EEM 342: Fundamentals of Control Systems

2016-2017 Spring Semester 2nd Midterm Exam

Time: 120 minutes; Total Points: 100
One size-A4 formula sheet and a hand calculator, not capable of symbolic operations, may be used.

0. (2 points) Write the group you are registered to (not the one you are taking the lab with) on the
top-right corner (if you write it anywhere else, you will loose points) of your answer sheet.

1. Consider the pendulum described in Homework 3, whose equations of motion are described as:
l
J θ̈(t) = u(t) − β θ̇(t) + mg sin(θ(t))
2
where θ(t) is the angle of deflection from the vertical position at time t, u(t) is the torque applied
2
at time t as an input at the rotating joint, J = ml3 is the moment of inertia around the rotating
joint, m = 1 kg is the mass of the pendulum, l = 1 m is the length of the pendulum, g = 10 m/s2
is the gravitational acceleration, and β = 1 N·m·s is the coefficient of viscous friction. The output
of the system is
y(t) = θ(t)

a) (4 points) Choose a state vector for this system and write the state equations.
b) (4 points) Determine all the equilibrium points of the system.
c) (8 points) For each equilibrium point, determine whether or not the equilibrium point is
(i) stable in the sense of Lyapunov; (ii) asymptotically stable.
d) (8 points) Obtain a linearized model for this system, which is valid around θ = 0. Write the
state equations of this linearized model and find its modes. Is this linearized system (i) stable
in the sense of Lyapunov; (ii) asymptotically stable? Explain your answer.
e) (8 points) Find the transfer function from the input u(t) to the output y(t) of the linearized
system obtained in part (d). Find the poles of this transfer function. Is the linearized system
(i) bounded-input bounded-output stable? (ii) critically stable? Explain your answer.
f) (8 points) Is it possible to stabilize (asymptotically) the linearized system obtained in part
(d) by using static output feedback u(t) = Ky(t) (where K is a constant)? If so, choose an
appropriate K to stabilize the system. If not, find a linear time-invariant dynamic controller,
to be implemented as û(s) = C(s)ŷ(s), where C(s) is a rational and proper transfer function
and û and ŷ respectively denote the Laplace transforms of u and y, to stabilize this system.

2. Repeat Question 1 for β = 0.

3. (18 points) Consider the system of Question 2. Suppose that both the angle θ and its velocity θ̇ can
be measured. Is it possible to find a static state feedback u(t) = K1 θ(t) + K2 θ̇(t) (where K1 and
K2 are constants) so that the point (θ, θ̇) = (0, 0) is an asymptotically stable equilibrium point? If
so, find such K1 and K2 . If not, explain why.
 SOLUTIONS
" # " #
x1 (t) θ(t)
1. a) We can choose x(t) = = . Then, the state equations can be written as:
x2 (t) θ̇(t)
" # " #
θ̇(t) x2 (t)
ẋ(t) = f (x(t), u(t)) = 1 β mgl =
J u(t) − J θ̇(t) + 2J sin(θ(t)) 3u(t) − 3x2 (t) + 15 sin(x1 (t))

y(t) = g(x(t), u(t)) = θ(t) = x1 (t)

" #
kπ
b) By letting f (xe , 0) = 0, the equilibrium points are obtained as xek = , where k is any
0
integer.
c) It can be shown that, for k even, when the initial condition is chosen close to xek , the solution,
x(t), to the given equation diverge from xek . Thus, xek is an unstable (not stable in the sense of
Lyapunov and not asymptotically stable) equilibrium point for even k. On the other hand, for k
odd, when the initial condition is chosen sufficiently close to xek , the solution, x(t), to the given
equation stays close to xek and converges to xek as time goes to infinity. Thus, in this case, xek is
a stable (both in the sense of Lyapunov and asymptotically) equilibrium point for odd k. Note
that, as explained in Homework 3, even k corresponds to the upright position of the pendulum,
where as odd k corresponds to the downright position of the pendulum. Therefore, this result
can also be obtained from physical considerations (note that the asymptotical stability of the
downright position follows from the existence of the friction term; if this term was not present
(i.e., if β = 0), then the downright position would be stable in the sense of Lyapunov, but not
asymptotically stable).
d) As in Homework 3, letting sin(θ) ≈ θ, the linearized model can be obtained as:
" # " #
0 1 0
ẋ(t) = x(t) + u(t)
15 −3 3
h i
y(t) = 1 0 x(t)

The modes √are the roots of the charecteristic √

equation s2 + 3s − 15 = 0, which are
s1 = − 32 + 269 ≈ 2.653 and s2 = − 23 − 269 ≈ −5.653. Since the system has one mode
with positive real part, it is neither stable in the sense of Lyapunov, nor asymptotically stable.
3
e) The transfer function is G(s) = 2 . Thus, its poles are the roots of s2 + 3s − 15 = 0,
√ s + 3s − 15 √
which are s1 = − 32 + 269 ≈ 2.653 and s2 = − 32 − 269 ≈ −5.653. Since the transfer function has
one pole with positive real part, the system is neither bounded-input bounded-output stable
nor critically stable.
f) With u(t) = Ky(t), the closed-loop dynamics equation is
" #
0 1
ẋ(t) = x(t)
15 + 3K −3

whose modes are the roots of the charecteristic equation s2 + 3s − 15 − 3K = 0. By the Routh-
Hurwitz criterion, both roots have negative real parts if and only if −15 − 3K > 0, which can
be satisfied by choosing K < −5. For example, if we let K = −10, then the closed-loop modes
are s1,2 = −1.5 ± j3.57, both of which have negative real parts. Thus, the closed-loop system
is asymptotically stable.

2
 " # " #
x1 (t) θ(t)
2. a) As in Question 1, we can choose x(t) = = . Then, the state equations can
x2 (t) θ̇(t)
be written as:
" # " #
θ̇(t) x2 (t)
ẋ(t) = f (x(t), u(t)) = 1 β mgl =
J u(t) − J θ̇(t) + 2J sin(θ(t)) 3u(t) + 15 sin(x1 (t))

y(t) = g(x(t), u(t)) = θ(t) = x1 (t)

" #
kπ
b) As in Question 1, by letting f (xe , 0) = 0, the equilibrium points are obtained as xek = ,
0
where k is any integer.
c) As explained for Question 1, xek is an unstable (not stable in the sense of Lyapunov and not
asymptotically stable) equilibrium point for even k. For odd k, however, when the initial
condition is chosen sufficiently close to xek , the solution, x(t), to the given equation stays close
to xek but does not converge to xek as time goes to infinity. Physically, we obtain undamped
oscillations around the downright position. Thus, in this case, for odd k, xek is a stable (in the
sense of Lyapunov) equilibrium point but it is not asymptotically stable.
d) As in Question 1, letting sin(θ) ≈ θ, the linearized model can be obtained as:
" # " #
0 1 0
ẋ(t) = x(t) + u(t)
15 0 3
h i
y(t) = 1 0 x(t)
√
The modes are the roots of the charecteristic equation s2 − 15 = 0, which are s1 = 15 ≈ 3.873
√
and s2 = − 15 ≈ −3.873. Since the system has one mode with positive real part, it is neither
stable in the sense of Lyapunov, nor asymptotically stable.
3
e) The transfer function is G(s) = 2 . Thus, its poles are the roots of s2 − 15 = 0, which
√ s −
√ 15
are s1 = 15 ≈ 3.873 and s2 = − 15 ≈ −3.873. Since the transfer function has one pole with
positive real part, the system is neither bounded-input bounded-output stable nor critically
stable.
f) With u(t) = Ky(t), the closed-loop dynamics equation is
" #
0 1
ẋ(t) = x(t)
15 + 3K 0

whose modes are the roots of the charecteristic equation s2 − 15 − 3K = 0, which has either one
positive real root or a couple of roots on the imaginary axis, for any real K. Thus, this system
can not be made asymptotically stable by static output feedback. Let us, then, try a dynamic
K1 s + K2
feedback with a transfer function C(s) = (where K1 , K2 , and p are parameters to
s+p
be chosen). Then, the closed loop charecteristic polynomial is (note that positive feedback is
given in the question) d(s) = (s2 −15)(s+p)−3(K1 s+K2 ) = s3 +ps2 −(15+3K1 )s−15p−3K2 .
By forming the Routh table, all roots of this polynomial have negative real parts if and only
if (i) p > 0, (ii) 3K2 − 3K1 p > 0 and (iii) −15p − 3K2 > 0. For example, p = 1, K2 =
−10, and K1 = −15 satisfy all these conditions. Thus, the controller with transfer function
−15s − 10
C(s) = stabilizes this system when implemented as û(s) = C(s)ŷ(s).
s+1

3
3. We know from Question 2 that (θ, θ̇) = (0, 0) is an unstable equilibrium point of the open-loop
system. We have already obtained a linearized model of the actual system around this equilibrium
point in part (d) of Question 2 as:
" # " #
0 1 0
ẋ(t) = x(t) + u(t)
15 0 3
h i
y(t) = 1 0 x(t)

When we apply the state feedback u(t) = K1 θ(t) + K2 θ̇(t) to this linearized model, the closed-loop
dynamics equation is " #
0 1
ẋ(t) = x(t)
15 + 3K1 3K2
Thus, the closed-loop linearized system is asymptotically stable if K1 < −5 and K2 < 0. For
example, we can choose K1 = −10 and K2 = −5. When we apply this feedback to the actual
nonlinear system, as explained in Homework 3, unstable equilibrium point (θ, θ̇) = (0, 0) will become
an asymptotically stable equilibrium point of the closed-loop system.