Chapter 3

Chapter3

BlockDiagramsandSignalFlowGraphs
AutomaticControlSystems,9thEdition
FaridGolnaraghi,SimonFraserUniversity
Farid
Golnaraghi Simon Fraser University
BenjaminC.Kuo,UniversityofIllinois

Introduction
Inthischapter,wediscussgraphicaltechniquesfor
modelingcontrolsystemsandtheirunderlying
mathematics.
Wealsoutilizetheblockdiagramreduction
techniquesandtheMasonsgainformulatofindthe
transferfunctionoftheoverallcontrolsystem.
LateroninChapters4and5,weusethematerial
p
presentedinthischapterandChapter2tofully
p
p
y
modelandstudytheperformanceofvariouscontrol
systems.
y
2

Objectives of this Chapter

ObjectivesofthisChapter
1. Tostudyblockdiagrams,theircomponents,andtheir
underlyingmathematics.
d l
h
2. Toobtaintransferfunctionofsystemsthroughblockdiagram
manipulationandreduction.
i l ti
d d ti
3. Tointroducethesignalflowgraphs.
4 Toestablishaparallelbetweenblockdiagramsandsignal
4.
T
t bli h
ll l b t
bl k di
d i l
flowgraphs.
5 TouseMason
5.
To use Masonssgainformulaforfindingtransferfunctionof
gain formula for finding transfer function of
systems.
6 Tointroducestatediagrams.
6.
To introduce state diagrams
7. TodemonstratetheMATLABtoolsusingcasestudies.
3

31BLOCKDIAGRAMS
Block diagrams provide a better understanding of the composition and interconnection
of the components of a system. It can be used, together with transfer functions, to
describe the cause-and-effect relationships throughout the system.

Figure31Asimplifiedblockdiagramrepresentationofaheatingsystem.

311TypicalElementsofBlockDiagramsinControlSystems
The common elements in block diagrams of most control systems include:
Comparators
Blocks
oc s representing
ep ese
g individual
d v du component
co po e transfer
s e functions,
u c o s, including:
c ud g:
Reference sensor (or input sensor)
Output sensor
Actuator
Controller
Plant (the component whose variables are to be controlled)
Input or reference signals
Output signals
Disturbance signal
Feedback loops

Figure33Blockdiagramrepresentationofageneralcontrolsystem.

Figure34Blockdiagramelementsoftypicalsensingdevicesofcontrolsystems.(a)Subtraction.(b)Addition.(c)Additionandsubtraction.

Figure35TimeandLaplacedomainblockdiagrams.
7

EXAMPLE311

Figure36BlockdiagramsG1(s)andG2(s)connectedinseries.

EXAMPLE312

Figure37BlockdiagramsG1(s)andG2(s)connectedinparallel.

Basicblockdiagramofafeedbackcontrolsystem

Figure 38 Basic block diagram of a feedback control system

Figure38Basicblockdiagramofafeedbackcontrolsystem.

10

Feedback Control System

R(s)
( ) : (
(reference input),
p ), (
(input),
p ),
command
Y(s) : (output, controlled variable), (response)
B(s) : (feedback signal)
E(s) : (error signal) actuating signal
G(s) : (forward-path transfer function)
H(s) : (feedback transfer function, feedback gain)
G(s)H(s) : (loop transfer function), (open-loop transfer function)
M(s) = Y(s)/R(s) : (closed-loop transfer function, system transfer function)
B( ) H( )Y( )
B(s)=H(s)Y(s)
E(s)=R(s) B(s)
Y(s)=G(s)E(s)=G(s)R(s)
()
() ()
( ) ( ) G(s)B(s)
() ()
M(s) = Y(s) / R(s) = G(s) / (1 + G(s)H(s))
11

312RelationbetweenMathematicalEquationsandBlockDiagrams

Figure39GraphicalrepresentationofEq.(316)usingacomparator.

12

Figure312(a)Factorizationof1/stermintheinternalfeedbackloopofFig.311.
(b)FinalblockdiagramrepresentationofEq.(317)inLaplacedomain.

13

14

Figure313BlockdiagramofEq.(317)inLaplacedomainwithV(s)representedas
theoutput.

15

Figure314(a)Factorizationof. n2
(b)AlternativediagramrepresentationofEq.(317)inLaplacedomain.

Figure315AblockdiagramrepresentationofEq.(319)inLaplacedomain.

16

313BlockDiagramReduction:Branchpointrelocation

Figure316(a)BranchpointrelocationfrompointP to(b)pointQ.

17

313BlockDiagramReduction:Comparatorrelocation

18

Figure317(a)ComparatorrelocationfromtherighthandsideofblockG2(s)to
(b)thelefthandsideofblockG2(s).

EXAMPLE315Findtheinputoutputtransferfunctionofthesystem

Figure318(a)Originalblockdiagram.
(b)MovingthebranchpointatY1 totheleftofblockG2.
(c)CombiningtheblocksG1,G2,andG3.
(d)Eliminatingtheinnerfeedbackloop.

19

20

Figure318(Continued)

314BlockDiagramofMultiInputSystemsSpecialCase:SystemswithaDisturbance

Figure 319
Figure3
19Blockdiagramofasystemundergoingdisturbance.
Block diagram of a system undergoing disturbance.

21

Figure320BlockdiagramofthesysteminFig.319whenD(s)=0.

Figure321BlockdiagramofthesysteminFig.319whenR(s)=0.

22

Figure322Blockdiagramrepresentations ofamultivariablesystem.

23

Figure322Blockdiagramrepresentations ofamultivariablefeedback
controlsystem.

24

32SIGNALFLOWGRAPHS(SFGs)

25

SignalFlowGraphs(SFG,)

causeandeffect

(node) (branch) , node (variable)

branch (gain) .
[xj=aijxi node branch]
output= gainxinput

,jthoutput= (gainfrom k toj)x(kthcause)

Yj(s)= Gkj(s)Yk(s)

SFG Terms
SFGTerms
(Inputnode,Source)
branch node
] x1
]
(Outputnode,Sink)
branch node
] x4
]
26

 (Gain)
branch
) x1 x2 branch a21,
x2 =a21x1+( ) .
( :x2/x1 =a21 )
(Path)
branch ,
.
.,
, ,
,

node .
) x1 x3 path .

(Forwardpath)
node node path
) x1 x4 forwardpath
p 2

27

 (Feedbackpath)
node
d path.
h
Loop,Selfloop
(loop) ,
node
(
branch loop)selfloop
.

Nontouchingloops
g
p
Loop node loop
(Pathgain)
path
h branchgain
b
h i .

) path:
pathgain a21a42
( : pathgain a21a42 x4/x1=a21a42 )
Loopgain
loop branchgain (loop pathgain)
)loop:
28

loopgain a23a32

324SFGAlgebra

Figure329~31Signalflowgraph.

29

327GainFormulaforSFG

30

GainFormulaforSFG(Mason'sgainrule)
M:Thegainbetweeninputnodey
g
p
yin andoutputnodey
p
yout
M=yout/yin = Mkk / ,k=1, ,N
,
N:Totalnumberofforwardpath
Mk :k forwardpath gain
:signalflowgraphdeterminant
: signal flow graph determinant characteristicfunction
characteristic function
=1 Li1+Lj2 Lk3+..
Lmr=rnontouchingloops
= r nontouching loops mth possiblecombination
possible combination gainproduct(1
gain product ( 1 r
r L)
L)
=1 ( loop )
+(2 loop )
(3 loop )
+..
L=loops
k:kth forwardpath nontouching part
k=k graph
k branch
b
h
31

Figure332SignalflowgraphofthefeedbackcontrolsystemshowninFig.38.

32

Figure 333
Figure3
33Signal
Signalflow
flowgraphforExample3
graph for Example 323.
2 3.

33

34

Figure333SignalflowgraphforExample324.

 Ex.322

M1 =G(s)
L11=G(s)H(s)
= G(s)H(s)
1=1
=1+G(s)H(s)

Closedlooptransferfunction
M=Y(s) /R(s)=M1 1 / =G(s)/(1+G(s)H(s))
Ex.324
y2/y1 =
y4/y
/ 1=
* chosenoutput same
N i
t d outputnode
t t d gain
i
Noninputnode
yout/y2 =(yout/yin)/(y2/yin)=( Mkk from yintoyout/ )/
( Mkk from yintoy2/ )
=( Mkk from yintoyout)/
((
Mkk from yin
y22 )
in toy
Ex.325&326
35

329ApplicationoftheGainFormulatoBlockDiagrams

36

Figure334(a)Blockdiagramofacontrolsystem.(b)Equivalentsignalflowgraph.

EXAMPLE326

3 2 10 Simplified Gain Formula

3210SimplifiedGainFormula

37