Linear Control systemWhen a number of elements are combined together to

form a system to produce desired output then the system is referred as control system. As this system controls the output, it is so referred. Each element connected to the system has its own effect on the output.

A control system is a system of devices or set of devices, that manages, commands, directs or regulates the behavior of other device(s) or system(s) to achieve desire results. In other words the definition of control system can be rewritten as A control system is a system, which controls other system.

For example, a furnace produces heat as a result of the flow of the fuel. In this process, the flow of the fuel is the input, and heat to be controlled is the output.

DisturbancesA disturbance is a signal that tends to adversely

affect the value of the output of a system. If disturbance is generated within the system, it is called internal, while an external disturbance is generated outside the system and is an input.

Consider for example the cruise control system for a car, where the disturbances are the gravity forces caused by changes of the slope of the road. These disturbances vary slowly because the slope changes slowly when you drive along a road.

A device in a motor vehicle which can be switched on to maintain a selected constant speed without the use of the accelerator pedal.

Linear Control system In order to understand the linear control system, we should

know the principle of superposition. The principle of superposition theorem includes two the important properties and they are explained below:

Homogeneity: A system is said to be homogeneous, if we multiply input with some constant ‘A’ then output will also be multiplied by the same value of constant (i.e. A).

Additivity: Suppose we have a system ‘S’ and we are giving the input to this system as ‘a1’ for the first time and we are getting output as ‘b1’ corresponding to input ‘a1’. On second time we are giving input ‘a2’ and correspond to this we are getting output as ‘b2’. Now suppose this time we are giving input as summation of the previous inputs ( i.e. a1 + a2 ) and corresponding to this input suppose we are getting output as (b1 + b2) then we can say that system ‘S’ is following the property of additivity. Now we are able to define the linear control systems as those types of control systems which follow the principle of homogeneity and additivity.

Examples of Linear Control SystemConsider a purely resistive network with a

constant dc source. This circuit follows the principle of homogeneity and additivity. All the undesired effects are neglected and assuming ideal behavior of each element in the network, we say that we will get linear voltage and current characteristic. This is the example of linear control system.

Non-linear Systems:We can simply define non linear control

system as all those system which do not follow the principle of homogeneity. In practical life all the systems are non-linear system.

Examples of Non-linear SystemA well known example of non-linear system is

magnetization curve or no load curve of a dc machine. We will discuss briefly no load curve of dc machines here: No load curve gives us the relationship between the air gap flux and the field winding mmf. It is very clear from the curve given below that in the beginning there is a linear relationship between winding mmf and the air gap flux but after this, saturation has come which shows the non linear behavior of the curve or characteristics of the non linear control system.

Types of Control system There are two main types of control system. They are

as follow Open loop control system and Closed loop control system:

Open Loop Control System:A control system in which the control action is totally independent of output of the system then it is called open loop control system. Manual control system is also an open loop control system. Fig. shows the block diagram of open loop control system in which process output is totally independent of controller action.

Practical Examples of Open Loop Control SystemVolume on Stereo System – Volume is adjusted

manually irrespective of output volume level.Light Switch – lamps glow whenever light switch is

on irrespective of light is required or notAutomatic Washing Machine – This machine runs

according to the pre-set time irrespective of washing is completed or not.

Electric Hand Drier – Hot air (output) comes out as long as you keep your hand under the machine, irrespective of how much your hand is dried.

Timer Based Clothes Drier – This machine dries wet clothes for pre – adjusted time, it does not matter how much the clothes are dried.

Closed Loop Control System (feedback control): Control system in which the output has an effect on the

input quantity in such a manner that the input quantity will adjust itself based on the output generated is called closed loop control system.

Open loop control system can be converted in to closed loop control system by providing a feedback. This feedback automatically makes the suitable changes in the output due to external disturbance. In this way closed loop control system is called automatic control system. Figure below shows the block diagram of closed loop control system in which feedback is taken from output and fed in to input.

Practical Examples of Closed Loop(feedback) Control System Automatic Electric Iron – Heating elements are controlled

by output temperature of the iron. Servo Voltage Stabilizer – Voltage controller operates

depending upon output voltage of the system. An Air Conditioner – An air conditioner functions

depending upon the temperature of the room.

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Water Level Controller– Input water is controlled by water level of reservoir reservoir.

Block Diagrams of Control system: Fundamentals

A block diagram is a shorthand, pictorial representation of the cause-and-effect relationship between the input and output of a physical system. The simplest form of the block diagram is the single block, with one input and one output as shown below; block

Input Output The basic configuration of a simple closed-loop

(feedback) control system with a single input and a single output (abbreviated SISO) is illustrated in Fig.

.The plant (or process, or controlled system) g2 is

the system, subsystem, process, or object controlled by the feedback control system.

The controlled output c is the output variable of the plant, under the control of the feedback control system.

The forward path is the transmission path from the summing point to the controlled output c.

The feed forward (control) elements , are the components of the forward path that generate the control signal U or m applied to the plant. Note: Feed forward elements typically include controller(s), compensator( s) (or equalization elements), and/or amplifiers.

The control signal U (or manipulated variable m) is the output signal of the feed forward element applied as input to the plant .

.The feedback path is the transmission path

from the controlled output c back to the summing point.

The feedback elements (sensors, compensator and controller) h establish the relationship between the controlled output c and primary feedback signal b.

The reference input r is an external signal applied to the feedback control system, usually at the first summing point.

The actuating (or error) signal is the reference input signal minus or plus the primary feedback signal. In an open-loop system, which has no feedback, actuating/error signal is equal to r.

Negative feedback means summing point is subtractor (e= r-b)

Positive feedback means summing point is an adder (e=r+b)

Automatic bottle filling mechanism(block diagram example) In the system shown, conveyor belt is driven by the

controller as well as valve position is also controlled by the controller.

When empty bottle comes at the specific position, weight sensor senses the weight and gives signal to controller. Controller stops conveyor movement and opens the valve so bottle starts getting filled. When required level is achieved, again weight sensor sensing the proper weight sends a signal to controller which sends signals to start movement of belt and also closing the valve position.

.Summing Point of Block Diagram:Instead of applying single input signal to different blocks, there may be such situation where different input signals are applied to same block. Here, resultant input signal is the summation of all input signals applied. Summation of input signals is represented by a point called summing point which is shown in the figure below by crossed circle. Here R(s), X(s) and Y(s) are the input signals. It is necessary to indicate the fine specifying the input signal entering a summing point in the block diagram of control system.

,,

Takeoff point When we need to apply one or same input to more than

one blocks, we use take off point. A point where the input gets more than one paths to propagate. This is to be noted that the input does not get divided at a point, hence input propagates through all the paths connected to that point without affecting its value. Hence, by take off point same input signals can be applied to more than one systems or blocks. Representation of a common input signal to more than one blocks of control system is done by a common point as shown in the figure below with point X.

Transfer functionThe transfer function of a linear, time-invariant,

differential equation system is defined as the ratio of the Laplace transform of the output (response function) to the Laplace transform of the input (driving function) under the assumption that all initial conditions are zero.

Consider the linear time-invariant system defined by the following differential equation:

,In the figure below, there are two elements with transfer function Gone(s) and Gtwo(s). Where Gone(s) is the transfer function of first element and Gtwo(s) is the transfer function of second element of the system. In addition to that, the diagram also shows there is a feedback path through which output signal C(s) is fed back and compared with the input R(s) and the difference between input and output E(s) = R(s) – C(s) is acting as actuating signal or error signal.

,where, C(s) is the output and R(s) is the input of that

particular block.

A complex control system consists of several blocks. Each of them has its own transfer function. But overall transfer function of the system is the ratio of transfer function of final output to transfer function of initial input of the system. This overall transfer function of the system can be obtained by simplifying the control system by combining this individual blocks, one by one. Technique of combining of these blocks is referred as block diagram reduction technique. For successful implementation of this technique, some rules for block diagram reduction to be followed. Let us discuss these rules, one by one for reduction of block diagram of control system.

Cascade BlocksWhen several systems or control blocks are

connected in cascaded manner, the transfer function of the entire system will be the product of transfer function of all individual blocks. Here it also to be remembered that the output of any block will not be affected by the presence of other blocks in the cascaded system.

Cascade Blocks

Parallel BlocksWhen same input signal is applied different

blocks and the output from each of them are added in a summing point for taking final output of the system then over all transfer function of the system will be the algebraic sum of transfer function of all individual blocks.

Parallel Blocks

Shifting of Take off PointIf same signal is applied to more than one system, then the

signal is represented in the system by a point called take off point. Principle of shifting of take off point is that, it may be shifted either side of a block but final output of the branches connected to the take off point must be un-changed. The take off point can be shifted either sides of the block.

In the figure above the take off point is shifted from position

A to B. The signal R(s) at take off point A will become G(s)R(s) at point B. Hence another block of inverse of transfer function G(s) is to be put on that path to get R(s) again.

,

,

Shifting of Summing PointLet us examine the shifting of summing point

from a position before a block to a position after a block. There are two input signals R(s) and ±X(s) entering in a summing point at position A. The output of the summing point is R(s) ± X(s). The resultant signal is the input of a control system block of transfer function G(s) and the final output of the system is;

,

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Block Diagram of Closed Loop Control System

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Feedback Loops Positive feedback loops enhance or amplify changes;

this tends to move a system away from its equilibrium state and make it more unstable.

Negative feedbacks tend to dampen or buffer changes.

A positive connection is one in which a change (increase or decrease) in some variable results in the same type of change (increase or decrease)in a second variable. The positive connection in the figure below for a cooling coffee cup implies that the hotter the coffee is the faster it cools. The variables Tc and Tr are coffee and room temperature respectively.

The negative connection in the figure below for a cooling coffee cup implies a positive cooling rate makes the coffee temperature drop.