Sample Problems for Exam 2.

Spring 2017

1. A Cascade-Internal Model Control (Cascade IMC) configuration is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Cascade IMC Control Configuration.

where 𝑉(𝑠) is the valve flow transfer function, 𝐶(𝑠) is the inner loop flow controller
transfer function, 𝑃(𝑠) is the main process transfer function, 𝐴(𝑠) is the internal model
process transfer function and 𝑄(𝑠) is the IMC controller transfer function. The signals 𝑤̂
̂
and 𝑑 are the flow disturbance and process disturbance signals while 𝑦̂𝑠𝑝 and 𝑦̂ are the
setpoint and process output signals.

Reduce the configuration and obtain the equivalent closed loop transfer functions 𝐺𝐶𝐿 (𝑠),
𝐺𝐶𝐿𝑊 (𝑠) and 𝐺𝐶𝐿𝐷 (𝑠) such that

̂ + 𝐺𝐶𝐿𝐷 (𝑠)𝑑̂
𝑦̂ = 𝐺𝐶𝐿 (𝑠)𝑦̂𝑠𝑝 + 𝐺𝐶𝐿𝑊 (𝑠)𝑤

2. A feedback controlled process is shown in Figure 2,

Figure 2. Simple feedback control.

where 𝐺𝑐 (𝑠) and 𝐺𝑝 (𝑠) are the controller and process transfer function, respectively,
given by
𝐾𝑐 (2𝑠 + 1)
𝐺𝑐 (𝑠) =
10𝑠(0.1𝑠 + 1)
−𝑠 + 1
𝐺𝑝 (𝑠) =
𝑠+5
a) Show that the Routh-Hurwitz array for the characteristic equation of the closed-loop
transfer function is given by:
 1 50 + 𝐾𝑐
15 − 2𝐾𝑐 𝐾𝑐
2
750 − 86𝐾𝑐 − 2𝐾𝑐
( ) 0
15 − 2𝐾𝑐
( 𝐾𝑐 0 )
b) Determine the range of 𝐾𝑐 that would make the feedback process stable.

3. The process models are given by

𝑑𝑥 𝑥
2 =− +𝑢
𝑑𝑡 2
𝑑𝑤
= −12𝑤 − 2𝑢
𝑑𝑡
𝑦 =𝑥+𝑤
Obtain the transfer function from 𝑢̂ to 𝑦̂, and show that this transfer function has an
unstable zero (root of the numerator has positive real part).

4. Two CSTRs in series undergo first order reactions of 𝐴 → 𝐵 modeled by

𝑑𝐶𝐴1 1
= (𝐶 − 𝐶𝐴1 ) − 0.08 𝐶𝐴1
𝑑𝑡 10 𝐴𝑖𝑛
𝑑𝐶𝐴2 1
= (𝐶 − 𝐶𝐴2 ) − 0.08 𝐶𝐴2
𝑑𝑡 10 𝐴1
Assuming zero initial conditions, find the transfer function 𝐺(𝑠) from 𝐶𝐴𝑖𝑛 to 𝐶𝐴2 .

5. For the block diagram shown if Figure 3,

Figure 3. Simple feedback loop.

−2𝑠 + 1 𝐾𝑐 (0.1𝑠 + 1)
where 𝐺(𝑠) = and 𝐶(𝑠) =
𝑠 2 + 4𝑠 + 5 0.1𝑠

Obtain the range of values for 𝐾𝑐 that would maintain stability of the closed-loop
feedback process.
 6. Consider the feedback system shown in Figure 4. Obtain the closed-loop transfer
function from 𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑡 to y.

Figure 4.

The transfer function from 𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑡 to 𝑦 is given by

𝑛𝑢𝑚(𝑠)
𝑦= 𝑦
1 + 𝐸 + 𝑀𝐽𝐾(1 + 𝐸) + 𝑀𝐻𝐸𝐾 𝑠𝑒𝑡
Determine 𝑛𝑢𝑚(𝑠).

Answers:

1.
𝑃𝐶𝑉𝑄
𝐺𝐶𝐿 (𝑠) =
1 + 𝐶𝑉(1 − 𝑄𝐴 + 𝑄𝑃)

𝑃
𝐺𝐶𝐿𝑊 (𝑠) =
1 + 𝐶𝑉(1 − 𝑄𝐴 + 𝑄𝑃)

1 + 𝐶𝑉(1 − 𝑄𝐴)
𝐺𝐶𝐿𝐷 (𝑠) =
1 + 𝐶𝑉(1 − 𝑄𝐴 + 𝑄𝑃)

2. 0 < 𝐾𝑐 < 7.435

3.
−6𝑠 + 22 11
𝐺𝑝 (𝑠) = → zero:
(4𝑠 + 1)(𝑠 + 12) 3

4.
2
0.1
𝐶𝐴2 = ( ) 𝐶𝐴𝑖𝑛
𝑠 + 0.18
5. 0 < 𝐾𝑐 < 0.229

6. 𝑛𝑢𝑚(𝑠) = 𝐽𝐾(1 + 𝐸) + 𝐻𝐸𝐾