Faculty of Environment and Technology

Academic Year: 2020/2021

Assessment Period or Date: January 2021

Module Leader: Quan Zhu

Module Code UFMFW7-15-3
Module Title: Control Systems Design
Examination Duration: online exam with 24 hours window submission

ONLINE EXAM
Instructions to Students:
Outline the format and process of the assessment this may include:

• Answer ONLY FOUR questions from SIX. All questions carry EQUAL marks
• This is an individual assessment: do not copy and paste work from any other source or work with any
other person during this exam.

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Please include the module name and number and your student number (not your name).
Please indicate clearly which questions you are answering.

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There is no late submission permitted on this timed assessment.

Please find the exam questions and appendices from next page

Page 1 of 11
 START OF QUESTION PAPER

1. Question (25 marks)

An aircraft control system is shown in Figure Q1

R Y
- Gc(s) Gp(s)

Figure Q1

1
where the aircraft is modelled with Gp (s) = and the controller Gc ( s) = k is a gain
s 3 + 12s 2 + 24s + 10
to be designed.

a) To examine the aircraft dynamic/static characteristics, determine the numbers of pole and
zero, the dynamic order, and system steady output to a unit step input (by the final value
theorem), lim f (t ) =lim sF (s) .
t → s→0
[4 marks]
b) Determine the closed loop transfer function.
[3 marks]

c) Examine the stability of the closed loop system. The formulae for Routh Array formation
are given in appendix.
[8 marks]

d) Determine the critical gain values of the control Gc ( s) = k for a sustained oscillation at the
output in the closed loop system.
[3 marks]
e) Determine the gain of a controller so that the poles in the closed loop system characteristic
equation can be assigned as ( s + p1 )( s + p2 )( s + 10) , in which the two dominant poles are
specified with the system damping ratio  = 0.5 and the undamped natural frequency n = 2 .
[7 marks]

Page 2 of 11
2. Question (25 marks)
Consider a PID controller

 1 
Gctrl ( s ) = K p 1 + + Td s 
 Ti s 

a) Explain 1) how the lag and lead roles achieved in the PID function terms, 2) how the lag
and lead role effect to system dynamic and static responses.
[6 marks]

b) Formulate the PI and the PD controllers respectively by setting up the parameters Ti and
Td in the PID controller.
[4 marks]

1 Ts z
c) Implement digital PID, using the transform = , Ts = 1 is the sampling period.
s z −1
[6 marks]

d) Build up three closed loop control systems with 1) PID in cascade position, 2) PID in
parallel position, 3) combination of PID with cascade I and parallel PD.
[9 marks]

Page 3 of 11
3. Question (25 marks)
A continuous time plant is described by

Y ( s) 1
= G( s) = 2
R( s ) s + 3s + 2

a) Work out the plant poles, zeros, damping ratio, and undamped natural frequency.
Determine its stability.
[6 marks]

b) Determine its Z transform g ( z ) (sampling period Ts = 1 ) with reference to a residual formula

in appendix.
[8 marks]

c) Determine the corresponding difference equation for descripting the sampled dynamics.
[6 marks]

d) Locate the poles on both S-plane and Z-plane.

[5 marks]

Page 4 of 11
4. Question (25 marks)
Figure Q4 shows block diagram of a dynamic plant

D
y(t)
u(t) . x(t)
B
+
x(t )
 C
+

Figure Q4
0 1 0 
A=  B =   C = 1 1 D = 0
 −2 −3 1 

a) Identify the plant state space model with both state equation and output equation.
[5 marks]
b) Identify the plant dynamic order, numbers of input and output. Briefly explain the functions
of the matrices A, B, C, and D.
[9 marks]

c) Determine the plant controllability.

[7 marks]

d) Determine the plant observability.

[4 marks]

Page 5 of 11
5. Question (25 marks)
Figure Q5 shows a dynamic system block diagram, where

u(t) x(t ) y(t)

x(t)
v(t) +  +
+ B C
H

Fs

Figure Q5

in which, the plant has been identified below.

0 1 0 
A=  B =   C = 1 0 D = 0
 −2 −3 1 

a) Discuss the functions of controllers Fs and H .

[4 marks]

b) For the control system design, specify the desired second order denominator polynomial
(s) with damping ratio  = 1/ 4 and undamped natural frequency n = 2 .
[4 marks]

c) Design the state feedback gain matrix Fs =  f1 f 2  by  ( s ) = det  SI − A − BFs  .

[9 marks]
 
−1
d) Design the forward gain matrix H by H = − C  A + BFs  B
−1
.
[4 marks]

e) Sketch the output response to a unit impulse reference input and explain how the
response achieved by the designed state feedback controller.
[4 marks]

Page 6 of 11
6. Question (25 marks)
Figure Q6 shows a designed control system block diagram, where the plant state space
model is given by

0 1 0 
A=  B =   C = 1 0 D = 0
 −2 −3 1 

There is a need to design an observer for real operation. The observer is structured as
.
^ ^
x (t ) = L x (t ) + Mu(t ) + Ny(t )
(where x̂ is the estimated state, u is the control input, and y is the
output) with the specified poles s1 = 3 s2 = 4 . The analysis and design tasks are listed below.

a) Discuss the role of each matrix of ( L M N ) in the observer.

[5 marks]

b) From det  sI − L , discuss why need specify the observer poles with s1 = 3 s2 = 4 against
the plant poles.
[3 marks]

c) Confirm the designed state observer with reference to the following procedures
[9 marks]
N =  4 −2 by ( s + 3)( s + 4) = det[ sI − ( A − NC )]
T

M = 0 1 by M + ND − B = 0 .
T

 −4 1 
L=  by NC − A + L = 0
 0 −3

d) Complete the whole structure with adding the observer ( L M N ) in the given control
system shown in Figure Q6
D [8 marks]

u(t) x(t ) y(t)

x(t)
v(t) +  +
+ B C
H

Fs

Figure Q6

APPENDIX FROM NEXT PAGE

Page 7 of 11
Appendix --- Data sheet

1 The procedure to build up Routh's array

(1) Write the denominator polynomial of a transfer function in form of

a0 sn + a1sn−1 + + an−1s + an = 0

(2) Construct Routh's array

sn a0 a2 a4 a6
s n −1 a1 a3 a5 a7
sn−2 b1 b2 b3 b4
s n −3 c1 c2 c3 c4
sn−4 d1 d2 d3 d4

s2 e1 e2
s1 f1
s0 g1

where coefficients b1, b2, b3, and so on, are evaluated as follows

a1a2 − a0 a3
b1 =
a1
a1a4 − a0 a5
b2 =
a1
a1a6 − a0 a7
b3 =
a1

The evaluation of the b's is continued until the remaining ones are all zero. The same pattern
of cross-multiplying the coefficients of two previous rows is followed in evaluating the c's,
d's, e's, and so on. That is

b1a3 − a1b2
c1 =
b1
b1a5 − a1b3
c2 =
b1
b1a7 − a1b4
c3 =
b1

and

c1b2 − b1c2
d1 =
c1
c1b3 − b1c3
d2 =
c1

This process is continued until the nth row has been completed. The complete array of the
coefficients is triangular.

Page 8 of 11
2 Residual formulae for Laplace and Z transforms

There are four formulae to cover

F(s) >>> f(t)

F(z) >>> f(n)
F(s) >>> F(z)
F(z) >>> F(s)

1) F(s) >>> f(t) - Obtaining continuous time function f(t) by taking inverse Laplace transform


 1 d mi −1 

f (t ) = L−1  F (s) =  Re s  F (s)e st  =   (s − si ) mi F (s)e st  
mi −1 
(A 1)
( i )
 m − 1 ! ds s = si


where si is F(s)'s pole and m is the order of the pole s = si.

2) F(z) >>> f(n) - Obtaining discrete time function f(n) by taking inverse z transform

 d mi −1 
 F ( z) =  Re s  F ( z) z n−1  =   
1
f (n) = −1
( z − zi ) mi F ( z ) z n −1  
mi −1 
(A 2)
 ( mi − 1)! dz
 
z = zi

where zi is F(z)'s pole and mi is the order of the pole z = zi .

3) F(s) >>> F(z) - Obtaining discrete transform F(z) from Laplace transform F(s)

 z  
 1 d mi −1  z  
F ( z ) =  Re s  F (s) Ts 
=  mi −1 
(s − si ) mi F (s) Ts  
(A 3)
 z − e   (
 i m − 1) ! ds  z − e s = si

where si is F(s)'s pole and mi is the order of the pole s = si .

4) F(z) >>> F(s) - Obtaining Laplace transform F(s) from z transform F(z)

    
 z −1  
 1 d mi −1  z −1 
F ( s ) =  Re s  F ( z )  =   ( z − zi ) F ( z )
mi

(A.4)
 ( mi − 1) ! dz
mi −1
1 1
 s − ln z   s − ln z  
 T  
  T  z = zi

where zi is F(z)'s pole and mi is the order of the pole z = zi .

Page 9 of 11
3 Table of Laplace transforms

Page 10 of 11
4 Table of Z transforms

END OF EXAM PAPER

Page 11 of 11