EG55P7 - Tutorial 1

Stability of control systems

Consider the stirred tank below. The temperature in the tank 𝑇(𝑡) is controlled by manipulating the
steam temperature 𝑇𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚 (𝑡), using a pneumatic control valve. A proportional-integral (PI)
controller is used, characterised by parameters 𝐾𝑐 and 𝜏𝛪 . The dynamic response of the process
temperature 𝑇(𝑡) to changes in 𝑇𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚 (𝑡) can be described by the following first-order transfer
function:

𝐾𝑝
𝐺𝑝 (𝑠) =
𝜏𝑝 𝑠 + 1

Similarly, the dynamic response of the pneumatic control valve can be described by the following
first-order transfer function:

𝐾𝑣
𝐺𝑓 (𝑠) =
𝜏𝑣 𝑠 + 1

𝑇𝑠𝑝 𝑡
𝑇 𝑡

𝑇𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑡

The dynamic response of the temperature probe can be considered instantaneous with a transfer
function 𝐺𝑚 (𝑠) = 1 ℃/℃.

a) Draw the closed-loop block diagram of the process and, then, define the respective closed-loop
response.

b) Considering initially only the proportional action, calculate the maximum value of the controller
parameter 𝐾𝑐 for which the dynamic response of the process temperature 𝑇(𝑡) to set-point changes
𝑇𝑠𝑝 (𝑡) is non oscillatory.

c) Build and simulate the system in Simulink with several 𝐾𝑐 values below and above the maximum
value to verify your findings.
d) Considering then also the integral action and assuming a 𝐾𝑐 value 15% higher to the maximum
value calculated in b), find the value of 𝜏𝛪 after which the system becomes unstable. To do this it is
suggested to follow a trial and error procedure using an appropriate polynomial root finder, e.g. in
Matlab.

e) Apply the Routh-Hurwitz stability criterion to examine the stability characteristics of the system of
question d) and verify whether the criterion’s results agree with the findings above.

f) Simulate again the system in Simulink with several τI values below and above the maximum value
to verify your findings.

Data:

𝐾𝑝 = 1 oC/oC

𝜏𝑝 = 300 s

𝐾𝑣 = 2 oC/atm

𝜏𝑣 = 50 s

Solutions
a) The dynamic response of the process to set-point changes can be written as:

G f ( s )  Gc ( s )  G p ( s )
T (s) =  Tsp ( s )
1 + G f ( s )  Gc ( s )  G p ( s )  Gm ( s )

Kp Kv  1 
where G p ( s ) = , Gf (s) = , Gc ( s ) = K c 1 +  and Gm ( s ) = 1
 ps +1 vs +1  Is 

The corresponding closed-loop block diagram is the following:

Tsp(s) + ε  1  c Kv Tsteam Kp T(s)

G C = K C 1 + 
Gf = Gp =
  Is 
 vs +1  ps +1
-

Tm
GM = 1

Important to note is that there is no disturbance in the specified system and this is depicted both in
the closed-loop response of the system and the equivalent block diagram.
b) The above closed-loop response considering only the proportional action ( Gc ( s ) = K c ) becomes:

KpKv
Kc  
 ps +1 vs +1
T (s) =  Tsp ( s )
Kp Kv
1 + Kc  
 ps +1 vs +1

which can be rearranged to give the general transfer function for a second order process:

Kc K p Kv
T (s) =  Tsp ( s ) 
( p s + 1) ( v s + 1) + K c K p K v

Kc K p Kv
T (s) =  Tsp ( s ) 
 p v s + ( v +  p ) s + 1 + Kc K p Kv
2

Kc K p Kv
1 + Kc K p Kv
T (s) =  Tsp ( s )
 p v v + p
s +
2
s +1
1 + Kc K p Kv 1 + Kc K p Kv

further yielding:

T (s) K p΄
Gsp ( s ) = =
Tsp ( s ) ΄ s + 2΄ + 1
2 2

where:

Kc K p Kv
K p΄ =
1 + Kc K p Kv

 p v
΄ =
1 + Kc K p Kv

 p +v
 =
2 1 + K c K p K v  p v

For the process to be non-oscillatory 𝜁 has to be ≥1 so that the response is overdamped or critically
damped. This means that the following correlation must be satisfied:

 p +v
 = 1
2 1 + K c K p K v  p v
 p +v
 1 + Kc K p Kv 
2  p v

( +v )
2

 1 + Kc K p Kv 
p

4 p v

( +  v ) − 4 p v
2

  K c  0.52atm / o C
p
Kc
4 K p K v p v

c) To verify the above we build the system in Simulink and conduct some example runs with 𝐾𝑐
values above and below the value of 0.52 atm/oC, subjecting the system to unit-step changes in the
set-point. The results are shown in the graph below. Clearly, at values above 0.52 atm/oC an
oscillatory behaviour can be observed, very mind initially, but increasingly more intense at higher 𝐾𝑐
values. Also, it is noteworthy to observe that the offset is decreasing with the increase of 𝐾𝑐 , as it is
to be expected for a proportional controller.

1.4

1.2
Kc=10
1

0.8
Kc=1
T (oC)

0.6

0.4 Kc=0.5

0.2
Kc=0.1
0
0 500 1000 1500 2000
time (s)

d) A 𝐾𝑐 value 15% higher to the maximum value calculated above is considered in this step which is
equivalent to approximately 𝐾𝑐 = 0.6. The controller is now proportional-integral, which means that
 1 
Gc ( s) = K c 1 +  . For the system to be stable, the roots of the characteristic equation
 Is 
1 + G f ( s )  Gc ( s )  G p ( s )  Gm ( s ) = 0 should have only negative real parts, so it is necessary to
evaluate these roots and their correlation with 𝜏𝐼 :

1 + G f ( s )  Gc ( s )  G p ( s )  Gm ( s ) = 0

Kv  1  Kp
1+  K c 1 +  1 = 0
vs +1   I 
s  p s + 1
 Kv  s +1 K p
1+  Kc  I  =0
vs +1  I s  ps +1

 I s ( p s + 1) ( v s + 1) + K c K p K v ( I s + 1) = 0

 I v p s 3 + ( v I +  p I ) s 2 + ( Kc K p Kv I +  I ) s + Kc K p Kv = 0

In the above equation, all parameters are known, apart from 𝜏𝐼 . However, since this is a cubic
equation, there is no straightforward procedure to obtain its roots (which are correlated to 𝜏𝐼 ). To
evaluate the influence of 𝜏𝐼 on the roots of the characteristic equation, a trial and error procedure is
followed, wherein the above cubic equation is solved for various values of 𝜏𝐼 . An example code that
can be used in Matlab to do this is given below. This small program can either be run directly in the
Command Window of Matlab or it can be saved as a script (.m file) to be able to be executed easier
for the multiple 𝜏𝐼 values.

ti=10;
tv=50;
tp=300;
Kp=1;
Kv=2;
Kc=0.6;
p=[tv*tp*ti (tv*ti+tp*ti) (Kv*Kp*Kc*ti+ti) Kv*Kp*Kc];
r=roots(p)

The table below shows indicative results that will be obtained by following the above procedure. It
can be found by continuing this trial and error procedure that the system is stable (all real parts of
the roots negative) for 𝜏𝐼 >23.376 s.

𝜏𝐼 =100 s 𝜏𝐼 =25 s
-0.0176 -0.0230
-0.0029 + 0.0061i -0.0002 + 0.0118i
-0.0029 - 0.0061i -0.0002 - 0.0118i
𝜏𝐼 =20 s 𝜏𝐼 =10 s
-0.0241 -0.0282
0.0004 + 0.0129i 0.0024 + 0.0167i
0.0004 - 0.0129i 0.0024 - 0.0167i

e) The above procedure can be greatly simplified by the application of the Routh-Hurwitz stability
criterion. For this the characteristic equation needs to be in the polynomial form shown below (given
that from question d) it is known already that this is a 3rd order system):

Characteristic equation: a0 s 3 + a1s 2 + a2 s + a3 = 0 ,

which means that:

a0 =  I v p , a1 =  v I +  p I , a2 = K c K p K v I +  I and a3 = K c K p K v
Based on these coefficients the Routh array can be constructed:

1 𝑎0 𝑎2
2 𝑎1 𝑎3
3 (𝑎1 𝑎2 − 𝑎0 𝑎3 )/𝑎1 0
4 𝑎3

According to the Routh-Hurwitz stability criterion all coefficients of the characteristic equation need
to be positive and, additionally, all elements of the first column of the Ruth array need also to be
positive for the system to be stable:

• a0  0   I v p  0  15000 I  0   I  0
• a1  0   v I +  p I  0  ( v +  p ) I  0  350 I  0   I  0
• a2  0  K c K p K v I +  I  0  ( K c K p K v + 1) I  0  2.2 I  0   I  0
• a3  0  K c K p K v  0  2.2  0
• a1a2 − a0 a3
 0  a1a2 − a0 a3  0  a1a2  a0 a3 
a1
 I ( v +  p ) I ( K v K p K c + 1)   I v p K v K p K c 
 v p K v K p K c
I    I  23.376
( v +  p )( K v K p K c + 1)

As seen above, the first three conditions are equivalent (𝜏𝐼 >0), while the fourth is always valid. The
last condition shows that the Routh-Hurwitz criterion agrees with the above trial-and-error findings.

Additionally, the Routh array can be used to obtain more information on the conditions at which the
system is critically stable (meaning it exhibits non-decaying oscillations). At the critical stability point
there will be a pair of pure imaginary roots in the characteristic equation and all other roots will
have negative real parts. In the Routh array all terms in row 𝑛 = 3, where 𝑛 is the order of the
polynomial that represents the characteristic equation, will be 0. From the analysis above it is
evident that this holds when 𝜏𝐼 =23.376 s. The two imaginary roots can be found through the solution
of the following equation, where the coefficients 𝐶 and 𝐷 are the elements of row 𝑛 − 1 = 2 from
left to right:

Cs 2 + D = 0  a1s 2 + a3 = 0  ( v I +  p I ) s 2 + K c K p K v = 0 
8181.6s 2 + 2.2 = 0  s1,2 = 0.0164i

f) To verify the above we simulate again the system in Simulink (using a 𝐾𝑐 value of 0.6) and conduct
example runs with 𝜏𝐼 values above and below 23.376 s, subjecting the system to unit-step changes in
the set-point. Note that Simulink uses the reciprocal of the integral time constant, 𝜏𝐼 , which is called
the reset rate, 𝐼. Results in the below graph are presented in terms of that parameter.
 3
2.5
I=0.04
2
1.5
1
T (oC)
0.5
0
I=0.01
-0.5
I=0.05
-1
I=0.1
-1.5
0 500 1000 1500 2000
time (s)

It can be clearly seen that the system below the critical value 𝐼=1/23.376=0.04278 s-1 is stable, since
it is exhibiting decaying oscillations, while the opposite is true above this critical value with the
amplitude of oscillations continuously increasing. Note, however, that, regardless of the system
being stable or not, all oscillations take place around the set-point due to the integral action.