Computer Aided Control Systems Design

for a simple Positioning Mechanism.

Vibrations and Control of Dynamic
Systems.



















CHATHURA LAKMAL HEWAGE
090418138
2



Contents
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 3
PD Controller Design .................................................................................................................... 4
Modelling a spring mass damping system .............................................................................. 6
Dampers ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Notch Filter Design and Tuning ................................................................................................ 11
1
st
property ................................................................................................................................ 12
2
nd
Property ............................................................................................................................... 12
3rd property ............................................................................................................................... 12
Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 15
Recommendation..................................................................................................................... 15
Reference ...................................................................................................................................... 15





























3

Abstract
The translational equivalent of a rotational system can be built or represented on the computer
instead of going to the workshop to fabricate such system and its performance under various
conditions can also be
observed without having to subject the real system to these conditions hence, you save materials
and money, since the system can be used countless times. Energy is also saved because such
system is more easily built on a computer than physically. Moreover, it may be very difficult to
measure some outputs of some systems such as displacement but such values can be measured
with ease through simulation. With this project, the aim is to investigate the performance and to
control a translational equivalent of a rotational system under various conditions, through
modelling, such as
- The rise time smaller than 0.5 seconds
- The percentage overshoot less than 5%
- The settling time less than 5 seconds

The results are obtained in visual forms so that they can be readily interpreted and discussed.

Introduction
Mechanical systems may undergo free vibrations or they may be subjected to forced vibrations.
The vibrations are damped when friction forces are present and un-damped otherwise. The
suspension system of an automobile, for example, consists essentially of a spring and a shock
absorber (damper), which will cause the body of the car to undergo damped forced vibrations
when the car is driven over an uneven road. Most vibrations in machines and structures are
undesirable because of the increased stresses and energy losses which accompany them. They
should therefore be eliminated or reduced as much as possible by appropriate design. This
exercise was to design several controllers for a system with transfer function, ()

.Firstly
a PD controller had to be designed to move or steer the body from the origin to a desired point
(

) after an initial force. This PD controller has to then be configured so that it can meet criteria
for rise time, percentage overshoot and settling time outlined in the brief. In this case the 10% -
90% rise time (time taken for body to go from

to

) must be within 0.5 seconds, the

percentage overshoot (the steady state deviation) must be within 5% and the settling time (time
taken for body to remain within 2% of

) is less than 5 seconds.

A PD controller has both proportional and derivative components to it. The Proportional
component acts to increase the speed of the system thus the rise time decreases. The derivative
component aims to move the settling time towards zero. The general transfer of a transfer
function is given by ()

.
If there are disturbances to the system at a frequency a Notch filter can be used to attenuate the
gain of the system at that particular frequency.




4



PD Controller Design
In order to understand the project, firstly a derivation of the closed loop transfer function must be
carried out.
A simple cart with mass (m) is shown in figure 2. This consists of a cart with mass m that rolls
with a forward force u without any friction.















Using, ,



Using Laplace transforms

m(

(x) - sx(0) -

(0) = U(s)

sx(0) = 0 and

(0) = 0

Therefore,

m

() ()

G(s) =
()
()
=

Using a PD controller the cart movement can be controlled and able to tune the controller in
such a way that some extra requirements are met by defining the error between the desired point

and the actual position x(t) by,

()

()

()

()

()

Using Laplace transforms
5


() (

) ()

()
()
()
(

)

X(S) =

()

)()

)(

() ())

() ()

()

()]

() *

+
()

()

In order to tune the PD controller to satisfy the requirements outlined in the brief, different
values of

and

were input into MATLAB. These values ranged between 0 and 1.5 for

and 0 and 4.4 for

. These values were changed in order to try and obtain a relationship

between changing these values and the shape of the step response plot as well as the performance
measures. Included in the appendix are the step response plots, including the performance
measures. It can be seen that all plots have parameters which fall outside the ones required.
Further trial and error has to be implemented to find ideal

and

values.
After some time these ideal

and

values were found. The step response plot for this is

shown below. It can be seen that all performance measures are within the limits. In this case,

and

, thus the rise time recorded is 0.469s, the overshoot is 4.99% and the
6

settling time is 5s. It can be observed that when

is kept constant and

is increased, the
overshoot is reduced but the system is made slower. If on the other hand,

is kept constant and

is increased, the system is made faster but the steady state error is introduced. Since steady
state error is not being measured in this report, it as well as its effects can be ignored.
Modelling a spring mass damping system
Springs usually occur physically as a coil of metal, and their idealizations have pretty simple
behaviour: compressing the spring will result in the spring pushing back, and stretching the
spring will have it trying to pull back towards the start position, so any displacement along the
axis of the spring will be countered by an opposite force that will tend to move the spring back to
its original position. The fundamental spring equation is given as:
F = -kx
Where k is the spring constant (how loose or springy the spring is), x is the difference between
the springs current length and its rest length, and F is the force on both endpoints of the spring.
Usually one endpoint is fixed, the other is the one that bounces around- which is usually what
happens: an initial impulse displaces the spring, the unfixed end of the spring acquires some
velocity moving back, but it passes through the zero-displacement point, is pulled back in the
other direction, and may bounce perpetually in the absence of any dampening forces. Physical
springs have more complex behaviour (like the transverse vibration and accompanying sound
when they're bent away from their axis) and could be described by more complex models.

Dampers

Ideally, one could assume that all vibrating systems are free of damping. However, in actuality,
all vibrations are damped to some degree by friction forces. These forces can be caused by dry
friction, or Coulomb friction, between rigid bodies, by fluid friction when a rigid body moves in
a fluid, or by internal friction between the molecules of a seemingly elastic body. These all fall
under the category of free, damped vibrations. Hence, we have dampers of the viscous type,
Coulomb type or hysteresis type. The equation of motion (E.O.M) for viscously damped free
vibration is given by:
mx + cx + kx = 0


A derivation of () and () shown below as well as all steps leading up to these. Derivations
of equations 10, 11 and 12 are also shown to aid better understanding.


Applying Newtons second law of motion to figure 6:
ma F =
7

For mass 1 of 1kg,
Spring force = k(x y) K(y x)
Damping force = c(x y) c y x
( )

Resultant force = x m
1

m
1
x c(y x)+k(y x)
Assuming k= 20N /m and c = 5Ns /m
x
..
5(y x) + 20(y x) . (a)

For mass 2 of 0.1kg
Spring force = ) ( x y k
Damping force = ) ( x y c
Resultant force = u y m
2

) ( ) (
1
y x k x y c u y m =
Assuming k= 20N /m and c = 5Ns /m
u x y x y y + = ) ( 20 ) ( 5 1 . 0 . (b)

Equations of motion obtained from system:
x
..
5(y x) + 20(y x)
u x y x y y + = ) ( 20 ) ( 5 1 . 0 (10)


By taking the Laplace transform of equation (10), assuming the system is at rest:

)) ( ) ( ( 20 )) ( ) ( ( 5 ) (
0 ) 0 ( ) 0 ( ) 0 (
) ( 20 ) ( 20 ) 0 ( 5 ) ( 5 ) 0 ( 5 ) ( 5 ) 0 ( ) 0 ( ) (
2
2
s Y s X s Y s X s s X s
y x x where
s Y s X y s sY x s sX x sx s X s
=
= = =
+ + + =

Also taking Laplace of the second part of 10

8

0.1[s
2
Y(s) sy(0) y(0)] 5 sY(s) y(0)
( )
sX(s) x(0)
( )

20(Y(s) X(s)) U(s)

where y(0) y(0) x(0) 0
0.1s
2
Y(s) 5s(Y(s) X(s)) 20(Y(s) X(s)) +U(s)


Above equation (11a) follows that:
20 5
) ( 20 ) ( 5 ) (
) (
) ( 20 ) ( 20 ) ( 5 ) ( 5 ) (
)) ( ) ( ( 20 ) ( ) ( ( 5 ) (
2
2
2
+
+ +
=
+ + =
=
s
s X s sX s X s
s X
s Y s X s sY s sX s X s
s Y s X s Y s X s s X s

Now, if ) (s X is substituted into part (b) of (11), i.e.

U(s) X(s)
s
X(s) sX(s) X(s) s
X(s)
s
X(s) sX(s) X(s) s
s
s
X(s) sX(s) X(s) s
s .
+
(

|
|
.
|

\
|
+
+ +

|
|
.
|

\
|
+
+ +
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
+
+ +
20 5
20 5
20
20 5
20 5
5
20 5
20 5
1 0
2
2 2
2

) ( ) 20 5 ( ) ( 400 ) 100 400 100
2
20
100
2
25 ) ( 100 ) (
2
25 ) (
3
5 ( ) ( 20 ) ( 5 ) (
2 2
1 . 0
s U s s X sX(s X(s) sX(s) X(s) s
sX(s) X(s) s s sX s X s s X s s X s sX s X s s
+ + + +
+ + = |
.
|

\
|
+ +
) ( ) 20 5 ( ) ( 20 ) ( 5 ) ( 2 ) ( 5 . 0 ) ( 1 . 0
2 3 2 3 4
s U s s X s s X s s X s s X s s X s + + = + +
) ( ) 20 5 ( ) ( 22 ) ( 5 . 5 ) ( 1 . 0
2 3 4
s U s s X s s X s s X s + = + +
( ) ) ( ) 20 5 ( ) ( 22 5 . 5 1 . 0
2 3 4
s U s s X s s s + = + +
( )
) (
22 5 . 5 1 . 0
20 5
) (
2 2
s U
s s s s
s
s X
+ +
+
= ...(12a)

Above equation (11b) follows that:
) .......(11 .....(b) U(s) X(s)) 20(Y(s) X(s)) 5s(Y(s) Y(s) 0.1s
2
+ =
....(a) )) ( ) ( ( 20 )) ( ) ( ( 5 ) (
2
s Y s X s Y s X s s X s =
U(s) X(s)) (Y(s) X(s)) s(Y(s) Y(s) s . + = 20 5 1 0
2
9

( ) ( )
20 5
) ( ) ( ) 20 5 1 . 0 (
) (
) ( ) ( ) 20 5 ( ) ( ) 20 5 1 . 0 (
) ( ) ( 20 ) ( 5 ) ( 20 ) ( 5 ) ( 1 . 0
) ( ) ( 20 ) ( 20 ) ( 5 ) ( 5 ) ( 1 . 0
) ( ) ( 20 ) ( 20 ) ( ) ( 5 ) ( 1 . 0
2
2
2
2
2
+
+ +
=
+ + = + +
+ + = + +
+ + + =
+ + + =
s U s Y s s
s X
s U s X s Y s s
s U s X s X s Y s sY s Y s
s U s X s Y s X s sY s Y s
s U s X s Y s X s Y s s Y s

Now, if ) (s X is substituted into part (b) of (11), i.e.

(

+
+ +

+
+
=
(

+
+ +
) (
20 5
) ( ) ( 20 ) ( 5 ) ( 1 . 0
20
) (
20 5
) ( ) ( 20 ) ( 1 . 0
5
20 5
) ( ) ( 20 ) ( 5 ) ( 1 . 0
2
2 2
2
s Y
s U s Y s sY s Y s
s Y
s U s Y s Y s
s
s U s Y s sY s Y s
s
) ( 400 ) ( 100 ) ( 20 ) ( 400 ) ( 100 ) ( 2
) ( 100 ) ( 25 ) ( 5 ) ( 100 25 ) ( 5 . 0 ) ( ) ( 20 ) ( 5 ) ( 1 . 0
2
2 3 2 2 3 4
s Y s Y s U s Y s sY s Y s
s sY s sY s sU s sY s s Y s s U s s Y s s Y s s Y s
+ + +
+ + + = + +

) ( 20 ) ( 5 ) ( ) ( 2 ) ( 20 ) ( 5 . 0 ) ( 5 ) ( 1 . 0
2 2 2 3 3 4
s U s sU s U s s Y s s Y s s Y s s Y s s Y s + + = + + + +
) ( ) 20 5 ( ) ( ) 22 5 . 5 1 . 0 (
2 2 3 4
s U s s s Y s s s + + = + +
( )
) (
22 5 . 5 2 1 . 0
20 5
) (
2
2
s U
s s s
s s
s Y
+ +
+ +
= (12b)
Thus, we have transfer function:

.....(13)
) 22 5 . 5 1 . 0 (
20 5
) ( ,
) 22 5 . 5 1 . 0 (
20 5
) (
) (
) ( `
) ( (12b) from

) (
) (
) ( (12a) from
2 2
2
2 2
+ +
+ +
=
+ +
+
=
= =
= =
s s s
s s
s H
s s s
s
s G
s U
s Y
input
output
s H
s U
s X
input
output
s G

X(s) =
G(s)U(s)=G(s)C(s)E(s)=G(s)C(s)[

()
()()()
X(s)
=G(s)C(s)

()

()()()()
X(s) =
()()

()

()()()


U(s) X(s)) (Y(s) X(s)) s(Y(s) Y(s) s . + = 20 5 1 0
2
10

()
()()

()()()


The closed loop transfer function obtained for figure 7 can be shown:

Next the step response plot for the closed loop system given in figure 7 was plotted (also shown
below). For this plot, the same values for both

and

were used and the result met all

performance measures except for the overshoot. The overshoot was recorded at 6.26%, 1.26%
above the maximum 5% limit. To counteract this different values of

and

were used but the

overshoot could not be reduced to a value under 5%.

The Bode magnitude plot for this closed loop system was obtained and shown on the next page.
Both magnitude and phase plots are shown on the Bode plot for simplification. By looking at this
Bode plot it can be seen that the resonance frequency

, and the magnitude of

the resonance peak,

.

11

Bode Diagram
Frequency (rad/sec)
10
-1
10
0
10
1
10
2
-90
-45
0
P
h
a
s
e

(
d
e
g
)
-30
-20
-10
0
10
M
a
g
n
i
t
u
d
e

(
d
B
)
From this, values for and may be found. Thus by using equations,

and

and . Also seen at 0.7

, therefore,

.























Notch Filter Design and Tuning
The use of tuned system is another widely used passive vibration damping treatment. These
devices are viscously damped 2nd order systems appended to a vibrating system. Proper
selection of the parameters of these appendages, tunes the systems to one of the natural
frequencies of the under damped flexible system, resulting in the addition of damping to that
resonance. Unlike dashpot which is most effective in adding damping to the first mode, tuned
system can target any mode, including the first, and add considerable amount of damping to it.
Another distinction between tuned system and dashpot is that tuned system is a single point
device and can simply be attached to a system at one end with its other end being free. tuned
system consists of mass, which moves relatively to the system and is attached to it by a spring
and a viscous damper in parallel. The system vibration generates the excitation of the tuned
system. As a result, the kinetic energy is transferred from the structure to the tuned system and is
absorbed by the damping component of the device. The tuned system usually experience large
displacements. tuned system incorporated into a system where the first mode of the system
response dominates, it is expected to be very effective. The optimum tuning and damping ratios
that result in the maximum absorbed energy have been studied by several investigators. tuned
systems have been found effective in reducing the response of system to winds and harmonic
loads and have been installed in a number of buildings.

A poor step response (in terms of rise time, percentage overshoot and settling time) is often due
to the presence of resonances. A notch filter can be used to eliminate the resonance without
changing the high and low frequency characteristics of the system. Below is a derivation of
12

equation 14 showing the transfer function of a notch filter. Also shown is values for

and

.





()

(14)

The magnitude of its frequency response satisfies following properties which are given with
derivation:

1
st
property
|()|

)
|

(
( )

( )

)
( )

)
( )

)
( )

2
nd
Property

|()|
(

)
( )

|()|
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
(

+
(

+
= =

e
e
e
e
e
e
e e
e e
~
/ 4 1
~
1
~
~
/ 4 1
~
1
~
~
lim lim
2
2
2
2
2
1
2
2
~
i F i F



3rd property
|()|

)
( )

( )

|()|

) *
( )

( )

( )

+

( )
( )
( )
( ) ( ) 1
~
lim lim , 1
1
1
lim
~ 2
2
= = =

=

e e e
e e e
i F i F i F
13

Step Response
Time (sec)
A
m
p
l
i
t
u
d
e
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
0.96
0.965
0.97
0.975
0.98
0.985
0.99
0.995
1
1.005
(

) *
( )

( )

( )

+
( )

( )

So substituting back into |()|

(
()

()

) (
()

()
()

()
)
|()|

)
|()|

Below is a graph of the amplitude of the oscillations in respect of time for a system with a notch
filter. It can be seen that the amplitude reaches an asymptote when time approaches infinity.












14

Step Response
Time (sec)
A
m
p
l
i
t
u
d
e
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
Bode Diagram
Frequency (rad/sec)
10
-1
10
0
10
1
10
2
10
3
10
4
-180
-135
-90
-45
0
P
h
a
s
e

(
d
e
g
)
-150
-100
-50
0
50
M
a
g
n
i
t
u
d
e

(
d
B
)


On the following page is a system step response plot and Bode plot for the transfer function with
the notch filter in parallel (figure 8 in appendixes). It can be seen that there is a linier increase of
amplitude with time until T=17.7s. Once amplitude reaches the value of 1, it suddenly becomes
horizontal, indicating that both the overshoot and settling time are zero. This would be ideal
however with current technology also impossible. This has been put down to errors in the
MATLAB programme. This can be solved by simplifying the transfer function (divide both top
and bottom by

) and then re-entering it using the MATLAB tf command.

The step response graph as shown below makes comparing with original function difficult.
However it is already known that the notch filter removes resonance, reducing the overshoot,
without affecting any other performance characteristics i.e. the rise and settling time will remind
the same, so the graph would more or less resemble the closed loop transfer function given by
figure 7 with a lower overshoot percentage. This would then meet all the required criteria.
15

Conclusions
From the results achieved above in chapter 4, we conclude that a spring mass damper system,
which is widely used in mechanical applications, can be well represented and simulated on a
computer to reproduce real-life situations and accurately predict different conditions and outputs
desired.
Thus it can be used to design systems which have not been manufactured for testing


Recommendation

A mathematical model of the system, considering the friction forces (i.e. a more complex
system).

Reference
- Ferdinand P. Beer & E. Russell Johnston (1997). Vector Mechanics for Engineers, Sixth
Edition. Pgs. 1172 1174.

- Katsuhiko Ogata (2002). Modern Control Engineering, Fourth Edition. Pgs. 53-54, 70-90.

- Allen S. Hall, Alfred R. Holowenko, Herman G. Laughlin (2002). Schaums Outlines
Machine
Design. Pgs. 89-92

- John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Edited by Myer Kutz (2006). Mechanical Engineers Handbook:
Materials and Mechanical Design, Volume 1, Third Edition. Pgs. 1204-1209.

- www.matlabcentral.com The official MATLAB website.

- The MathWorks Incorporated (2007) MATLAB product help.

- Karnopp, D. (1990). Design Principles for Vibration Control Systems using Semi-Active
Dampers. ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement and Control. 112:448-455.