Chapter 10:

Dynamic Behaviour and Stability of

Closed-Loop Control Systems
10.1-10.4

 A closed loop system refers to a controlled process

Each component of a closed loop can be represented by differential/algebraic

equations, which however are not convenient ways of representing the flow
of signals from one component to another in a closed loop
The DE/AE that represents each component can be Laplace Transformed and then
represented in the T.F form.

In order to evaluate the response of a controlled variable to a set point change or

a disturbance, we have to populate each of the components of a
closed loop with their respective transfer functions.

 The T.F for each component can then be used to relate one input signal to
another and ultimately derive the closed loop T.F.

The closed loop T.F. is a representation of the dynamic behaviour of a closed

loop.

Note that the response of closed loop systems to disturbance or set point changes
may be stable or unstable, depending on how the controller is designed or
changes in the dynamics of the process.

 Unstable response means growing oscillations as represented in Fig 23

Fig 23 Stables and unstable responses

No control

P control, although there is offset,

response is stable

t
Undesired growing oscillations
after control

Transfer functions and block diagram representation of components

of a feedback loop
We would use the STH as an illustration
Measuring
device, e.g.
thermocouple
in a thermowell

Measured temperature
transmitted as electrical
signal

TT

Control valve

TC

Heater

Fig 24 Temperature control of a STH

I/P
Pneumatic signal

Transducer, converts
current to pressure

 Control objective of STH is to keep T at Tsp through the manipulation of Q, despite

changes in Ti.
The closed loop comprises five elements which are:

Stirred tank heater

Sensor transmitter combination (TT)
Feedback controller (TC)
Current to pressure transducer (I/P)

Final control element (a pneumatic control valve)

Block representation of a control system

Manipulated
variable

e
mA

Set point

Converts
0C to mA

Temperature
controller

()
mA

P
mA

Control
valve

Measuring device

()
Disturbance
variable

STH

Controlled
variable

e.g. thermocouple

Measured
temperature

Fig 6: Block representation of a feedback control loop for

STH
7

Stirred tank heater

Transfer function for STH (Eqn 54)
=

1
2
+
()
+ 1
+ 1

where

1 = 1,

1
2 =

54

Block diagram of Eqn 54 can be represented as

()

()

1
+ 1

2
+ 1

Represents change in ()
due to change in

()

+
+

()

Fig 25 Block representation of a STH

Represents summation
of signals

()
()
Represents change in ()
due to change in

Using the superposition principle

+ = ()

115

 Fig 25 can alternatively be represented as

Represent this as a gain
block in Xcos

()

Temperature sensor transmitter

Sensors do exhibit dynamic lag

()

+
+

1
+ 1

()
()

 The T.F of a temperature sensor can be represented as

Output variable

()

=
() + 1
Input variable in this case is
the output from the STH, ()

()
()

1
+ 1

116

Measuring element
time constant

()
()

Fig 26 Block representation of measuring element

Note that if there is no change in either set point or disturbance variable, then
=

 Thermocouple is a common example of temperature measuring device used in

industry. Thermocouples may be inserted in thermowells in order to protect
them in harsh environments.
If , then the measuring element can be regarded as having negligible
dynamics and can be set as zero in Eqn 116
()

=
() + 1

116

Km in Eqn 116 (called the S.S. gain ) depends on the input and output ranges of the
measuring element as shown in Fig 27.

Note Fig. 27 represents a combination of measuring element and transmitter.

20

Tm (mA)

12

16

16

= 0.16
100

Input span 1000C

output range
Span

55

100
T (0C)

Zero = 550C,
Zero and span can be adjusted
for some measuring elements

Fig 27 A linear sensor transmitter

155

Linear relationship between input

and output signals

Controller
For a PI controller, the L.T is Eqn 110
()
1
= 1 +

110

Error signal in t domain is

()
=

111

()
=

112

L.T of Eqn 111 is

()
Note that
in Eqn 111 is the output (in mA) from sensor transmitter which is
used internally by the controller.

() is related to the actual set point
() by the sensor transmitter Gain, Km , as

shown in Eqn 113

= ()

113

()

()

114

L.T of Eqn 113

Note that the controller gain Kc is usually dimensionless except in situations

where it includes the gain of some other device, e.g. actuator

 ()

()

+
-

1
1 +

()

Fig 28 Block representation of controller

Current-to-Pressure (I/P) Transducer

For a transducer with a linear response characteristics and negligible dynamics,
we have
Output from
transducer in psi
Output from
controller in mA &
input to transducer

()
=
()

115

 ()
()

()
()

Fig 29 Block representation of I/P transducer

Control valve
Pneumatically operated control valve can be air-to-open or air-to-close

2
1

Slope is Kv

Flow
(cfm)

6
9
12
Pressure (psig)

Fig 27 A linear control valve

15

 The T.F of a valve with a nearly linear relationship between the input and out can
be represented as
()

=
() + 1

()
()

+ 1

116

()
(/)

Fig 30 Block representation of control valve

A combination of block representations of all components of a closed loop gives a

feedback loop shown in Fig 31

 ()

Comparator

Km

mA

mA

()
mA

1
1+

P
mA

KIP

Pt

psi

+ 1

1
+ 1

/

2
+ 1

()

++

()

Km

Fig 31: Feeddback loop for STH control system

20

Closed Loop Transfer Functions

The following notations would be used for a general block diagram representation of
closed loop
Y = controlled variable
U = manipulated variable
D = disturbance variable
P = controller output
= error signal
= measured value of Y
= set point
= internal set point used by controller
= change in Y due to U
= change in Y due to D
= controller T.F
= T.F for final control element
= process T.F
= disturbance T.F
=T.F for sensor and transmitter
= steady state gain for Gm

 The notations highlighted above, and which are also used in Fig 32, represent
deviation variables in the s domain
In fig 32, the path from Point E to Y through blocks Gc, Gv and Gp is known as
the forward path.
The path from Y to the comparator through Gm is known as the feedback path.

Fig 32: Feeddback loop for STH control system

 The feedback loop in Fig 32 has two input signals which are D and Ysp
We want to investigate how Y responds to changes in each of D and Ysp , i.e we
want to generate closed loop T.F for

and

We would make use of the following block diagram algebra to generate the above
stated T.Fs.
U

G1

X1

G2

X2

G3

X3

The three blocks G1, G2 and G3 which are in series can be combined and represented
as one block G
X3
U
G
Fig 33: Equivalent block diagram

 The above block combination can be represented using the following algebra
1 = 1
117

2 = 2 1
3 = 3 2
By successive substitution, we have

118

3 = 3 2 1

Eqn 118 can also be represented as

119

3 =
where

3 2 1

X3

Closed loop transfer function for set point changes, i.e.

For a set point change, we assume that D = 0

From Fig 32,
120

= +
= 0
No disturbance

121

Note that U in Eqn 121 is related to the other loop variables in the following form

Fig 32: Feeddback loop for STH control system

122

123

124

125

126

We combine Eqns 121 to 126 and solve for

= =

127

128

129

 Rearranging gives

=
1 +

130

Note the order in which the T.Fns are arranged in Eqn 130

Closed loop transfer function for disturbance changes

For disturbance changes

= +
= +
Substitute Eqns 122 to 126

120
131

Fig 32: Feeddback loop for STH control system

 = +

132

Note that =0
Rearranging Eqn 132, we have

=
1 +

133

=
1 +

Note that closed loop T.Fs for set point change and disturbance change both have
the same denominator 1 +

 is called open loop T.F because it relates to if the

feedback loop is opened just before the comparator.

For situations where 0 and 0, we can rearrange Eqn 132 to get

1 +
1 +

Response of is the sum of individual responses due to and

134

Example 10.1 of SEMD

Find the closed loop T.F

for Fig 34.

Fig 34: Complex control loop

Solution
Start by reducing the inner loop to get Fig 35.
In order to find

(I.e. servo problem), we set D1 = D2 = 0

Fig 35: Reduced block diagram

Note that Fig 35 now contains a single feedback loop

Fig 35 is further reduced to obtain Fig 36a and 36b

Substitute for G4 and G5 to get final T.F.

Fig 36: Final block diagrams

1 1 2 1 2 3
=
1 + 2 1 2 + 1 2 3 1 2 1

Proportional control and set point changes (Section 10.3 of SEMD)

Fig 37a Liquid level control system

T.Fs for liquid level system

()
= =
2 ()
+ 1

()
= =
1 ()
+ 1

=
=

Fig 37b Closed loop diagram for level control system

Note the following about the closed loop T.F.

Level transmitter, I/P and control valve all have negligible dynamics, hence the
reason for which they have been represented as
Controller is proportional, hence it is represented as

Process T.F is
( + 1)

Arrange Eqn 135 in the standard form for 1st order systems
The closed loop transfer function for a set point change in Fig 37b is

()
( + 1)
=

()
1 +
( + 1)

135

 Multiply top and bottom of Eqn 135 by + 1

()
=
() + (1 + )

135a

where is the open loop gain

=

135b

()

=
() + (1 + )

135c

Divide top and bottom of Eqn 135c by 1 +


()
1+
=
()
+1
1 +
()
1
=
() 1 + 1

where

136

137

1 +

138

1 =
1 +

139

1 =

 Eqn 136 shows that the closed loop system exhibits a 1st order dynamics with time
constant 1

In Eqn 138, 1 is less than , the process time constant. This shows that the presence
of the controller is meant to give the controlled variable a faster response,
compared with the uncontrolled process.

If we assume that the magnitude of change in set point is M, the closed loop
response to this kind of change is

= 1 1

140

 At large values of t, the new steady state value is 1 , which is less than the
desired value of M for values of 1 < 1.

The offset can be defined as

offset ()

Fig 38 Closed loop response of proportional control to a step change in set point

141

 Note that for a step change of Magnitude M in set point, = M, however

from Eqn 141, = 1 .

1 =
1 +

We substitute the above values and Eqn 137 into Eqn 141, we have

138

offset = 1 =

142

1+

PI control and disturbance changes

For load change, the aim is to reject disturbance, so that deviation in controlled
variable would be zero.

For PI control, we replace Gc with

1
1+

Fig 37b Closed loop diagram for level control system

The overall closed loop T.F for Fig 37b is

()
=
1 ()

( + 1)
1 +

1
1+

( + 1)

143

 Clear denominators in Eqn 143, i.e multiply top and bottom by ( + 1) and

()
=
1 () + 1 + + 1

144a

()
=
1 () 2 + + +

144b

or

Eqn 144b contains a quadratic in the denominator, so we can express Eqn 144b
in the standard form for 2nd order systems

()
=
1 () 2 + + +

145

 Divide top and bottom of Eqn 145 by

()
=
2
1
1 ()
+ 1 +
+1

or

()
3
= 2 2
1 () 3 + 233 + 1

3 =

where

3 =
3 =

147

148
149

1 1 +
2

146

150