Cairo University System Dynamics MDP 3430
Faculty of Engineering Year 2023 - 2024
Mechanical Design and Production Department 1st Semester
Problem Set 4
Problem 1
Determine the rise time, settling time and maximum percentage overshoot due to step input for each
of the following systems. Plot the time response using Matlab and determine the time response
characteristics.
R(s) + 1 C(s)
10
- (0.1𝑠 + 1))
a)
20
R(s) + 10 C(s)
0.1
- (𝑠 2 + 2𝑠 + 10)
b)
4s
R(s) + 20 C(s)
5
c) - 𝑠(𝑠 + 5)
Problem 2
The time step of a first order control system to a unit step is shown figure 1. Identify the transfer
function of the system.
Figure 1
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Problem 3
The time step of a second order control system to a unit step is shown in figure 2. Identify the transfer
function of the system.
Figure 2
Problem 4
The block diagram in figure 3 illustrates a simple servo system.
For the amplifier gain K = 10, determine the values of the feedback controller gains ‘𝑎’ and ‘𝑏’ that
give an overshoot of 16% and a natural frequency of 10 rad/s during the system response to a step
input.
If the value of ‘𝐾’ is decreased slightly, how does this affect the damping ratio of the system?
R(s) + 1 C(s)
𝐾
- 𝑠2
𝑏 + 𝑎𝑠
Figure 3
Problem 5
Check the stability of the systems having the following characteristic equations. Determine the number
of roots which are in the right half of the s-plane in each case. Check the roots using Matlab.
a) 𝑠 3 + 20𝑠 2 + 9𝑠 + 100 = 0
b) 𝑠 3 + 20𝑠 2 + 9𝑠 + 200 = 0
c) 𝑠 4 + 2𝑠 3 + 6𝑠 2 + 8𝑠 + 8 = 0
d) 3𝑠 4 + 10𝑠 2 + 5𝑠 2 + 8𝑠 + 8 = 0
e) 𝑠 6 + 2𝑠 5 + 8𝑠 4 + 12𝑠 3 + 20𝑠 2 + 16𝑠 + 16 = 0
Problem 6
The characteristic equations for some feedback control systems are given bellow. Determine the values
of ‘K’ for which the system in each case is stable.
a) 𝑠 4 + 22𝑠 3 + 10𝑠 2 + 2𝑠 + 𝐾 = 0
b) 𝑠 4 + 20𝐾𝑠 3 + (10 + 𝐾)𝑠 + 15 = 0
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c) 𝑠 3 + (𝐾 + 0.5)𝑠 2 + 4𝐾𝑠 + 50 = 0
Problem 7
The open loop transfer function of a unity feedback control system is in the form,
𝐾(1 + 𝑇𝑠)2
𝐺(𝑠)𝐻(𝑠) = 3
𝑠 (1 + 𝑠)
Determine the conditions for stability of the system. Plot the region in which the closed-loop system
is stable.
Problem 8
For each of the following unity feedback control systems whose open loop transfer function is given,
what are the suitable values of the gain ‘K’ that will make the steady state system error less than 0.5%
for step input, less than 1% for ramp input and less than 5% for parabolic input?
𝐾
a) 𝐺(𝑠) =
𝑠(𝑠 + 1)(𝑠 + 3)
𝐾(𝑠 + 20)
b) 𝐺(𝑠) = 2
𝑠 (𝑠 + 10)(𝑠 + 50)
𝐾
c) 𝐺(𝑠) =
(𝑠 + 5)(𝑠 + 12)
𝐾(𝑠 + 10)
d) 𝐺(𝑠) =
𝑠(𝑠 + 5)(𝑠 + 30)(𝑠 + 40)
Problem 9
A linear proportional servomechanism has an equivalent moment of inertia of 7.5 𝐾𝑔𝑚2 and damping
coefficient of 58 𝑁𝑚𝑠/𝑟𝑎𝑑, and its motor gives a torque of 350 𝑁𝑚/𝑟𝑎𝑑 of error as illustrated in the
block diagram in figure 4. It was observed that the steady state error due to ramp input is relatively
large.
To reduce this error to one tenth of its original value, the motor constant is changed and a derivative
controller of transfer function ‘1 + 𝑇𝑠’ is added to provide the original degree of damping. Find the
new constant of the motor and the time constant of the derivative controller.
R(s) + 𝐾 C(s)
2
𝐽𝑠 + 𝐶𝑠
-
Figure 4
Problem 10
Figure 5 shows the block diagram of a position control system incorporating integral control ‘1 +
1⁄ ’ and velocity feedback ‘𝐾 𝑠’. Determine the closed loop transfer function of the system, and by
𝑇𝑠 𝑡
means of Routh stability criterion, state the condition of stability.
If 𝐽 = 2 𝐾𝑔𝑚2 , 𝐶 = 28 𝑁𝑚𝑠/𝑟𝑎𝑑 and 𝐾 = 450 𝑁𝑚/𝑟𝑎𝑑 find the value of ‘𝐾𝑡 ’ which will raise the
damping ratio to its critical value, when there is no integral control.
Find the value of ‘T’ at which the system becomes just unstable and the frequency of oscillations.
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R(s) + + + 1 C(s)
1 K
- + - 𝐽𝑠 2 + 𝐶𝑠
1
𝑇𝑠 𝐾𝑡 𝑠
PI Control Rate Feedback Control
Figure 5
Problem 11
For the system shown in figure 6, derive the sensitivity of the steady-state error for changes in ‘K1’
and ‘K2’. Compute the sensitivity functions for K1 = 100 and K2 = 0.1. Using Matlab, simulate the
system response and track the response variation with the parameters change. Assume step inputs for
both the input and disturbance.
D(s)
R(s) + + 𝐾2 C(s)
𝐾1
- + (𝑠 + 3)
(𝑠 + 1)
Figure 6
Problem 12
The open-loop transfer function of a unity feedback control system is given by,
𝐾(𝑠 + 5)(𝑠 + 40)
𝐺𝐻(𝑠) = 3
𝑠 (𝑠 + 200)(𝑠 + 1000)
Discuss the stability of the closed-loop system as a function of ‘K’. Determine the values of ‘K’ which
will cause sustained output oscillations of the closed loop system. What are the frequencies of
oscillations?
Model problem using Simulink and use it to verify your solution.
[Hint: You may use a unit step input in your Simulink model and observe the nature of the output for
stable, unstable, or sustained oscillations].
Problem 13
The mechanical system shown in figure 7 is displaced using the solenoid. The system is controlled
through the potentiometer ‘kp1’ movement ‘x’. A feedback signal is obtained from the potentiometer
‘kp2’ to determine the mass position. Write the equations of this system and obtain the system transfer
function between the system input ‘x’ and the mass displacement ‘y’ using the block diagram reduction
technique.
Simulate the system response for a unit step input:
a) Using inverse Laplace b) Using SIMULINK
What are your comments on the obtained response?
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kp1 = kp2 = 50 V/m, ka = 10, R = 2 Ω, L = 0.01 H, ks = 20 N/A,
m = 3 kg, c = 50 Ns/m, k = 400 N/m
𝑦
𝐿 𝑅 𝑘
𝑥 Mass
Amplifier 𝑘𝑠
𝑚 Viscous
𝑘𝑎 friction
𝑘𝑝1 𝑐
𝑘𝑝2
Figure 7
Problem 14
The vehicle shown in figure 8 is a Solar Powered Mars Rover. The block diagram of the motion control
mechanism is illustrated in figure 9. You are required to,
a) Plot the system sensitivity to the gain ‘K’ for tracking the control signal ‘R(s)’ and rejecting the
disturbance ‘D(s)’.
b) Model the control system using Simulink. (Use a unit step for input and a random signal source of
variance 0.05 for the disturbance)
c) Make several trials to determine a suitable value for the gain ‘K’ that will satisfy all the following
conditions:
• Max percentage overshoot less than 20%
• Settling time less than 3 seconds.
• Negligible disturbance effect.
• Steady state error due to step input less than 10%
Figure 8
D(s)
R(s) + + 1 C(s)
𝐾
- + (𝑠 + 1)(𝑠 + 3)
Rover Dynamics
Figure 9
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