STANBUL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

Department of Mechanical Engineering

MAK 333E SYSTEM DYNAMICS AND CONTROL
MIDTERM EXAM 1 (Fall 2014-2015)
Instructor: Assoc. Prof Dr. Erdin ALTU
Student Number
:
Name and Surname :

Date
: October 31, 2014 (Exam duration is 90 minutes.)
Signature :
1

Sum

QUESTIONS and ANSWERS

Problem 1:

[15 points] In a steel rolling mill, the thickness of steel bars is changed. The system
measures the thickness of the bars and the gap distance between rolls is adjusted with a motor. Motor is
controlled according to difference between the desired thickness and the measured value.
a) Determine the input and the output of this system.
b) Is this a open-loop or closed-loop system? Why?
c) By clearly showing the actuator, controller and sensor, draw the block diagram of the system.

gap distance

Figure 1. Steel Mill

Answer:

Problem 2:

[15 points] Solve the following ordinary differential equation using the Laplace Transform

Method. Note that the initial conditions are y (0) = 0,

dy
(0) = 0 and u(t) is the unit-step function.
dt

d2y
dy
2 15 y = 3u (t )
2
dt
dt
Answer:

Problem 3:
[15 points] The block diagram of a multiple-loop feedback control system is shown in the
Figure 2. Simplify the block diagram and find C(s)/R(s).

G2 ( s )
U(s)
+
_

Y(s)

G1 ( s )

H (s)
Figure 2. Block diagram

Answer:

G3 (s)

Problem 4:

[25 points] Consider the system shown in Figure 3.

x1

x2

f(t)
b1

b2
Figure 3. A mechanical system

a) By drawing free-body-diagrams and showing each force clearly, determine the equations of motion.

b) Obtain the state-space representation of the system by selecting the states as

Answer:
a)

b)

y1 = x1
y2 = x1
y3 = x2
y4 = x2

Problem 5:

[15 points] Consider the following control system

G( s) =

1
2s + 1

a) What is the order of this system? Calculate the time constant of this system. What does a time
constant mean? Explain.
b) Which one of the following systems is faster?

G( s) =

1
2s + 1

G (s) =

2
2s + 2

G (s) =

1
3s + 1

G (s) =

1
2,5s + 1

c) If you apply a unit-step input to this system, calculate the system response c(t). Draw this response
roughly, clearly showing the time constant and the steady-state error.

Answer:
a) 1st order with time constant 2 seconds. Time constant is the time it takes for a 1st order system to
reach 63,2% of its final value.
b) Second system with time constant 1 seconds.
c)

Problem 6: [15 points] Consider a satellite attitude control system shown in Figure 4a. The output of this
system exhibits continued oscillations and is not desirable. This system can be stabilized by use of
tachometer feedback, as shown in Figure 4b.

Figure 4

(b)

a) What is the order of these systems? Write closed-loop transfer functions (C(s)/R(s)) of both of the
systems.

b) If K/J = 4, and Kh=1, determine the characteristic equations of both systems. What are the poles and
zeros of the systems? Plot them on the complex plane. Explain why the tachometer feedback is
useful for this system.

Answer: