Control System Compensators

Colour Coordinated Study Notes

4.1 Design Problem

The performance of a control system can be described in terms of the time-domain performance
measures or the frequency-domain performance measures. The performance of a system can be
specified by requiring a certain peak time Tp , maximum overshoot, and settling-time for a step
input. Furthermore, it is usually necessary to specify the maximum allowable steady-state error
for several test signal inputs and disturbance inputs.

Key Concept: Poles and Zeros

These performance specifications can be defined in terms of the desirable location of the
poles and zeros of the closed-loop system transfer function T (s). Thus, the location of
the s-plane poles and zeros of T (s) can be specified.

The design of a system is concerned with the alteration of the frequency response or the
root locus of the system in order to obtain a suitable system performance:
• Frequency Response Methods: Altering the system so that the frequency response of
the compensated system will satisfy the specifications. We use compensation networks to
alter and reshape the system characteristics represented on the Bode diagram.
• Root Locus Methods: The designer wishes to alter and reshape the root locus so that
the roots of the system will lie in the desired position in the s-plane.

4.2 Compensators
A compensator is an additional component or circuit that is inserted into a control system to
compensate for a deficient performance.

Purpose of Compensators

• Applied in the form of feed-forward path gain adjustment.

• Compensate an unstable system to make it stable.

• Minimize overshoot.

• Increase the steady-state accuracy of the system (Note: increasing steady-state accu-
racy can bring instability, hence compensation is needed).

• Introduce poles and zeros, causing changes in the transfer function.

Methods of Compensation
4.2.1 Series Compensation:
Connecting compensating circuit between error detector and plants is known as series compen-
sation. When the compensator is placed in series with the forward path gain, the scheme is
called series or cascade compensation.

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4.2.2 Feedback Compensation:
When a compensator is used in a feedback manner, it is called feedback compensation. If feed-
back is taken from some internal element and a compensator is introduced in this feedback path
to provide an additional internal feedback loop, the scheme is known as feedback compensation.

4.2.3 Combined Cascade & Feedback Compensation:

A combination of series and feedback compensators is called load compensation. Sometimes a
situation demands both types of compensation.

Note: To select a proper compensation scheme, factors like the nature of the signals, power
levels, available components, economic considerations, and designer experience are important.

4.3 Compensating Network

A compensating network makes adjustments to make up for deficiencies in the system. They
may be electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, etc. Most electrical compensators are RC filters. The
simplest network used is known as a lead or lag network.
The following electrical compensating networks are generally used for series compensation:

1. Lead Compensation Network

2. Lag Compensation Network

3. Lag-Lead Compensation Network

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4.3.1 Phase Lead Compensation
The lead compensator is an electrical network which produces a sinusoidal output having phase
lead when a sinusoidal input is applied. Here, the capacitor is parallel to the resistor.
Transfer Function:

V0 (s) sτ + 1
 
=β
Vi (s) βsτ + 1

Where τ = R1 C and β = R1R+R

2
2
.
The lead compensator has a pole at s = −1/τ and a zero at s = −1/(βτ ). Substituting
s = jω:

V0 (jω) jωτ + 1
 
=β
Vi (jω) βjωτ + 1

Phase angle ϕ = tan−1 (ωτ ) − tan−1 (βωτ ).

To produce a phase lead, the phase angle of the transfer function should be positive. This
happens when 0 < β < 1. Therefore, the zero will be nearer to the origin in the pole-zero
configuration.

Effects
• Adds a dominant zero and a pole; damping of a closed-loop system is increased.

• Less overshoot, less rise time, and less settling time are obtained.

• Improved transient response and phase margin.

• Bandwidth increases, hence faster response.

• Steady-state error does not get affected.

Limitations
• Requires additional elements, greater weight, higher cost, and larger space.

• Maximum lead available from a single network is about 60◦ .

• For a lead of more than 70◦ to 90◦ , a multistage compensator is required.

4.3.2 Phase Lag Compensation

Here, the capacitor C2 is in series with the resistor R2 , and the output is measured across this
series combination.
Transfer Function:

V0 (s) 1 s + τ1
!
=
Vi (s) β s + βτ1

Where τ = R2 C2 and β = R1 +R2

R2 > 1. Generally β is taken to be 10.

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The compensator has a pole at s = −1/(βτ ) and a zero at s = −1/τ . Substituting s = jω:

V0 (jω) 1 jω + τ1 1 + jωτ
!
= =
Vi (jω) β jω + βτ1 1 + jωβτ

Magnitude:

√
V0 (jω) 1 + ω2τ 2
M= =p
Vi (jω) 1 + ω2β 2τ 2

Phase angle ϕ = tan−1 (ωτ ) − tan−1 (βωτ ).

Here ωc1 = τ1 and ωc2 = βτ
1
are the two corner frequencies.

Effects and Limitations

• Low Pass Filter: Allows high gain at low frequencies, improving steady-state re-
sponse.

• Attenuation: The attenuation characteristic is used for compensation, whereas phase

lag characteristic is of no use.

• Sensitivity: The system is very sensitive to parameter variations.

• Stability: Approximately acts as a PI controller, thus tends to make a system less

stable.

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4.3.3 Lag-Lead Compensation Network
A Lag-Lead compensator produces phase lag at one frequency region and phase lead at another.
It is a cascaded combination of both lead and lag compensators.
Assuming αβ = 1, τ1 = R1 C1 , τ2 = R2 C2 .
Transfer Function:

V0 (s) sτ1 + 1 1 s+ 1
  !
τ2
=β
Vi (s) βsτ1 + 1 α s+ 1
ατ2

V0 (s) s+ 1
s+ 1
! !
τ1 τ2
=
Vi (s) s+ 1
βτ1 s+ 1
ατ2

Magnitude:

q q
1 + ω 2 τ12 1 + ω 2 τ22
M=q q
1 + ω 2 β 2 τ12 1 + ω 2 β 2 τ22

Phase angle:

ϕ = tan−1 (ωτ1 ) + tan−1 (ωτ2 ) − tan−1 (βωτ1 ) − tan−1 (αωτ2 )

Corner frequencies are ωc1 = τ1 ,

1
ωc2 = τ2 ,
1
ωc3 = βτ1 ,
1
and ωc4 = ατ2 .
1

Effects of Lag-Lead Compensator

• Used to get fast response and good static accuracy.

• Increases the low-frequency gain, which improves the steady-state response.

• Increases the bandwidth, making the system response very fast.

• The phase lead portion provides large bandwidth (shorter rise time and settling
time).

• The phase lag portion provides the major damping of the system.