Chapter 11

General Stability Criterion

Most industrial processes are stable without feedback control.
Thus, they are said to be open-loop stable or self-regulating. An
open-loop stable process will return to the original steady state
after a transient disturbance (one that is not sustained) occurs.
By contrast there are a few processes, such as exothermic
chemical reactors, that can be open-loop unstable.
Definition of Stability. An unconstrained linear system is said to
be stable if the output response is bounded for all bounded
inputs. Otherwise it is said to be unstable.

Stability of Closed-Loop Control

System An Example

Stability of Closed-Loop Control

System Example (I)
1
Gc s K c , K m 1, Gv s
,
2s 1
1
1
Gm s
, G p s Gd s
s 1
5s 1
Y s
K c s 1

Ysp s 10s 3 17 s 2 8s 1 K c
1
Ysp s
s

Chapter 11

Characteristic Equation
Y s

K mGc s Gv s G p s
1 GOL s

Gd s
Ysp s
D s
1 GOL s

where GOL s Gc s Gv s G p s Gm s

K mGc s Gv s G p s
Y s
( s z1 )( s z2 )L ( s zm )

K
Ysp s
1 GOL s
( s p1 )( s p2 )L ( s pn )
Y s
Gd s
( s z1)( s z2)L ( s zm )

K
D s 1 GOL s
( s p1 )( s p2 )L ( s pn )
Characteristic equation of the closed-loop system
1 GOL s 0

Stability Criterion of Closed-Loop

System
1
Ysp s
s
Assume the roots of characteristic equation are distinct:
A0
An
A1
A2
Y s

L
s s p1 s p2
s pn
y t A0 A1e p1t A2e p2t L An e pnt

The feedback control system is stable if and only if

all roots of the characteristic equation are negative or
have negative real parts. Otherwise, the system is unstable.

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Roots of 1 + GcGvGpGm=0

(Note complex roots

always occur in pairs)

Example 1
Gc K c , Gv K v , G p
1 GOL 1
s

Select

Kc Kv K p

ps 1

1 Kc Kv K p

Kp

ps 1

, Gm 1

0
K c K v K p 1

Kc Kv K p 0

K v K p 0 K p 0 (reverse acting)

K v K p 0 K p 0 (direct acting)

Example 2
1
1
Gc K c , Gv
, Gp
, Gm 1
2s 1
5s 1
Kc
1 GOL 1
0
2s 1 5s 1
10s 2 7 s 1 K c 0
s

7 49 40 K c 1

Kc 1 0

20
K c 1

Example 3
Gc K c , Gv Gm 1, G p

1
(Open-loop system is unstable)
s 1

0.2 K c
1 GOL 1
0
s 1
s 0.2 K c 1 0
K c 5 (Closed-loop system can be made stable!)

Chapter 11

GOL ( s )

2KC
( s 1)( s 2)( s 3)

Root Locus
2 KC
( s 1)( s 2)( s 3)
Characterisitc equation
GOL ( s )

1 GOL ( s 1)( s 2)( s 3) 2 K C 0

0 K C 0.2
0.2 K C 30

non-oscillatory, stable
oscillatory, stable

K C 30

s ju , constantly oscillatory

K C 30

unstable

Chapter 11

Necessary Conditions for Roots

with Negative Real Parts
an s n an 1s n 1 L a1s a0 0
Necessary Conditions:
1. All coefficients of the polynomial have the same sign.
2. None of them vanishes.
If any of the coefficients is negative or zero, then at least
one root of the characteristic equation lies in the RHP,
and thus the system is unstable.
If all of the coefficients are positive, then one must construct
the Routh Array.

Note that
an 1
1 n
si 0
an
1! i 1
an 2 1 n n
si s j 0
an
2! i 1 j 1
j i

an 3
1 n n n
si s j sk 0
an
3! i 1 j 1 k 1
j i k i , j

M
n
n
a0
n
1 sm sm 0
an
m 1
m 1

Chapter 11

Routh Array

Chapter 11

The first two rows of the Routh Array are comprised of the coefficients
in the characteristic equation. The elements in the remaining rows are
calculated from coefficients by using the following formulas:

an 1an 2 an an 3
an 1an 4 an an 5
b1
; b2
; L
an 1
an 1
b1an 3 an 1b2
b1an 5 an 1b3
c1
; c2
; L
b1
b1
.
L.
n 1 rows must be constructed!

a6 s 6 a5 s 5 a4 s 4 a3 s 3 a2 s 2 a1s a0 0
a6

a4

a2

a0

a5
a5 a4 a6 a3
b1
a5

a3
a5 a2 a6 a1
b2
a5

a1
a5 a0 a6 0
b3
a5

b1a3 a5b2
c1
b1

b1a1 a5b3
c2
b1

b1 0 a5 0
0
b1

c1b2 b1c2
d1
c1

c1b3 b1 0
d2
c1

d1c2 c1d 2
e1
d1

e1d 2 d1 0
f1
e1

Routh Criterion
The roots of a polynomial are all in the left
half of s-plane if all elements of the first
column of the Routh array are of the same
sign.
If there are changes of signs in the elements of
the first column, the number of sign changes
indicates the number of roots with positive
real parts.

s 4 s s 6 s 2 s 1 s 3 0
3

4 1 1 6

2.5

4
2.5 6 4 0 6 0
2.5

2s 4 s 3 3s 2 5s 10 0
2

10

10

1 3 2 5

1
7 5 1 10 6.43
7
10

Closed-Loop Example (I) Solved

by Routh Test
10 s 3 17 s 2 8s 1 K c 0
10
17
b1

17 8 10 1 K c

8
1 Kc
7.41 0.588 K c 0 b2 0

17
b1 1 K c 17 0
c1
1 Kc 0
b1

1 K c 12.6

c2 0

Closed-Loop Example (II)

8
Gv Gm 1
Gc K c
3
( s 2)
Characteristic Eqn is: 1 Gc Gv G p Gm 0

G p Gd

s 3 6 s 2 12 s 8 8 K c 0
Routh Array:
1
6
6(12) 1 8 8 K C
0
6
8 8KC 0
1 K C 8

12
8 8KC
0
0

Direct Substitution Method

This method is based on the fact that, if the
roots of the characteristic equation vary
continuously with loop parameters, at the
point at which a stable loop just becomes
unstable at least one and usually two of the
roots must lie on the imaginary axis of the
complex plane, that is, there must be pure
imaginary roots.

Direct Substitution Steps

1. Let s ju
and substitute it into the characteristic equation.
2. Let both the resulting real part and imaginary part to be zero
and then solve simultaneously for u and K cu .

Closed-Loop Example (I) Solved

by Direct Substitution
10 s 3 17 s 2 8s 1 K c 0
Let s ju and K c K cu

1 K cu 17u2 j 8u 10u 3 0

u 0.894

3
K cu 12.6 (same as before)
8u 10u 0

1 K cu 17u2 0

Chapter 11

Figure 11.29
Flowchart for
performing a
stability analysis.

Chapter 11

Additional Stability Criteria

1.

Bode Stability Criterion

Ch. 14 - can handle time delays

2.

Nyquist Stability Criterion

Ch. 14 - can handle time delays

Special Cases of Routh Criterion

1. The first element in any one row of the
Routh array is zero, but the other elements
are not.
2. The elements in one row of the Routh
array are all zero.

Example of Case 1
s 3s 2 s 1
3

s 2 0

Case 1: Remedial Technique 1

multiply an extra term (s+a)
s 1 s 2 s 3 s 4 3s 3 3s 2 7 s 6 0
2

1
3
9 7
0.66
3
0.66 7 18
20
0.66
6

3 6
7 0
6
0

Case 1: Remedial Technique 2

replace 0 by a small positive number
s 3s 2 s 1
3

3 2
0

2
0

s 2 0

Causes of Case 2
1. Pairs of real roots with opposite signs.
2. Pairs of imaginary roots.
3. Pairs of complex-conjugate roots forming
symmetry about the origin of the s-plane.

Example 1 of Case 2 (1)

s 1

s 2 s 1 s 4 s 3 3s 2 s 2 0

Caused by (1)!
1

(coefficients of auxiliary equation)

1 3 1 1
1
22
0
2
?

Remedial Steps of Case 2

1. Take the derivative of the auxiliary
equation wrt s.
2. Replace the row of zeros with the
coefficients of the resultant equation
obtained in step 1.
3. Carry on Routh test in the usual manner
with the newly formed tabulation.

Example 1 of Case 2 (2)

Auxiliary Equation:
A s 2 s 2 2 0

Note that s 1

dA s
4 s
ds
1

(coefficients of A( s ) )
(coefficients of A s )

Example 2 of Case 2 (1)

s 6 s 5 2 s 4 3s 3 7 s 2 4s 4

s 2 s 2 s j s j s 2 s 1 0
Caused by (1) and (2)
1 2 7
4
1 3 4
0
1 3 4 coefficients of auxiliary equation
0 0 0

Example 2 of Case 2 (2)

A s s 4 3s 2 4 0
A s 4 s 3 6 s 0
1.0
1.0
1.0
+4.0

2 7
4
3 4
0
3 4 coefficients of A s
6 0 coefficients of A s

1.5 4 0
16.7 0
4
0

Closed-Loop Example (I) Solved

by Routh Test
10 s 3 17 s 2 8s 1 K c 0
10
17
b1

17 8 10 1 K c

17

8
1 Kc
7.41 0.588 K c 0 b2 0

c1 ?
K c 12.6
Auxiliary equation is: 17 s 2 1 K c 17 s 2 13.6 0
s ju 0.894 j
(same as those obtained by direct substitution)