EEC 323 NOTE 5 14/08/2024

CONTROL
ENGINEERING I
EEC 323

MODELLING CONTROL
SYSTEMS —
BLOCK DIAGRAMS

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EEC 323 NOTE 5 14/08/2024

Block diagram representation

• Any control system will have a number of control components.
• A control system can be represented in block diagram form.
• To get a block diagram, first the transfer function of the system components are
determined.
• They are then showed in respective blocks.
• These blocks are connected by arrows indicating the direction of flow of signals in
the control system whose block diagram is being represented.
• The signals can pass only in the direction of arrows represented in the diagram.

Block diagram representation

• The arrow head pointing towards a particular block indicates the input to the
system component and the arrow head leading away from the block indicates the
output.
• All the arrows in a block diagram are referred to as signals.
• For complicated systems, the block diagram interconnecting all the sub-systems
becomes a complex one.
• Reduction of such complex block diagram makes it easy to determine the overall
transfer function of the whole system. Various techniques are then applied to
analyse the performance of the system.

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Advantages of block diagram

representation
• The overall block diagram of a system can be easily drawn by connecting the
blocks according to the signal flow.
• It is also possible to evaluate the contribution of each of the components towards
the overall performance of the control system.
• Block diagram helps in understanding the functional operation of the system more
readily than examination of the actual control system physically.
• It may be noted that a block diagram drawn for a system is not unique, that is,
there may be alternative ways of representation of a system in block diagram
form.

Block diagram representation of an error

detector
• In a feedback control system there is one reference input signal which corresponds
to the desired output and one feedback signal.
• The feedback signal is received from the output (as a fraction of the output) if
there is any deviation of the output from the desired output.
• Error detector is a summing device which produces a resultant signal.
• This signal is the difference between the reference input and the feedback signal
of the control system.

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Block diagram representation of an error

detector
• s the reference input corresponding to the desired output, C(s) is the desired
output, and B(s) is the feedback signal.

Closed-loop system
• The basic block diagram representation of a unity feedback control system is
shown
• When the output is fed back to the summing point for comparison with the input
to create an error signal, it is necessary to convert the form of the output signal to
that of the input signal.

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Closed-loop system
• The quantities being added or subtracted at the summing point should have the
same dimensions and the same units.
• The conversion of a fraction of output signal on feedback path is done by the
feedback element whose transfer function is H(s).
• The feedback element modifies the output before it is compared with the input
signal.

Closed-loop system
• The Fig. shows the standard form of
representation of a feedback
control system in block diagram
form.
• Here a fraction of output B(s) = C(s)
H(s) is brought to the summing
point thereby producing an error
signal.
• This block diagram is also called the
canonical form of representation of
a control system.
• G(s) is the system transfer function.

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Closed-loop system
𝐸 𝑠 =𝑅 𝑠 −𝐵 𝑠
𝐵 𝑠 = 𝐻 𝑠 𝐶 𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐶 𝑠 = 𝐸 𝑠 𝐺 𝑠
𝐸 𝑠 =𝑅 𝑠 −𝐻 𝑠 𝐶 𝑠
𝐶(𝑠) 𝐸 𝑠 𝐺(𝑠) 𝐺(𝑠)
= =
𝑅(𝑠) 𝐸 𝑠 + 𝐻 𝑠 𝐺 𝑠 𝐸(𝑠) 1 + 𝐺(𝑠)𝐻(𝑠)
• The transfer function for a negative feedback system is,
𝐶(𝑠) 𝐺(𝑠)
=
𝑅(𝑠) 1 + 𝐺(𝑠)𝐻(𝑠)
• The transfer function for a positive feedback system is,
𝐶(𝑠) 𝐺(𝑠)
=
𝑅(𝑠) 1 − 𝐺(𝑠)𝐻(𝑠)
• For a unity feedback control system, 𝐻(𝑠) = 1.

Characteristic equation of a control

system
• Considering the transfer function of the closed-loop system.
• The transfer function (T.F.) is written as
𝐶(𝑠) 𝐺(𝑠)
=
𝑅(𝑠) 1 + 𝐺(𝑠)𝐻(𝑠)
• The denominator of the transfer function when equated to zero is called the
characteristic equation of the control system.
• 1 + 𝐺(𝑠) 𝐻(𝑠) = 0 is the characteristic equation of the system.
• The roots of the characteristic equation are called the characteristic roots or
closed-loop poles.
• The location of the poles in the s-plane indicates the condition of stability of the
system.

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Example
• Let the open-loop transfer function of a control system is given
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𝐺 𝑠 =
𝑠(𝑠 + 8)
• If the system is made a unity feedback system so that 𝐻(𝑠) = 1.
• Find the characteristic equation and closed loop poles

Rules of block diagram simplification

• These Six rules help in the simplification a block diagram of a control system
RULE 1
• When two or more blocks are connected in series, we are to multiply the transfer
functions and put as one block as shown in Fig below

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Rules of block diagram simplification

RULE 2
• When two blocks are connected in parallel, the transfer functions are to be added
as shown in Fig.

Rules of block diagram simplification

RULE 3
• When shifting the summing point prior to, i.e. before a block, a block 1/𝐺 has to
be introduced in the feedback path to maintain the input, output, and feedback
signals unaltered.

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Rules of block diagram simplification

RULE 4
• Shifting the summing point beyond, i.e. after a block, As shown in Fig. 3.7, to keep
the output signal unaltered, a block G has been placed in the feedback path.

Rules of block diagram simplification

RULE 5
• Moving a take-off point from after a block to before a block, block G has to be
introduced in the feedback path to keep feedback signal as AG unaltered.

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Rules of block diagram simplification

RULE 6
• Moving a take-off point beyond, i.e. after a block, A block of 1/G has to be
introduced in the feedback path to maintain the equivalence as shown

Example 1
• Reduce the block diagram as shown into canonical form and determine its transfer
function.

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Example 2
• Reduce the block diagram of a system represented in the figure into canonical
form.
(Note solve using superposition theorem)

Example 3
• Reduce the block diagram of Fig. to canonical form and derive the overall transfer
function

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Example 4
• Obtain the transfer function for the block diagram shown

Assignment
• Obtain the closed-loop transfer function 𝐶(𝑠)/𝑅(𝑠) after simplifying the block
diagram shown

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References
• S. K. Bhattacharya Control Systems Engineering (Third Edition) Pearson Delhi
• I.J Nagrath & M Gopal Control Systems Engineering (Fourth Edition) New Age
International Publishers 2006

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