Automatique II – Fall 2023/2024 Lebanese University

Year 4 – Semester VII Faculty of Engineering III

Instructor: Dr. Bilal Komati Dep. of Electronics and Electrical Eng.
Problem Set 2 – State Space Modeling and Control

Exercise 1. Canonical Forms

Consider the following transfer function system given by:
Y (s) s+6
= 2
U (s) s + 5s + 6
Obtain the state-space representation of this system in:
(a) controllable canonical form
(b) observable canonical form
Exercise 2. Diagonal Canonical Form
Consider the following system:
...
y + 6ÿ + 11ẏ + 6y = 6u

Obtain a state-space representation of this system in a diagonal canonical form.

Exercise 3. Canonical Forms
Consider the system defined by:
   
1 2 1
ẋ = x+ u
−4 −3 2
 
y= 1 1 x

Transform the system equations into the controllable canonical form.

Exercise 4. Transition matrix  
0 1
Consider the following matrix: A = . Compute eAt by three methods.
−2 −3
Exercise 5. Modeling Mechanical System
Two carts with negligible rolling friction are connected as shown in Figure 1. An input
force is u(t). The output is the position of cart 2, that is, y(t) = q(t). Determine a state
space representation of the system.

Figure 1: Two carts with negligible rolling friction of exercise 5.

Automatique II Problem Set 2 Page 2 of 6

Exercise 6. Modeling Electrical Circuit

An RLC circuit is shown in Figure 6.
(a) Identify a suitable set of state variables.
(b) Obtain the set of first-order differential equations in terms of the state variables.
(c) Write the state differential equation.
(d) Find the system transfer function.

Figure 2: RLC circuit of exercise 6.

Exercise 7. Modeling Electrical Circuit

Determine the state variable matrix equation for the circuit shown in Figure 7.

Figure 3: RLC circuit of exercise 7.

Exercise 8. Linearization
For each of the following non-linear autonomous systems, find all the equilibrium points
and the corresponding linearised system matrices A.
 (
ẋ1 = (x1 − x2 ) x21 + x22 − 1


ẋ1 = x2
(a) 3 (b)
x 2 2


ẋ2 = −x1 + 1
− x2 ẋ 2 = (x 1 + x 2 ) x 1 + x 2 − 1
6
Automatique II Problem Set 2 Page 3 of 6

Exercise 9. Linearization
Consider the non-linear autonomous system written in state-space form as follows:

ẋ1 = −x1 + 2x22

ẋ2 = −3x1 x2 + x2

(a) Find all equilibrium points of the non-linear autonomous system and determine the
linearised system matrix A for each equilibrium point.
(b) An external control and measurement signal is now added such that the system is
modified to
ẋ1 = −x1 + 2x22 + 0.5u
ẋ2 = −3x1 x2 + x2
y = x1
Find the full linearised state-space model of the system at the equilibrium point
(x1e , x2e , ue ) = (0, 0, 0)

Exercise 10. Pendulum Modeling

Let’s consider the pendulum shown in Figure 4 where g is gravity, L is the length of
the pendulum, m is the mass attached at the end of the pendulum (assume the rod is
massless), and k is the coefficient of friction at the pivot point.
(a) Write the pendulum equation of motion.
(b) Derive the nonlinear state-space model of the pendulum. Take the angular position
θ(t) as output.
(c) Find the equilibrium points.
(d) Linearize your nonlinear model around the stable equilibrium point.
(e) Find the transfer function of the linearized system.

Figure 4: Pendulum of exercise 10.

Automatique II Problem Set 2 Page 4 of 6

Exercise 11. Discrete State-Space

Consider the double integrator plant of a satellite attitude control problem with a transfer
function:
Y (s) 1
G(s) = = 2
U (s) s
(a) Find the state-space representation in continuous-time domain.
(b) Convert the system to discrete state-space with T = 0.1 sec.

Exercise 12. Full-Order State Observer

Consider the system defined by:
 
−1 1
ẋ1 = x
1 −2
 
y= 1 0 x

Design a full-order state observer. The desired observer poles are both at s = −5.

Exercise 13. State-Feedback Control

Consider a regulator system. The plant is given by:
   
0 1 0 0
ẋ =  0 0 1  x + 0 u
−1 −5 −6 1

The system uses the state-feedback control u = −Kx. Let us choose the desired closed-
loop poles at s = −2 ± j4 and s = −10.
Determine the state feedback gain matrix K using three methods.

Exercise 14. State-Feedback Control     

ẋ = 0 1 x + 1 u
Consider the plant described by: 7 −4 2
  
y= 1 3 x
(a) Draw a bloc diagram for the plant with one integrator for each state variable.
(b) Find the transfer function of the system.
(c) Find the closed loop characteristic equation if the feedback is:
 
i. u = − K1 K2 x,
ii. u = −Ky

Exercise 15. State-Feedback Control with Observer

A certain process has the transfer function G(s) = 4/(s2 − 4).
(a) Find a state-space representation of the system.
(b) If u = −Kx, compute K so that the closed-loop poles are located at s = −2 ± j2.
(c) Propose an estimator design so that the estimator poles are located at s = −10±j10.
(d) Give the transfer function of the resulting controller.
Automatique II Problem Set 2 Page 5 of 6

Exercise 16. State-Feedback Control

For the system,
   
0 1 0
ẋ = x+ u
−6 −5 1
 
y= 1 0 x

design a state feedback controller that satisfies the following specifications:

ˆ Closed-loop poles have a damping coefficient ζ = 0.707.

ˆ Step response peak time is under 3.14 s.

Exercise 17. Discrete State-Feedback Control with Observer

Consider the state-command input structure for a feedback system with the type 0 plant
10
G(s) =
s2 + 0.18s + 9
(a) Convert the system to discrete state-space form with T = 0.1 sec.
(b) If u = −Kx, compute K so that the closed-loop control poles have ζ = 0.5 and
ωn = 4 rad/s.
(c) Propose an estimator design so that the estimator poles have ζ = 0.5 and ωn = 8
rad/s.
(d) Propose a modification for the controller to follow a constant reference input.
(e) Draw a bloc diagram of the complete controller including reference tracking.

Exercise 18. State-Feedback Control

Consider a system with the transfer function,
9
G(s) =
s2 −9
(a) Find (A0 , B0 , C0 ) for this system in observer canonical form.
(b) Is (A0 , B0 ) controllable?
(c) Compute K so that the closed-loop poles are assigned to s = −3 ± 3j
(d) Is the closed-loop system of part c) observable?
(e) Design a full-order estimator with estimator-error poles at s = −12 ± 12j.
(f) Suppose the system is modified to have a zero: G1 (s) = 9(s+1)
s2 −9
.
Prove that if u = −Kx + r, there is a feedback gain K that makes the closed-loop
system unobservable. [Again assume an observer canonical realization for G1 (s).]
Automatique II Problem Set 2 Page 6 of 6

Exercise 19. Discrete State-Feedback Control with Constant Reference Tracking

For the continuous time system below:
    
ẋ(t) = 0 1 x(t) + 0 u(t)
0 −2 1
  
y = 1 0 x(t)

(a) Find the discrete-time state space representation if the sampling time is T = 0.1 s.
(b) Find the discrete-time transfer function G(z).
(c) Design a state-feedback controller to improve the response of the system.
(d) Modify your controller to track a constant reference r(k) = r.

Exercise 20. State-Space Control with Observer and Constant Reference Tracking
An automobile suspension system has three physical state variables, as shown in Figure
5. The state variable feedback structure is shown in the Figure 5.
(a) Write the open-loop system in state-space form.
(b) Is the system controllable? Observable?
(c) Use Figure 5 to write the control signal equation in function of K1 , K2 , K3 and Kp .
(d) Select K1 , K2 and K3 so that the roots of the characteristic equation are three real
roots lying at −4, −4 and −5.
(e) Select Kp so that the steady-state error for a step input is equal to zero.
(f) Find the closed-loop transfer function Y (s)/R(s) for the system. Note that:
" #−1 "2 #
s + 3 −1 0 1 s + 10s + 26 s+8 1
0 s + 2 −1 = 3 −2 (s + 3)(s + 8) s+3
2 10 s+8 s + 13s2 + 56s + 80 −2s − 4 −10s − 32 (s + 2)(s + 3)

(g) We assume now that the only measurements provided is the measurement of y(t).
Propose an estimator design to estimate the state of the system.

Figure 5: Automobile suspension system of Exercise 20.