Poles and Zeros

• The dynamic behavior of a transfer function model can be

characterized by the numerical value of its poles and zeros.
• Two equivalent general representation of a TF:
m
Chapter 6

i
b s i
bm s  z1 s  z2  s  zm 
G s   i0

n an s  p1 s  p2  s  pn 
 ai s i

i 0

where {zi} are the “zeros” and {pi} are the “poles”.
We will assume that there are no “pole-zero” cancellations.
That is, that no pole has the same numerical value as a zero.
Note that, for system to be physically realizable, n>m.
Example: 4 poles (denominator is 4th order
polynomial) & 0 zero (numerator is a
const)
K
G (s) 
s ( 1s  1)( 22 s 2  2 2 s  1)
1  1  2
s1 0; s2  ; s3 , s4  j
1 2 2
Y s  G s U s 
If u t  MS t , then

t


t  1  2 1  2 
y t   A0  A1t  Be 1
e 2
 C1 sin t  C2 cos t
 2 2 
 
Chapter 6
 Effects of Poles on System
Response
t 
 1 
1

2
t
(1)   e decays slower than e
 2 1
(2) RHP pole  unstable system
(3) complex conjugate poles  oscillation
(4) origin  integrating element
 Example of Integrating
Element

dh
A qi  q0
dt
AsH ( s ) Qi( s )  Q0( s )
if Q0( s) 0
H ( s ) 1 pure integrator (ramp) for step
then 
Qi( s ) As change in qi
Cause of Zeros – Input
Dynamics
[Example 1]  1 y  y K  a u   u 
K  a s  1
G s  
 1s  1

 1 t 
[Example 2]  1 y  y K 
 a
0 u   d  u 
K  a s  1
G s  
 a s  1s  1
 Some Facts about Zeros
• Zeros do not affects the number and
locations of the poles, unless there is an
exact cancellation of a pole by a zero.
• The zeros exert a profound effect on the
coefficients of the response modes.
Example of 2nd-Order Overdamped
System with One (1) Zero
K  a s  1 M
Y s  G s U s  
 1s  1 2 s 1 s
where  1   2
  a   1  t  a   2  t 
y t  KM  1  e 1 e 2 
 1   2  2  1 
 
and y   KM

Case (a):  a   1  overshoot

Case (b):  1   a 0  similar to 1st-order step response
Case (c):  a  0  inverse response
Chapter 6
 Step Response of 2nd-Order
Overdamped System without Zeros
M
u t  MS t   U s  
s
K
  1  G s  
 1s  1 2 s 1
1

 1 2
1  2
=
2  1 2
 t / 1  t / 2
  e   e 
y t  L  G s U s  KM  1 
1 1 2

 1   2 
Further Analysis of Inverse
Response
K  a s  1 M
Y s  G s U s  
 1s  1 2 s 1 s
where  1   2  0, a  0, KM  0

 dy  KM  a s  1
L   sY s  
 dt   1s  1 2 s 1
By initial value theorem
dy  dy  KM  a s  1
lim sL   s
dt t  0 s    dt   1s  1 2 s 1
KM
 a 0
 1 2
Chapter 6
Common Properties of Overshoot
and Inverse Responses

Overshoot or inverse response can be expected

whenever there are two physical effects that act
on the same output in opposite ways and with
different time scales, i.e.
(1) sgn  K1   sgn  K 2 
(2)  1  2
Another Example
K  a s  1 M
Y s  G s U s  
 1 s  1 s
   a   1 
t

y t   KM  1  1  e 
  1  
a
y 0   KM (jump) and y    KM
1

Case (a):  a   1  0  decreasing

Case (b):  1   a  0  increasing
Case (c):  a  0   1  increasing
 Time Delays
Time delays occur due to:
1. Fluid flow in a pipe
2. Transport of solid material (e.g., conveyor belt)
3. Chemical analysis
Chapter 6

- Sampling line delay

- Time required to do the analysis (e.g., on-line gas
chromatograph)

Mathematical description:
A time delay, θ, between an input u and an output y results in the
following expression:
 0 for t  θ Y s 
y t    e   s
u t  θ  for t θ U s 
Chapter 6
 Implication of Time Delay
The presence of time delay in a process
means that we cannot factor the
transfer function in terms of simple
poles and zeros!
Polynomial Approximation of
Time Delays
Talor series expansion:
 2 s 2  3s3
e   s 1   s   
2! 3!
1/1 Pade approximation:
 s1  s / 2
e 
1  s / 2
2/2 Pade approximation:
1   s / 2   2 s 2 /12
e  s 
1   s / 2   2 s 2 /12
Chapter 6
Approximation of nth-Order
Systems
A n-th order system with n equal time constants:
K
Gn s   n
 
 s  1 
n 
   
i
1  M 
nt n  1
nt / 
y n, t  L Gn s   KM  1  e   
 s   i 0 i ! 
y , t  KMS t   
 lim Gn s  e   s
n 
 Approximation of Higher-Order Transfer
Functions
In this section, we present a general approach for
approximating high-order transfer function models with
lower-order models that have similar dynamic and steady-
Chapter 6

state characteristics.
Previously we showed that the transfer function for a time
delay can be expressed as a Taylor series expansion. For small
values of s,
(A) e  θ0 s 1  θ0 s (zero)

An alternative first-order approximation is

1 1
(B) e θ0 s  θ0 s
 (pole)
e 1  θ0 s
 Skogestad’s “Half Rule”
1. Largest neglected time constant
• One half of its value is added to the existing time delay (if
any) .
Chapter 6

• The other half is added to the smallest retained time

constant.
2. Time constants that are smaller than those in item 1.
• Use (B)
3. RHP zeros.
• Use (A)
 Example 6.4
Consider a transfer function:

K  0.1s 1
G s  
5s  13s  10.5s 1
Chapter 6

Derive an approximate first-order-plus-time-delay (FOPDT)

model,
 θs
Ke
G s  
τs  1
using two methods:
(a) The Taylor series expansions (A) and (B).
(b) Skogestad’s half rule

Compare the normalized responses of G(s) and the approximate

models for a unit step input.
 Solution

(a) The dominant time constant (5) is retained. Applying

the approximations in (A) and (B) gives:
 0.1s 1 e  0.1s
Chapter 6

and
1 1
e  3s e  0.5 s
3s  1 0.5s  1

Substitution into G(s) gives the Taylor series

approximation,
 0.1s  3s  0.5 s  3.6 s
Ke e e Ke
GTS s   
5s  1 5s  1
 (b) To use Skogestad’s method, we note that the largest neglected
time constant in G(s) has a value of three.
• According to “half rule” (Rule 1), half of this value is added to
the next largest time constant to generate a new time constant
τ 5  0.5(3) 6.5.
• Rule 1: The other half provides a new time delay of 0.5(3) =
Chapter 6

1.5.
• The approximation of the RHP zero in Rule 3 provides an
additional time delay of 0.1.
• Approximating the smallest time constant of 0.5 in G(s) by
Rule 2 produces an additionalθ time
1.5 delay
 0.1 of0.5
0.5.
2.1
• Thus the total time delay is,
• Therefore
 2.1s
Ke
G Sk s  
6.5s  1
Chapter 6
 Example
K 1  s  e s

G s  
12s  13s  10.2s  10.05s 1

 s
Ke
(a) G1 s   (FOPDT)
 s 1
 s
Ke
(b) G 2 s   (SOPDT)
 1s  1 2 s 1
 Part (a)
3
 1   0.2  0.05  1 3.75
2
3
 12  13.5
2
 3.75 s
Ke
G1 s  
13.5s  1
 Part (b)
0.2
 1   0.05  1 2.15
2
 1 12
0.2
 2 3  3.1
2
 2.15 s
 Ke
G2 s  
12s  13.1s 1