Experiment 12

Phase Lead Compensator Design

Using Bode Plots

Objectives
The purpose of phase lead compensator design in the frequency domain gen-
erally is to satisfy specifications on steady-state accuracy, phase margin, gain
crossover frequency and closed-loop bandwidth.

Theory
In order to design a lead compensator using Bode plot technique, we need to
define some important terminologies. The compensator is designed to fulfill
these terms. These are illustrated in Fig. 11.1

1. Gain Margin
It is the difference between system’s gain and 0dB at the point where
phase crosses -180°

2. Phase Margin
It is the difference between system’s phase and -180°at the point where
gain crosses 0dB

3. Gain crossover frequency

The point where gain crosses 0dB

4. Zero frequency magnitude or dc gain

It is the gain value at very very low frequency near zero

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 Figure 11.1: Frequency domain requirements

5. Closed-loop bandwidth
The point where gain drops to -3dB
The philosophy in the design procedure for the compensator to adjust
the system’s Bode phase curve to establish the required phase margin at
the existing gain-crossover frequency, ideally without disturbing the system’s
magnitude curve at that frequency and without reducing the zero-frequency
magnitude value. The unavoidable shift in the gain crossover frequency is
a function of the amount of phase shift that must be added to satisfy the
phase margin requirement.
1. The Bode magnitude curve (after the steady-state accuracy specifica-
tion has been satisfied) must pass through 0 db in some acceptable
frequency range

2. The uncompensated phase shift at the gain crossover frequency must

be more negative than the value needed to satisfy the phase margin
specification (otherwise, no compensation is needed).
If the compensation is to be performed by a single-stage compensator,
then the amount that the phase curve needs to be moved up at the gain
crossover frequency in order to satisfy the phase margin specification must
be less than 90°, and is generally restricted to a maximum value in the range
55-65°.
Multiple stages of compensation can be used, following the same procedure
as shown below, and are needed when the amount that the Bode phase curve

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must be moved up exceeds the available phase shift for a single stage of com-
pensation.
The gain crossover frequency and bandwidth for the lead-compensated sys-
tem will be higher than for the plant (even when the steady-state error spec-
ification is satisfied), so the system will respond more rapidly in the time
domain. The faster response may be an advantage in many applications,
but a disadvantage of a wider bandwidth is that more noise and other high
frequency signals (often unwanted) will be passed by the system. A smaller
bandwidth also provides more stability robustness when the system has un-
modeled high frequency dynamics, such as the bending modes in aircraft
and spacecraft. Thus, there is a trade-off between having the ability to track
rapidly varying reference signals and being able to reject high-frequency dis-
turbances.
The design procedure presented here is basically graphical in nature. All
of the measurements needed can be obtained from accurate Bode plots of
the uncompensated system. If data arrays representing the magnitudes and
phases of the system at various frequencies are available, then the procedure
can be done numerically, and in many cases automated. The examples and
plots presented in this Lab will be done in MATLAB.

Design Procedure
The basic phase lead compensator consists of a gain, one pole, and one zero.
The specific structure of the compensator is:

1 (s + zc ) (τ.s + 1)
Gc−lead (s) = Kc [ . ] = Kc (11.1)
α (s + pc) (α.τ s + 1)
zc 1 1
Where, zc > 0, pc > 0, α = pc
, τ= zc
= αpc

Outline of the Procedure

1. Determine the amount of phase shift in G(jω) at the gain crossover fre-
quency and calculate the uncompensated phase margin P Muncompensated

2. Calculate the values for φmax that is needed to obtain the desired phase
margin.

3. Add a safety factor like φmax = φmax + 10° to compensate for slight
shifting of gain curve results in reduction of the obtained PM

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4. Find the value of α required to raise the phase curve to satisfy the
phase margin specification using

1 + sin(φmax )
α=
1 − sin(φmax

5. Determine the value of gain as 10 log10 (α) using the value of α calcu-
lated in the last step

6. This gain gives a new gain crossover frequency ωm .

7. Using the value of ωm and α, find the design parameter τ using the
following equation
1
τ=
ωm .α1/2
8. Finally compute the lead compensator’s zero zc and pole pc using α
and τ .

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Lab Tasks
1. For the unity negative feedback system having forward transfer function
as given
50
G(s) =
s(1 + 0.2s)
Design a lead compensator with detailed steps using Bode Plot tech-
nique such that

• The percent overshoot %OS ≤ 10

• Phase Margin P M = 50°
• Gain Margin GM > 10
• Paste m-file & plots for uncompensated and compensated Bode
plot, closed loop step response indicating required parameters

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 2. The block diagram in Figure below model a simple DC motor robot
arm gripper position control. Input ,θin (s), is the desired robot arm
position, and the output θin (s), is the actual robot arm position. Posi-
tion sensor H, measure the actual position for the feedback system.
The system parameters are: Amplifier gain, A = 1, Motor field resis-
tance, Rf = 10ohm, Motor constant, km = 550N.m/Amp
Motor shaft inertial, J = Rollnumber(kg.m2), Friction coefficient,
b = 1N.m.s, Sensor gain, H = 1.

Figure 11.2: Block Diagram of a DC Motor robot arm gripper position control
system

Design a lead compensator for the system to obtain the followings

• Derive open loop and closed loop transfer function using pen and
paper and paste its image
• Phase margin greater than or equal to 45° and at least 6dB gain
margin (GM)
• The percent overshoot %OS ≤ 15
• Rise time less than or equal to 0.5 second and Settling time less
than or equal to 1 second
• Paste m-file & plots for uncompensated and compensated Bode
plot, closed loop step response indicating required parameters
• Finally fill the table in Fig. 11.3 for comparative analysis of un-
compensated and compensated systems and give comments (min-
imum 50 words)

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Figure 11.3: Comparative analysis of uncompensated and compensated sys-
tems

Student’s Comments

Lesson Learn

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