NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

SMA4236

FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED MATHEMATICS

SMA4236: CONTROL THEORY

APRIL 2015 EXAMINATION:

Time : 3 hours

Candidates should attempt ALL questions from Section A [40 marks] and ANY THREE
Questions in Section B [60 marks].

SECTION A: Answer ALL questions in this section [40]

A1. Define the following:

(a) a time set. [3]

(b) a system. [5]
(c) a system transfer function. [6]

A2. Describe physically what happens to a system that is not stable. [4]

A3. Give reasons for using feedback control systems and not using them. [6]

A4. Obtain the state equation of the system defined by ÿ + 2ẏ − y = 2ü − u̇ + 3u. [8]

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A5. (a) A system can have several components (subsystems) with their own individual
transfer functions.
(i) Derive the system transfer function for a system whose two subsystems are
connected in a series formation. [3]
(ii) Derive the system transfer function for a system whose three subssytems are
connected in a parallel formation. [5]

SECTION B: Answer ANY THREE questions in this section [60]

B6. (a) Define the characteristic function of a control system whose input function is u(t)
and output function y(t) = 1. [3]
(b) Describe how you would use the Routh-Hurwitz criterion to establish the stability
of the system whose characteristic polynomial is

Q(s) = an sn + an−1 sn−1 + ... + a1 s + a0 , a0 6= 0.

[7]
(c) Hence, find the number of roots with a positive real part, for systems with the
characteristic polynomials below:
(i) s4 + s3 − s − 1. [5]
(ii) s3 − 3s + 2. [5]

B7. (a) Define the Laplace transform of a function. [2]

(b) Consider the system having the transfer function
K
A(s) = .
−2 + s
(i) Find the time response of this system to a unit impulse. [7]
(ii) Suppose a unit feedback is applied to A(s), find the time response to the unit
impulse of the resulting closed loop system and comment. [11]

B8. (a) Find the state transition matrix, using the matrix
 
0 2
A= .
−1 −3

[6]

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(b) Define an optimal control problem. [4]

(c) Solve the following optimal control problem and sketch the graphs for the state
and the control variables against time:

1 1
Z
minu 3x(t)2 + u(t)2 dt,
2 0
subject to
x0 (t) = x(t) + u(t), x(0) = 1.
[10]

B9. (a) Obtain the direct solution of the state equation

ẋ = Ax + Bu.

[9]
(b) Find the curve y(x) which gives an extreme value of
Z x2
1
J= (y 02 + 1) 2 dx,
x1

when y(x1 ) = y1 and y(x2 ) = y2 . [11]

END OF QUESTION PAPER

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