SICE Annual Conference 2007

Sept. 17-20, 2007, Kagawa University, Japan

Design of Disturbance Observer for Non-minimum Phase Systems Using PID Controllers

Young I. Son1, Hyungbo Shim2 , Nam H. Jo3 and Sung-Jong Kim4

1
NPTC, Department of Electrical Engineering, Myongji University, Korea
( Tel : +82-31-330-6358; E-mail: sonyi@mju.ac.kr )
2
ASRI, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Seoul National University, Korea
(Tel :+82-2-880-1745; E-mail: hshim@snu.ac.kr)
3
Department of Electrical Engineering, Soongsil University, Korea
(Tel :+82-2-820-0643; E-mail: nhjo@dreamwiz.com)
4
NPTC, Department of Electrical Engineering, Myongji University, Korea
( Tel : +82-31-330-6358; E-mail: f2tsky@mju.ac.kr )

Abstract: Since the application of disturbance observer (DOB) approach has been limited to minimum phase systems
(or systems having no zero dynamics), a new DOB structure has been proposed by the authors. The proposed DOB
structure is a simple modification of the original DOB by adding a new filter in parallel with the plant. The filter, which
is called as V-filter, is designed so that the parallel connection with the plant becomes of minimum phase. Thus, with
the help of V-filter, the original DOB idea can be applied to such parallel connection. For the disturbance rejection
performance of the proposed control algorithm, a gain condition of the V-filter has been proposed in low-frequency
range. In this paper, it is shown that if a given non-minimum phase system can be stabilized by a PID controller, we can
easily construct the additional filter by inverting the controller's transfer function. The proposed scheme is applied to a
simple non-minimum phase system, and simulation results show that substantial improvement in the performance has
been achieved compared with the control system without DOB.

Keywords: Disturbance Observer(DOB), Non-minimum Phase Systems, PID Controller, Parallel Interconnection,
Robust Control

1. INTRODUCTION a simple non-minimum phase system. The simulation

results show that substantial improvement in the
Many robust control methods have been proposed performance has been achieved compared with the
that are robust against undesirable disturbances. Among control system without DOB.
them the disturbance observer (DOB) approach is to
estimate and feedback the unwanted inputs for 2. DESIGN OF DOB
attenuating their effects and improving the
performance.[1-3] The DOB-based control method as a 2.1 Structure of Classical DOB
tool of robust control has been very successful and
widely employed in industry, in particular, in Figure 1 shows the block diagram of a classical DOB
mechatronics. However, DOB approaches have been structure. P ( s ) and Pn ( s ) represent the transfer
limited to minimum phase systems (or systems having
functions of the real system and the nominal system,
no zero dynamics).[4-6]
Recently, in order to apply DOB approach to respectively. Q( s ) is the transfer function of Q
non-minimum systems, a new structure of DOB has filter which is a low-pass filter. And input v is the
been proposed by using a parallel interconnection.[6] control input signal that is created by an outer-loop
The proposed DOB structure is a simple modification of controller, and d and are disturbance and
the original DOB by adding a new filter parallel to the measurement noise, respectively.[2-3]
given plant. The filter, which is called as V-filter, is
designed so that the parallel connection becomes of
minimum phase. Thus, with the help of the V-filter, the
original DOB idea can be applied to such non-minimum
phase systems.
This paper reviews the gain condition of the V-filter
for good disturbance attenuation performance.[6] Then a
design method of the V-filter is presented by using a
PID controller that stabilizes the given system. The filter
is the inverse of the controller. Hence, the larger the
magnitude of the controller is, the better the
performance of the proposed DOB-based control law Fig. 1 Structure of Classical DOB
will be. In order to test the performance of the proposed
scheme some computer simulations are performed with

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PR0001/07/0000-0196 400 2007 SICE
In Figure 1 the output y is obtained by Though the idea of Figure 2 is very simple, it is
impossible to realize the new DOB-based controller as
PPn PPn (1 Q ) in Figure 3. Because V-filter is an internal transfer
y= v+ d function of the controller, the disturbance d cannot be
Pn + ( P Pn )Q Pn + ( P Pn )Q (1) used as an input of V ( s ) . Hence Figure 3 has been
PQ
. considered as an alternative way to implement the
Pn + ( P Pn )Q modified DOB approach.

For the filter Q( s ) in Figure 1, the binomial form has

been used in this paper as in [2]. The transfer function
of the filter is given by
n

m Ci ( s )i
Q ( s) = i =0
.
( s + 1)m
Usually, we assume that the disturbance and the
measurement noise are separated from each other in
frequency ranges. Hence, if Q ( s ) 1 in low
frequency range, then the effect of the disturbance
disappears. Moreover, if Q( s ) 0 in high frequency
range, then the effect of the measurement noise can be
ignored. Therefore the output y in (1) can be
approximated by
y Pn ( s) v . (2)
This implies that DOB can be used as an inner-loop
controller so that the input-output behavior of real plant
is approximated to the nominal plant under no
disturbances.
2.2 Design of DOB of non-minimum phase system
1 P ( Pn + V )
Note that Pn ( s ) exists in the DOB structure of
Figure 1. Hence, when the given plant is non-minimum
phase, the system with the classical DOB diverges
(when the Q-filter has high band-width) because the
internal systems poles exist in the right half plane.[6]
In order to circumvent the stability problem the authors
of [6] proposed a new structure of DOB as in Figure 2
and Figure 3. The main feature of the figures is that a
new filter V ( s ) is constructed so as to make the
parallel connection ( Pn ( s ) + V ( s ) ) minimum phase.
Fig. 3 Proposed DOB Structure
If the transfer function V ( s ) 0 in the frequency
range of the disturbance d , Figure 3 is similar to
Figure 2. In this case the difference between the
estimated disturbance d and the disturbance d is
not so serious, and we can enjoy the robust property of
the classical DOB-based control system. Since the
disturbance d resides in the low frequency range, we
concentrate on finding V ( s ) whose magnitude is
small in that frequency range.
The output y in Figure 3 is obtained by
y= v
( Pn + V )(1 Q ) + ( P + V )Q
P ( Pn + V )(1 Q ) + PVQ (3)
+ d
( Pn + V )(1 Q ) + ( P + V )Q
PQ
.
( Pn + V )(1 Q ) + ( P + V )Q
We can see that if Q ( s ) 1 and V ( s ) 0 in low
frequency range, then the effect of the disturbance
disappears. Similarly, if Q( s ) 0 in high frequency
range, then the effect of the measurement noise can be
ignored. Therefore the output y in (3) can be also
approximated by (2).
In order to present a systematic method to design the
V-filter of the new DOB structure, this paper assumes
that the given system can be stabilized by a known PID
control law.

Assumption 1. The system P(s) can be

stabilized by a PID controller

KD s 2 + K P s + K I
C ( s) = . (4)
Fig. 2 Structure of New DOB s

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 3. A NUMERICAL EXAMPLE

We illustrate the new DOB-based controller design by

a simple non-minimum phase system of the form

Fig. 4 Unity Feedback System 10 s

P( s) = 2
. (6)
Let s + 10s + 10
N ( s) N (s) For the performance of the DOB-based controller the
P( s) = , C (s ) = c .
D( s) Dc ( s) filter should have the following property:
Then the characteristic equation of the closed-loop The magnitude of V ( s ) is desired to be small in the
system of Figure 4 is given by (low) frequency range of the disturbance.[6] As the
DDc (s) + NNc (s) gain of the PID controller increases, the magnitude of
1 + P(s)C(s) = = 0. the V-filter decreases.
DDc (s)
In order to determine the V-filter V ( s ) that has the
Under Assumption 1 the zeros of the characteristic above property, any existing PID controller design
equation are all in the left half plane. (The unstable techniques can be used.[7,8] We can simply determine
pole-zero cancellation is not allowed.) the gains of PID controller one by one by using the
We consider the parallel interconnection of Figure 5. root-locus method.[9] The characteristic equation of the
closed-loop system with P control is given by
1 + K p P( s ) = 0 . Figure 6 is the root-locus.

Root Locus
15
Fig. 5 Parallel Connection
10
System: P
Then the transfer function of Figure 5 is given by Gain: 9.99

DDc (s) + NNc (s)

Pole: 0.00984 + 10.5i
5
P(s) + C 1 (s) =
Damping: -0.000939
Imaginary Axis

. Overshoot (%): 100

DNc (s) 0
Frequency (rad/sec): 10.5

We can see that if the given system satisfies Assumption

1, the closed-loop system in Figure 4 is stable and the -5
1
zeros of the transfer function (P + C )(s) are also in
the left half plane. This implies the system -10

P(s) + V (s) is minimum phase if the system P(s) is

-15
stabilized by a PID-controller C(s) and -10 0 10 20 30
Real Axis
V ( s) = C 1 ( s) i.e. Fig. 6 Root-Locus of P( s)
s
V ( s) = . (5)
KDs + KPs + KI
2 In Figure 6 we can see that K P should be smaller
than 10 for the stability. We choose the gain K P such
For (5) we note that V ( s ) 0 in the low frequency that K P = 9 . When K P = 9 , the characteristic
range and the larger the gains in the denominator are, equation of the closed-loop system with PI control is
the smaller the magnitude of V (s ) becomes in all rewritten by
frequency ranges. In conclusion, the new DOB-based 1 + K I P2 ( s) = 0
control algorithm can be tried to non-minimum phase where
systems by using the filter V (s ) under Assumption 1. 10 s
In the next section we explain the proposed algorithm P2 ( s ) = . (7)
with a simple non-minimum phase system example. s + s 2 + 100s
3

Several simulation results test the performance of the

closed-loop system under a sinusoidal disturbance input.

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 Root Locus satisfies the gain condition for the proposed DOB
15
structure.

10 Bode Diagram
System: P -10
Gain: 9.06
Pole: 0.00487 + 9.54i
5 -20
Damping: -0.00051
Imaginary Axis

Overshoot (%): 100

Frequency (rad/sec): 9.54
0 -30

Magnitude (dB)
-40
-5

-50
-10
-60

-15
-10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 -70
Real Axis

Fig. 7 Root-locus of P2 ( s) -80 -2

10 10
-1
10
0
10
1
10
2
10
3

Frequency (rad/sec)

Figure 7 shows the root-locus for K I . We can see Fig. 9 Bode-plot of V-filter
that K I should be smaller than 9 and we choose
K I = 8 . When K P = 9 and K I = 8 , the Computer simulations have been performed to test
characteristic equation of the closed-loop system with the efficiency of the proposed control algorithm. Note
PID control is rewritten by 1 + K D P3 ( s ) = 0 where
l (s ) is not necessarily
that the outer-loop controller C
identical to C (s ) = V
1 l (s)
( s) . The parameters of C
s (10 s )
2
are given in Table 1.
P3 ( s) = . (8)
s + s 2 + 92 s + 80
3

Root Locus
15 Table 1. System parameters
Numerator order : 2
10
Q-filter Denominator order : 4
5
Imaginary Axis

Time constant : 0.01

0
Reference 100

-5 Disturbance 100 sin(0.2t )

-10
Measurement Noise 5 sin(200t )
P gain : 3
-15
-40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 Outer-loop
Controller I gain : 2
Real Axis
Fig. 8 Root-locus of P3 ( s) D gain : 0.2

Since the root-locus for (8) is discontinues at

K D = 1 , Figure 8 is the root-locus when K D < 1 .
Let K D = 0.4 . Finally the PID-controller has been
designed and the V-filter is obtained by
s
V ( s) =
0.4 s + 9s + 8
Figure 9 shows Bode-plot of the V-filter (9), which
As it is mentioned before if the classical DOB
approach is applied to the system (6), the output of the
closed-loop system diverges with oscillation (see Figure
10).
2
. (9)

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 Output of the system with disturbance Output of the system with disturbance
140 140
using the Classical DOB
120 120

100 100

80
80

60
60
40
40
20
20
0
0 PI-controller
-20 New DOB + PI
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
-20
Fig. 10 Result with Classical DOB 0 5 10 15 20 25 30
s
Fig. 12 V ( s ) = , Outer-Loop: PI Control
Figure 11 shows the Simulink block diagram for 9s + 8
computer simulations of the proposed controller in this
paper. For the comparison of the results same
simulations are also carried out with the closed-loop Output of the system with disturbance
system without using the DOB. 140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0 PID-controller
New DOB + PID
Fig. 11 Simulink Block Diagram -20
with the proposed DOB 0 5 10 15 20 25 30
s
Fig. 13 V ( s) = , Outer-Loop: PID Control
9s + 8
Figures 12-15 show the simulation results that have
been obtained by using the proposed controller with
s s Output of the system with disturbance
both V ( s ) = and V ( s ) = . And 140
9s + 8 0.4s 2 + 9s + 8
we compare the outer-loop controllers that use the 120
PI-controller and the PID-controller. (The gains of the
controller are given in Table 1.) 100

When a sinusoid disturbance enters the system, the

80
DOB-based control law shows better performance than
the outer-loop PID or PI controller only. And the form 60
of the outer-loop controller is more dominant to the
performance of the control system than that of the 40
V-filter in this example. With the help of the system
20
V (s) , the DOB-based approach has been successfully
applied to the non-minimum phase system. 0 PI-controller
New DOB + PI
-20
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
s
Fig. 14 V ( s ) = 2
, Outer-Loop: PI Control
0.4s + 9s + 8

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 Output of the system with disturbance Vol. 50, No. 6, pp. 12071216, 2003.
140
[4] W. C. Yang, and M. Tomizuka, Disturbance
120 rejection through an external model for non
minimum phase systems, ASME J. of Dynamic
100 Systems, Measurement and Control, Vol. 116 No.
1, pp. 39-44, 1994.
80 [5] X. Chen, G. Zhai, and T. Fukuda, An approximate
inverse system for non minimum-phase systems
60
and its application to disturbance observer,
40 Systems & Control Letters, Vol. 52, pp. 193-207,
2004.
20 [6] H. Shim, Y.-I. Son, N.H. Jo, Disturbance
Observer (DOB) can be applied to non-minimum
0 PID-controller phase systems, Technical Report of CDSL, Seoul
New DOB + PID National University, 2007.
-20
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 [7] A. Datta, M.-T. Ho, and S.P. Bhattacharyya,
s Structure and Synthesis of PID Controllers,
Fig. 15 V ( s ) = 2
, Springer, 2000.
0.4s + 9s + 8 [8] K.J. Astrom, and T. Hagglund, Advanced PID
Outer-Loop: PID Control
Control, ISA, 2006.
[9] G..F. Franklin, J.D. Powell, and A. Emami- Naeini,
Feedback Control of Dynamic Systems, 4th Ed.,
4. CONCLUSION Prentice Hall, 2002.
Even if a given system is non-minimum phase, a
disturbance observer-based robust control approach can
be successfully applied if a proper system is connected
in parallel with the system and the composite system
becomes minimum phase. In this paper, we present a
method to design the V-filter that makes the composite
system minimum phase. By using the inverse transfer
function of a PID-controller we can easily construct the
V-filter. Moreover, PI2D and PID2 controller can be also
tried to find the V-filter. In the simulatin studies we have
confirmed the performance of the newly proposed
DOB-based control algorithm to attenuate the effects of
input disturbances.

Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Brain Korea 21
project and the ERC program of MOST/KOSEF
(Next-generation Power Technology Center).

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