stable
F s 
2
 s  a  b2

1 Marginally
F s 
s or critically stable

1 Marginally
F s 
s2  a2 or critically stable

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 Control Systems (Stability)

1 Unstable
F s 
2
 s2  a2 
 
 

1 Unstable
F s 
sa

1 Unstable
F s 
 s  a2

1 Unstable
F s 
2
 s  a  b2

Conditions for stability

The necessary (but not sufficient) condition for stability of a linear system is that all
coefficients of its characteristics equation (q(s) = 0) be real & have same sign. Furthermore,
none of the coefficients should be zero.

1) The positiveness of the coefficients of the characteristics equation is necessary &

sufficient condition for the stability of the system of first & second order.

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 Control Systems (Stability)

The characteristics equation of a first order system is

a sa 0
0 1
a
which has single root, s  1
a
0
For second order system,

a s2  a s  a  0
0 1 2

 2 
 a1  a1  4a0 a2 
Which has roots s ,s   
1 2 2a
 0 
 
2) The positiveness of the coefficients of characteristic equation ensures the negativeness of
the real roots but does not ensures the negativeness of the real parts of the complex roots
for third & higher order systems.

3 2
As for an example for the following Characteristic Equation: s  s  2s  8  0 , the roots are
 15   15 
given by  s  2   s  0.5  j   s  0.5  j 0
 2  2 

Real parts of the complex roots is positive indicating instability of the system even though all
the coefficients of characteristics equation are positive.

Routh – Hurwitz Method

The criterion is based on ordering the coefficients of the characteristics equation into an
array called Routh Array as given below:
Example: P s  s4  8s3  18s2  16s  5  0
 
Routh Array

s4 1 18 5
s3 8 16 0
s2 b  16 b 5
1 2
s1 C  13.5 0
1
s0 d 5
1

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 Control Systems (Stability)

8  18  16 85  0 16  16  40
b   16 ; b  5 ; C   13.5 ;
1 8 2 8 1 16

13.5  5  16  0
d  5
1 13.5

 Since denominator always coefficients from the 1st column, the sign changes of only the
first column are considered.

 Since there are no sign changes in the first column of Routh Array, so there are no roots
of the characteristic equation lying in the right half plane.

 Number of poles in RHP = Number of Sign Changes in first column of Routh Array

 Number of poles in LHP = Order of Characteristic Equation – Number of Poles in RHP

 So, in this case all 4 poles lie in LHP and system is stable.

Solved Examples

Problem: Find the number of poles in right half plane for the system whose characteristic
4 3 2
equation is 3s  10s  5s  5s  2  0

Solution: Routh Array

s4 3 5 2
s3 10 5
s3 2 1 Dividing this row by 5 through out
s2 3.5 2
s1 0.5
3.5
s0 2

Examining first column of Routh array, that there are two changes in sign (from 3.5 to 0.5 3.5
0.5
& from to 2)
3.5

Hence, there are 2 poles of the system lying in the Right Half Plane.

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 Control Systems (Stability)

Special Cases

Case 1: When the first element of any row is zero while the rest of the row has at least one
non – zero term, in such cases substitute a small positive number ‘  ’ in place of zero &
evaluate the rest of the Routh Array in terms of . Check for sign changes in the first column
by taking limit  0 to comment on stability.
3 2
As for an example for the characteristic equation: s  2s  s  2  0 , the routh array will be
as shown below:

s3 1 1
s2 2 2
s1 
s0 2

If the sign of the coefficient above the zero  is same as that below it, if indicates that
there are a pair of imaginary roots.

Case 2: When Routh Array ends abruptly i.e. all elements in any one row is zero, construct an
auxiliary equation A(s), differentiate if to get new coefficients & evaluate the roots of the
Routh Array. Check the roots of auxiliary equation for roots on jω axis to comment on
stability.

The Routh array for the following Characteristic Equation would look like:
s6  2s5  8s4  12s3  20s2  16s  16  0
Routh array

s6 1 8 20 16
s5 2 12 16
s5 1 6 8
s4 2 12 16
s4 1 6 8
s3 0 0

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 Control Systems (Stability)

3
Since terms of s are all zero, the Routh’s test break down. We form auxiliary equation using
the elements in the row preceding the row consisting of all zeroes.

Auxiliary equation A  s   s4  6s2  8

dA  s 
Derivative w.r.t. s =>  4s3  12s
ds

s6 1 8 20 16
s5 1 6 8
s4 1 6 8
s3 4 12
s3 1 3
s2 3 8
s1 13
s0 8

There are no sign changes in first column of new array.

By solving roots of auxiliary polynomial.

s4  6s2  8  0 => s   j 2 ,  j2

So, system is marginally stable.

Properties of Auxiliary Equation

 The roots of auxiliary equation are always symmetrical about y – axis.

 The number of sign changes below the row of auxiliary equation gives number of
RHP of auxiliary equation & by symmetry, same number of poles exist in LHP.

 No. of poles on imaginary axis = Order of AE – 2* Number of Sign changes below AE

 Total no. of poles in RHP = Total no. of sign changes in RHP

 Total number of poles in LHP = Order of Characteristic Equation – Number of poles

on imaginary axis – Number of poles in RHP

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 Control Systems (Stability)

Solved Examples

Problem: Identify the number of poles in left half plane, right half plane and on the
imaginary axis for the system whose transfer function is given below:

s2  7s  10
T s 
s6  2s4  s2  2

Solution: Routh Array for the system given above is shown below:

s6 1 2 1 2
s5 0 0 0

6
So AE  s  2s  s  2
4 2 (order = 6)

Hence, 6 symmetrical poles

d
AE  6s5  8s3  2s
ds

s6 1 2 1 2
s5 6 8 2
s5 3 4 1
s4 2
3
2
3 2
s4 1
3
1
3 1
s3 7 8
s2 5
7 1

s1 9
5
s0 1

So 1 sign change & hence 1 pole in RHP & by summitry 1 pole in LHP.

So remaining 4 poles lie on imaginary axis.

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 Control Systems (Stability)

Problem: Identify the number of poles in left half plane, right half plane and on the
imaginary axis for the system whose characteristic equation is given below:

s4  s3  3s2  s  2  0
Solution: The Routh Array for the given Characteristic Equation looks like:

s4 1 3 2
s3 1 1
s2 2 2
s1 0

2
The Auxiliary Equation becomes A(s) = 2s  2

dA(s)
The derivative of Auxiliary Equation is given by:  4s
ds

Now, the Routh Array becomes

s4 1 3 2
s3 1 1
s2 2 2
s1 4
s0 2

Number of sign changes below AE = 1 so there are 2 symmetrical poles one in LHP and
other in RHP.

Number of Poles on Imaginary Axis = 2 – 2*1 = 0

Total Number of Sign Changes = Total number of poles in RHP = 2

Number of poles in LHP = 4 – 2 – 0 = 2

Alternatively, we can find roots of Auxiliary equation in this case which are s  1, so no
poles lie on Imaginary axis.

Remember, if and only if there is a row of complete zeroes can the roots lie on Imaginary
axis and else poles lie only in LHP and RHP. Also, existence of Auxiliary Equation does not
guarantee existence of imaginary poles as evident in previous example.

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 Control Systems (Stability)

Relative stability analysis is using Routh Array

1 1
s  a2 s  a1

System (2) System (1)

 Both system 1 & system 2 are absolutely stable system. System 2 is relatively more stable
then system 1 because time constant of System-2 is less than System-1 so transient dies out
faster in System-2 as compared to System-1.

 So, the condition for relative stability becomes that the system whose poles have more
negative real part will be more stable.

 So, to judge the relative stability using Routh Criteria we shift the imaginary axis so as to
lie between the poles of two systems so that poles of one system lie on right side of
modified axis and poles of other lie to the left of axis. SO one system will be unstable with
respect to modified axis and other will be stable.

 The system which is still stable will be adjudged being relatively more stable.

Solved Examples

3 2
Problem: s  7s  25s  39  0 .Check how many roots have real part more negative than -
1?

Solution: Shifting the origin s = - 1 by substituting (s = z – 1)

 z  1 3  7  z  1 2  25  z  1   39  P  z 

P  z   z3  4z2  14z  20  0

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 Control Systems (Stability)

Routh array

z3 1 14
z2 4 20
z1 9
z0 20

As sign of all elements of first column of Routh Array are positive, which implies that all roots
of original characteristics equation in z – domain lie to the left of z = -0.

In s-domain, all poles will then lie to the left of s = -1.

Shortcut: Substitute the given point (eg GH = 0, put s = -1) in the poly nominal, assuming
the points makes it stable.

 If LHS > 0, all roots lie in LS of s = -1

 If LHS = 0, one root lie on shifted axis & rest lie on left

Put s = - 1 in above example & LHS > 0, so all poles lie to the left of line s = -1.

Note: This process involves repeatedly shifting the axis by hit and trial as we do not know
exact location of poles. So, Routh Criteria is preferable to judge Absolute Stability instead of
Relative Stability.

Application of Routh criteria to linear feedback system

Closed loop transfer function

C s K

R s
 
s s2  s  1  s  4   K

2
 
Characteristics equation is: s s  s  1  s  4   K  0

s4  5s3  5s2  4s  K  0

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 Control Systems (Stability)

Routh Array:

s4 1 5 K
s3 5 4
21
s2 K
5
 84  21
s1   5k 
 5  5
s0 K

Sign of all elements in first column must be positive, the condition for stability requires that

84
K>0 & K
25

84
So range of K is 0  k 
25

84
When k  , the coefficient of s1 is reduced to zero and hence row preceding it becomes
25
Auxiliary Equation given by:

 21  2 84 4
 s   0 => s  j  j
 5  25 5

4
Hence, frequency of self-sustained oscillations is   rad s
5

This frequency is also the natural frequency of oscillations or un-damped frequency.

When system is only stable for certain range of some parameter it is called as Conditionally
Stable.

Solved Examples

Problem: Find the range of K for stability of unity feedback system whose Open Loop
Transfer Function is given below:
K
G s 
 
s2  2s  2 s  2 
Also, find natural frequency of oscillations of this system.

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 Control Systems (Stability)

Solution:
Characteristic equation of given system is :
1 G s  0
K
1 0
 
s2  2s  2  s  2 

s3  4s2  6s   4  K   0

Routh Array:

s3 1 6
s2 4 4  K
s1
 20  k 
4
s0 4  K
20  K
For stability,  0  k  20 & 4  k  0  K  4
4

So range of k for stability 4  k  20

When k = 20, coefficient of s1 goes to zero, system becomes marginally stable as poles will
lie on Imaginary Axis.

Auxiliary polynomial: 4s2   4  20   0

s2  6 => s   j 6 rad s

Frequency of oscillations  6 rad s

Limitations of Routh Criteria

 All coefficient of characteristic equation must be real.

 The sign changes in 1st column of routh array determines poles lying in RHS of s – plane
but not their locations.

 Relative Stability cannot be easily determined.

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 Control Systems (Stability)

Types of Stability

Absolutely Stable: If the system is stable for all values of system parameters and response is
bounded for all bounded inputs. In such a case, the roots of characteristic equation must lie
in left half plane for all values of system parameter.

Marginally Stable: If the system has one or more pairs of simple poles lying on the
imaginary axis then response to the input is bounded if poles of Input do not coincide with
system poles else the response is unbounded.

Conditionally Stable: If the system response is stable or bounded for certain values of some
system parameter and unstable for other values, then the system is said to be conditionally
stable.

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