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MCGILL ID_____________________________

DEPARTMENT OF MINING AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING

MIME 311
Modelling and Automatic Control
Professor Bevan
Midterm Fall 2013, 3:35pm-5:25pm Tuesday November 5th 2013

Always label diagrams fully. Only notes in your own hand writing and the lecture notes (and
supplemental lecture notes) provided on-line through MyCourses allowed. No calculators or
electronic devices of any kind allowed. No textbooks allowed. Failure to follow these rules will
result in a maximum grade of C and a likely failing grade on this exam.
This is exam is marked out of 100 pts total.

1. Briefly define the following terms in the context of control systems, in a sentence or two.

(a) Theoretical Model(s) (1 pt)

(b) Empirical Models(s) (1 pt)

(c) Semi-empirical Models(s) (1 pt)

(d) Which one of the above are you most likely to use in practice and why (explain in one sentence or two)? (1
pt)

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2. This question is on developing governing equations for a process model.

(b) Write down the general mathematical equivalence relation for mass conservation, continuing what is provided
below, including all possible sources and sinks. (12 pts)

{Rate of mass accumulation the system} =

(a) Write the two governing equations for the system provided in the diagram below in terms of h1 and h2, that is
the change in liquid height for tanks 1 and 2 provided below in response to changes in their respective input flow
rates q1 and q2. Arrive at your answers by starting from the conservation relation defined above. Show all your
steps. Define the time constants 1 and 2 for each governing equation. (12 pts)

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3. Suppose we have a system that is governed by the first order differential equation of the form given below.
dy
+ y = k p x(t)
dt
where is a time constant and kp is a gain constant.

(a) If our input change from steady state x(t) is a step followed by a second step at time T, as defined below, what

will our output response change y(t) be in the time domain. Use Laplace transforms to solve this problem, by
first converting the problem into the Laplace domain and then converting back (see the table attached to the
exam). Show all your steps. Write your expression(s) for y(t) for each of the time sections for which x(t) is
defined below. (12 pts)
0 ; t < 0

x'(t) = a ; 0 t < T

a + b ; T t

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(b) Sketch the output response y(t), below the input change x(t) on the axes given below. (12 pts)

4. Suppose you work at QuebecElectronicMaterials Inc. and your boss provides you with liquid InGa alloy
production tanks in series identical to the one as given in the figure draw below (identical to that from question 2
from this exam).

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(a) First your boss asks you to derive and write out the transfer function between the input qi and the output h2, so
that the company can model the system in Simulink. (7 pts)

(b) Then your boss decides that is too expensive to buy a license for Matlab and asks you to add an outlet value
(as shown below) and work out what the outlet value resistance R0 should be to produce critically damped
response for the liquid level in tank 2, given that valves 1 and 2 are too expensive to replace and valve 1 has a
larger resistance than valve 2. Show all your steps. Hint: you dont need to solve this problem to work out the
remaining questions on the exam. (7 pts)

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(c) Lastly, your boss decides not to purchase an outlet value (due to the expense) and asks you to work out the
time domain response for the liquid level in tank 2 using inverse Laplace transforms, when R1=R2, and sketch the
resulting response for a unitary input qi (labeling the steady state magnitude as well in each case). Show all your
steps. Hint: You have all the information you need to solve this from 4a; use the Heavyside expansion method,
making sure to properly expand the double roots with the same time constant. (7 pts)

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5. Following your exceptional work on the two tank system word gets out that youre an expert on liquid metal
alloy tank design and youre asked to verify a feedback system designed at VermontElectronicMaterials Inc. that
should prevent level change in tank 2 under regulated control.

(a) Sketch the feedback system control diagram using the standard feedback control diagram, given the rough
sketch of the design provided by VermontElectronicMaterials Inc. above. Assume that the time constant of the
tanks is much much greater than that of the measuring device or control values, and define all transfer function
blocks except for that of the controller (also define all inputs and outputs). (7 pts)

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(b) Solve for the regulated control transfer function using a proportional controller. Show all your steps. (7 pts)

(c) For what controller gain values is the system stable, if any? Express your answer in terms of the valve
resistance(s) and relevant feedback loop transfer constants. Show all your steps. (7 pts)

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(d) Will proportional control prevent level change at steady state in tank 2, as desired; more specifically should
VermontElectronicMaterials Inc. sink further funds into implementing their proposed design? To address this,
solve for the steady state response under regulated control (for a unit step decrease input change to qi) at infinite
time. Indicate the steady state offset value in h2, if any exists. Show all your steps. Hint: use the Final Value
Theorem. (6 pts)

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