MAE 691 Special Topic :

Modern Control Theory

Dr. Hodge Jenkins
Mechanical Engineering
Fall 2016
 Control Background Check
• Had a math/engineering course using Laplace
transforms?
• Had a math/engineering course using matrices and
linear algebra?
• Have used MATLAB ?
• Have used SIMULINK ?
• Had a dynamics course?
• Had a vibrations course?
• Had an undergraduate course in controls?
• Had a graduate controls course?
 Control Basics
Function Block Diagrams

Lecture 1
Most Common Control System Has
No Electronics
• Tank Liquid Volume Control
 Function Block Diagram
• Basic modeling representation of hardware,
electronic, or software element (has units).

Input Output variable or

variable or signal signal
 Block diagram:
Control & Feedback Terminology
 Feedback Basic Terminology
• Process: system or central component whose output is to be
controlled
• Actuator: Device that can influence the process and change the
process output
• Plant: Combination of Plant and Actuator
• Comparator: Computes the difference between Reference and
Output
• Controller (or compensator): Device that computes the control
signal/variable : Combination of Comparator and Compensator
• Senor: Provides an electrical (or mechanical) output proportional
to variable to be measured
• Reference: the desired value for the output of a system,
sometimes called Reference Input or Input or Set point
• Output: the process variable of a system to be controlled
• Transfer Function: function when multiplied by an Input provides
an Output for the component or system being modeled (usually
thought of in terms of Laplace transforms for continuous systems)
 What is required to control a system
Open Loop (no feedback) ?
• Compensator + Actuator
• Accurate model of system response to control input

What additional is required to control

a system via feedback control?
• Output sensor
• Comparator
 Temperature Control Function Block
Diagram: Open Loop System
Disturbance
Heat flow
in/out QDist
Compensator Actuator Output
Desired QIn Plant TActual
dV/dt
Input TSET Fuel Furnace Room
Temperature Flow
Control
Fuel
Rate
Temperature Control Function Block
Diagram: Closed-Loop Continuous
System
Disturbance
Reference Heat flow
Input Compensator in/out QDist Output
Actuator
Temp QIn TActual
TSET Error dV/dt
Fuel Furnace Room
+ Flow
_ Control Fuel
Rate
TMeasured Temperature
Sensor
 Function block diagram of a room
temperature control system, digital output

Room temperature and furnace output vs. time

 Plant and Controller
• Plant ~= Actuator + Process
• Controller ~= Comparator + Compensator
Controller Plant

Disturbance
Reference Heat flow
Input Compensator in/out QDist Output
Actuator
Temp QIn TActual
TSET Error dV/dt
Fuel Furnace Room
+ Flow
_ Control Fuel
Rate
TMeasured Temperature
Sensor
 Why is feedback needed?
• Disturbances ( weather changes for example)
• Unmodeled plant or actuator characteristics
• Changes plant or actuator
 Limitations of Control
• Senor saturation
• Power available
• Component physical limits
(stress, temperature, etc.)
 Modeling of Systems
• Needed to design an appropriate compensator
(whether feedback is used or not)
• Characterize the system performance or best
possible performance
Modeling: Dynamic Models
Mechanical 1 DOF Model

Apply Laplace transform to get algebraic equation.

Define output and input. Get transfer function.
Mechanical Systems: Car Suspension
Electro/Mech. Systems : Disk Drive
Segway
Electronic circuits
DC Motor
 DC motor
• (a) electric circuit of the armature;
• (b) free-body diagram of the rotor
Fluid systems
Thermal Systems (heat transfer)
Steam Engine + Control
Operating parts of a fly-ball
governor