ENME 585 Assignment #1 Solution

Quiz #1 Oct 1, 2010

1.6 Draw a graph of the components for an elevator position control. Indicate how you
would measure the position of the elevator car. Consider a combined coarse and fine
measurement system. What accuracies do you suggest for each sensor? Your system
should be able to correct for the fact that in elevators for tall buildings there is significant
cable stretch as a function of cab load.
Solution: A coarse measurement can be obtained by an electro-switch located before the
desired floor level. When touched, the “Mode logic” block triggers the controller to
reduce the motor speed. A fine motion sensor can then be used to measure the position
and bring the elevator precisely to the floor level. Accuracy required for the coarse
switch is around 5 cm. For the fine floor alignment, an accuracy of about 2mm is
desirable to eliminate any noticeable step for those entering or exiting the elevator.

2.1 (a). Write the differential equations for the mechanical system shown below.

Solution:
Note: Consider y as the input, which is a position variable. Consider x1 or x 2 as the
output variables. In drawing the FBD, assume x1  x 2  y

According to the free-body-diagram above, the dynamics equations are:

m1 x1   k1 x1  b1 x1  k 2 ( x1  x 2 )
m 2 x2  k 2 ( x1  x 2 )  b2 x 2  k 3 ( x 2  y )
Re-arranging, the model becomes:
 m1 x1  b1 x1  ( k1  k 2 ) x1  k 2 x 2  0
m2 x2  b2 x 2  ( k 2  k 3 ) x 2  k 2 x1  k 3 y
This is a linear system.

2.2 Write the equations of motion of a pendulum consisting of a thin, 2-kg stick of length
l suspended from a pivot. How long should the rod be in order for the period to be
exactly 2 seconds? (Hint: The moment of inertia I of a thin stick about the mass center is
1
ml 2 . Assume that  is small enough that sin    )
12
Solution:
FBD O
O l
m( ) 2
2
l
R m( )
2

I

mg



Take moment about the end point O:

2
l l
 mg ( ) sin   I  m  
2 2
Sub-in the expression for I,
1 2  1
ml   mgl sin   0
3 2

With small angle assumption: sin    , the equation of motion is approximated by

3g
   0
2l
The natural frequency of the above equation can be seen from the analogy of a natural
oscillator:
   2  0

The natural frequency is

3g

2l
2
T 2

 l  1.49 m
2.7. Automobile manufacturers are contemplating building active suspension systems.
The simplest change is to make shock absorbers with a changeable damping, b(u1). It is
also possible to make a device to be placed in parallel with the springs that has the ability
to supply an equal force, u2, in opposite directions on the wheel axle and the car body.
(a) Modify the equations of motion in Example 2.2 to include such control inputs.
(b) Is the resulting system linear?
(c) Is it possible to use the force u2 to completely replace the springs and shock absorber?
Is this a good idea?
Solution:
FBD

a) The forces shown in the FBD are the result of a positive displacement of x. The FBD
shows the addition of the variable force u2 , and shows b being multiplied with the relative
speed to act as damping. However, here b is a function of the control variable u1 .

m1 x  b(u1 )( x  y )  k s ( x  y )  k w ( x  r )  u 2
m 2 x2  k s ( x  y )  b(u1 )( x  y )  u 2

b) The system is linear with respect to u2 but is non-linear with respect to u1 . So if we

add controllable damping, the system is non-linear.
c) It is technically possible. However, it would take very high forces and thus a lot of
power and is therefore not done. It is a much better solution to modulate the damping
coefficient by changing orifice sizes in the shock absorber and/or by changing the spring
forces by increasing or decreasing the pressure in air springs.

2.15 (d). Write the dynamic equations and find the transfer functions for the circuits
show in Fig. 2.42.

Solution:
2.22. An air conditioner supplies cold air at the same temperature to each room on the
forth floor of the high-rise building shown in Fig. 2.47 (a). The follow plan is shown in
Fig. 2.47 (b). The cold air flow produces an equal amount of hear flow q out of each
room. Write a set of differential equations governing the temperature in each room,
where
T0 = temperature outside the building,
R0 = resistance to heat flow through the outer walls,
Ri = resistance to heat flow through the inner walls.
Assume that (1) all rooms are perfect squares, (2) there is no heat flow through the floors
or ceilings, and (3) the temperature in each room is uniform throughout the room. Take
advantage of symmetry to reduce the number of differential equations to three.

Solution:
2.23. For the two-tank fluid flow system shown in Fig. 2.48, find the differential
equations relating to the flow into the first tank to the flow out of the second tank.

Solution:
3.3 – 3.5 Find the Lapace transform of the following time functions:

3.3 (b) f (t )  sin 2t  2 cos 2t  e t sin 2t

3.4 (e) f (t )  1(t )  2t cos 2t

3.5 (b) f (t )  sin 2 t  3 cos 2 t

3.7 – 3.8 Find the time function corresponding to each of the following Laplace transfer
using partial-fraction expansions.

2
3.7 (a) F ( s ) 
s ( s  2)

10
3.7 (b) F ( s ) 
s ( s  1)s  10) 
 3s 2  9s  12
3.7 (d) F ( s ) 
( s  2)( s 2  5s  11)

6 9 3 9 5  51  5 19
s s   s  
5 5 5 6 1 5 2  10 6 1 9  2 51 2
F (s)       
s  2 s 2  5s  11 5 s  2 2 5 s  2 5 2 2
5   19  5   19  5   19 
2 2 5 19  2
 
 s      s     s  
 2   2   2   2   2   2 
Therefore, using the Laplace transform table:
5
6  2t 9  2 t  19  5
 t  
f (t )  e  e cos t  51 e 2 sin  19 t
5 5    
 2  5 19  2 
 4
3.7 (i) F ( s) 
s 4
4

1 1
s 1  s 1
4 1 s 1 1 1 1 s 1 1 1
F ( s)  4  22  2 2    
s  4 s  2s  2 s  2s  2 2 ( s  1)  1
2
2 ( s  1)  1
2
2 ( s  1)  1
2
2 ( s  1) 2  1

1 t 1 1 1
f (t )  e cos t  e t sin t  e t cos t  e t sin t
2 2 2 2
e s
3.7 (j) F ( s) 
s2
1 1
F1 ( s )  2
 f 1 (t )  L1 ( 2 )  t1(t )
s s
f (t )  f1 (t  1)  (t  1)  1(t  1)

2s 2  s  1
3.8 (b) F ( s ) 
s3 1
 1
3.8 (g) F ( s)  tan 1 ( )
s