ME 3600 Control Systems

Root Locus (RL) Diagram Examples

1. Sketch the root locus diagram for the parameter K for the closed loop system shown in the
diagram.
plant
1) Characteristic Equation:
 1 
1  GH ( s )  1  K  0
 s ( s  2) 
P(s)
2) Zeros of P( s) : none (nz  0)
Poles of P( s) : s  0, 2 (n p  2)  Number of branches = 2

Number of asymptotes: nA  n p  nz  2

3) Poles on the real axis: 2  s  0

Pole at s  0 moves to the left and pole at s  2 moves to the right, so there must be a break-
away point in the range 2  s  0 .

 2m  1   90 (deg) (m  0) 0  2 2
4) Asymptotes:  A   180   ; A    1
 nA  270 (deg) (m  1) nA 2

5) Break Points:
dP 1(2s  2)
 0
ds s 2 ( s  2) 2
 2s  2  0
 s  1

Kamman – Control Systems – page: 1/6

2. Sketch the root locus Platform
diagram for the parameter Motor Dynamics

K for the closed loop

system shown.

 0.6 
1) Characteristic Equation: 1  GH ( s )  1  K  2 0
 s ( s  2 s  4) 
P( s)
2) Zeros of P( s) : none (nz  0)
Poles of P( s) : s  0, 1  1.732 j (n p  3)  Number of branches = 3

Number of asymptotes: nA  n p  nz  3

3) Poles on the real axis:   s  0 . Pole at s  0 moves to the left; poles move to infinity along
the negative real axis (which is one of the asymptotes).

 2m  1  0 11
4) Asymptotes:  A   180  60,180, 300 (deg) ,  A   2 / 3
 nA  3
Asymptotes at 60 and 300 deg. are shown in red.
5) Break Points: (break points must be on the real axis)

dP 0.6  3s  4 s  4 
2

  0  3s 2  4 s  4  0
s 2  s 2  2s  4 
2
ds

 s  0.667  0.94 j  no break points

6) Exit angle from the upper complex pole:

1   2   3  180
1  90  180  tan 1 (1.732)   180
 1  30 (deg)

Exit angle from the lower complex pole is

30 (deg) .

Kamman – Control Systems – page: 2/6

3. Sketch the root locus diagram for plant
PD
the parameter K for the closed loop
system shown in the diagram.

 s3 
1) Characteristic Equation: 1  GH ( s )  1  K  2 0
 s  2 s  2 
P(s)

2) Zeros of P( s) : s  3 (nz  1)
Poles of P( s) : s  1  1 j (n p  2)  Number of branches = 2

Number of asymptotes: nA  n p  nz  1

3) Poles on the real axis:   s  3 . Poles moving towards zero at s  3 , and poles moving
towards  along the negative real axis which is the only asymptote.
4) Asymptotes: No need for calculations. Lone asymptote is at 180 degrees.

dP 1  s  2 s  2    s  3 2 s  2 
2

5) Break Points:   0   s 2  6s  4  0
 s  2s  2 
2
ds 2

 s  0.764;  5.24 . The break point

must be in the range   s  3 , so the

break point for RL diagram is at s  5.24 .
6) Exit angle from the upper complex pole:
1   2    180
1  90  tan 1 (1 2)  180
 1  116.6 (deg)

Exit angle from the lower complex pole is

116.6 (deg) .

Kamman – Control Systems – page: 3/6

4. Sketch the root locus diagram for the plant
Phase Lead
parameter K for the closed loop system
shown in the diagram.

 s  0.5 
1) Characteristic Equation: 1  GH ( s)  1  K  0
 ( s  3)( s 2
 2 s  2) 
P( s)

2) Zeros of P( s) : s  0.5 (nz  1)

Poles of P( s) : s  3,  1  1 j (n p  3)  Number of branches = 3
Number of asymptotes: nA  n p  nz  2
3) Poles on the real axis: 3  s  0.5
Poles moving away from pole at s  3 , and poles moving towards the zero at s  0.5 .
4) Asymptotes:
 2m  1   90 (deg) (m  0) 3  2(1)  (0.5) 4.5
A   180   , A    2.25
 n A   270 (deg) ( m  1) n A 2
5) Break Points:
dP (1)( s  3)( s 2  2s  2)  ( s  0.5)(3s 2  10s  8) 2s 3  6.5s 2  5s  2
  0
ds ( s  3)2 ( s 2  2s  2)2 ( s  3) 2 ( s 2  2s  2) 2
 2 s 3  6.5s 2  5s  2  0
s  0.285;  1.77  0.62 j
Break points on the RL diagram must be in the range
3  s  0.5 , so there are no break points.
6) Exit angle from the upper complex pole:
1   2   3    180
1  90  tan 1 (1 2)  180  tan 1 (1 / 0.5)   180
 1  180 (deg)

Kamman – Control Systems – page: 4/6

5. Sketch the root locus diagram for the Rocket
PID Controller Dynamics
parameter K for the closed loop
R(s) + Y(s)
system shown in the diagram.

 ( s  2)( s  4) 
1) Characteristic Equation: 1  GH ( s)  1  K  0
 s ( s 2
 1) 
P(s)

2) Zeros of P( s) : s  2, 4 (nz  2)

Poles of P( s) : s  0,  1 (n p  3)  Number of branches = 3
Number of asymptotes: nA  n p  nz  1
3) Poles on the real axis (3 segments):   s  4 , 2  s  1 , and 0  s  1
Poles move to the right from s  0 ; poles move to the left from s  1 ; poles move left from
s  1 ; poles move towards the zero at s  2 ; poles move towards the zero at s  4 ; poles
move to infinity along the negative real axis which is the only asymptote.
4) Asymptote: A  180 (deg)
5) Break Points:
dP d  ( s  2)( s  4)  (2 s  6)( s 3  s)  ( s 2  6 s  8)(3s 2  1)
   0
ds ds  s ( s 2  1)  s 2 ( s 2  1) 2

 s 4  12s 3  25s 2  8  0  s  9.33,  2.495,  0.68, 0.5054

 break points on RL diagram at s  9.33, 0.5054

Kamman – Control Systems – page: 5/6

6. Sketch the root locus diagram for the parameter plant
a for the closed loop system shown in the
diagram.

 K0   s 
1) Characteristic Equation: 1  GH ( s )  1     0  1 a  2 0
 s ( s  a )   s  K 0

P(s)

In this case, some algebraic manipulation is required to put the characteristic equation in
standard form.
2) Zeros of P( s) : s  0 (nz  1)
Poles of P( s) : s   K0 j (n p  2)  Number of branches = 2
Number of asymptotes: nA  n p  nz  1
3) Poles on the real axis:   s  0
Poles move towards the zero at s  0 , and poles move to infinity along the negative real axis
which is the only asymptote.
4) Asymptotes: A  180 (deg)
dP d  s  (1)( s 2  K 0 )  s(2s)  s 2  K 0
5) Break Points:     0
ds ds  s 2  K 0   s  K0   s  K0 
2 2 2 2

 s 2  K0  0  s   K0
 break point on the RL diagram at
s   K0

Kamman – Control Systems – page: 6/6