Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

System Dynamics Lab–MECH 450

Fall 2023

Experiment 1: Mechanical System

(DC Motor)
Lab Assignment # 5:
Controlling DC Motor Position
using PD

Section: 01

Students’ Names IDs Grade

Saeed Almarzooqi 201814680
Khaled Alhammadi 201831108
Mahmoud Shashati 201950164

Submitted to:
Eng. Rihab K. Hamza

Date of Submission: October 31, 2023

MECH 450 Laboratory Assignment 5 2/3

In the previous lab module, the open loop transfer function that relates the input
voltage to DC motor to the output motor speed, measured by the tachometer, is
identified as a first order transfer function

In this lab, proportional Derivative PD controller will be designed, and

implemented in LabVIEW to control the position of the DC motor system.

1) Find the open Loop Transfer function of the DC motor Position from the
above information. [5%]

𝜃(𝑠) 𝜔(𝑠) 1 𝐾𝑜 1 𝐾𝑜
𝐺(𝑠) = = × = × = 2
𝑉𝑖𝑛 𝑉𝑖𝑛 𝑠 𝜏𝑠 + 1 𝑠 𝜏𝑠 + 𝑠

2) Complete the Block Diagram below representing the DC motor position

control.[10%]
Angular position
Angular position
Degree
Degree

Changing
DC motor
position

Power
potentiometer
Watt (W)

LabVIEW
Non-inverting computer
Op Amp software &
DAQ Measured position

Control signal Volt (V)

Volt (V) Required position

Degree
DC Power supply

3) Design PD-controller gains to control the DC motor position that will satisfy
your design requirements. (show all steps) [15%]

The open loop transfer function is:

𝜃(𝑠) 𝐾𝑜
𝐺(𝑠) = = 2
𝑉𝑖𝑛 (𝑠) (𝜏𝑠 + 𝑠)
After adding a proportional derivative controller, the closed loop transfer function for unity
feedback can be found as follows:
Prepared by Eng. Rihab Hamza Fall 2023
MECH 450 Laboratory Assignment 5 3/3

(𝐾𝑝 + 𝐾𝑑 𝑠)𝐺(𝑠)
𝑇(𝑠) =
1 + (𝐾𝑝 + 𝐾𝑑 𝑠)𝐺(𝑠)
𝐾𝑜
(𝐾𝑝 + 𝐾𝑑 𝑠)( )
(𝜏𝑠2 + 𝑠)
𝑇(𝑠) = 𝐾
1 + (𝐾𝑝 + 𝐾𝑑 𝑠)( 2 𝑜 )
(𝜏𝑠 + 𝑠)
𝐾𝑜
(𝐾𝑝 + 𝐾𝑑 𝑠)( )
(𝜏𝑠2 + 𝑠)
𝑇(𝑠) =
(𝜏𝑠2 + 𝑠) 𝐾
+ (𝐾𝑝 + 𝐾𝑑 𝑠)( 2 𝑜 )
(𝜏𝑠2 + 𝑠) (𝜏𝑠 + 𝑠)
(𝐾𝑝 + 𝐾𝑑 𝑠)𝐾𝑜
𝑇(𝑠) =
(𝜏𝑠2 + 𝑠) + (𝐾𝑝 + 𝐾𝑑 𝑠)𝐾𝑜
𝐾𝑜 𝐾𝑝 + 𝐾𝑜 𝐾𝑑 𝑠
𝑇(𝑠) =
(𝜏𝑠2 + 𝑠) + 𝐾𝑜 𝐾𝑝 + 𝐾𝑜 𝐾𝑑 𝑠
𝐾𝑜 𝐾𝑝 + 𝐾𝑜 𝐾𝑑 𝑠
𝑇(𝑠) =
𝜏𝑠2 + 𝑠(1 + 𝐾𝑜 𝐾𝑑 ) + 𝐾𝑜 𝐾𝑝
𝐾𝑜 𝐾𝑝 + 𝐾𝑜 𝐾𝑑 𝑠
𝑇(𝑠) =
𝑠(1 + 𝐾𝑜 𝐾𝑑 ) 𝐾𝑜 𝐾𝑝
𝑠2 + +
𝜏 𝜏
The second order characteristic equation is as follows:
𝜔𝑛2
𝑇(𝑠) =
𝑠 2 + 2𝜁𝜔𝑛 + 𝜔𝑛2
Therefore,
1+𝐾𝑜 𝐾𝑑 𝐾𝑜 𝐾𝑝
2𝜁𝜔𝑛 = 𝜏
& 𝜔𝑛2 = 𝜏

Based on these equations and the characteristic requirements of the lab, 𝐾𝑑 & 𝐾𝑝 can be
obtained mathematically by first finding the values of 𝜁 & 𝜔𝑛 . According to the requirements of
the lab, the rise time should be within 6 seconds, the settling time should be within 10
seconds, and the percent overshoot should be within 5%, so 𝜁 & 𝜔𝑛 are calculated as
follows:
1.8
𝑇𝑟 =
𝜔𝑛
1.8
6=
𝜔𝑛
1.8
𝜔𝑛 = = 0.3 𝑟𝑎𝑑/𝑠
6
4.6
𝑇𝑠 =
𝜁𝜔𝑛
4.6
10 =
𝜁(0.3)
Prepared by Eng. Rihab Hamza Fall 2023
MECH 450 Laboratory Assignment 5 4/3

4.6
𝜁= = 1.533
10(0.3)
Now, 𝐾𝑑 & 𝐾𝑝 can be found as follows:
1 + 𝐾𝑜 𝐾𝑑
2𝜁𝜔𝑛 =
𝜏
1 + 36.39𝐾𝑑
2(1.533)(0.3) =
4.1
By solving for the equation above: 𝐾𝑑 = 0.0762

𝐾𝑜 𝐾𝑝
𝜔𝑛2 =
𝜏
36.39𝐾𝑝
(0.3)2 =
4.1
By solving for the equation above: 𝐾𝑝 = 0.0101

4) State the effect of the Proportional and the derivative controller in a dynamic
system. [10%]

The proportional controller improves the stability by decreasing the steady

state error of the response due to its ability to increase the reaction of the system to
changes in the error signal (Higher Kp gain means stronger reaction to mitigate
errors), but it also might increase overshoot if Kp is too high.
The derivative controller helps stabilize the system by decreasing oscillations
and overshoot of the system response by providing damping to the system. It can
also help reduce settling time, which helps reach the desired value quicker, but in
contrast, it may disadvantageously amplify noise depending on the system and can
be harder to tune due to the sensitivity of the gain Kd.

Prepared by Eng. Rihab Hamza Fall 2023

MECH 450 Laboratory Assignment 5 5/3

5) Gives full details of how the controller is implemented in LabVIEW. Show a

screenshot of your program of your controller you got from the calculation.
[10%]

As shown in the figure, the user interface of the program stays the same as
before, except for some small changes. For the input values, instead of the speed
this time it is the desired position. The same thing applies to the measured value.
Also, because the type of controller this time was a PD controller, an adjustment had
to be made to the derivative time to make the system have the derivative controller.

Prepared by Eng. Rihab Hamza Fall 2023

MECH 450 Laboratory Assignment 5 6/3

For the block diagram, the gain was changed to the position gain, which is 45
because the range of the system this time will depend on the potentiometer. All
other blocks stay the same. The PID block with its gains and output range coming
out of it. The desired position connected to both the PID controller block and the
Excel file block. The DAQ input is connected to the measured position block after
the gain multiplication and then the measured position is connected to the PID
controller block and the Excel file block. The DAQ output connected to the PID
controller block is to be adjusted according to the new PD controller. All are put in a
while loop.

Prepared by Eng. Rihab Hamza Fall 2023

MECH 450 Laboratory Assignment 5 7/3

6) Did the motor move with the controller you got from the calculation? Explain
how did you find the best PD controller for your system? Discuss in details
your tuning procedure. Gives your observation how the system work? ([20%])

No, the motor did not move with the controller that was gotten from the
calculation. The reason behind that is because of the proportional gain value. The
value was very small and thus it did not give enough voltage to the motor to turn it
on. To solve this issue, a 10x increase was made to the proportional gain value.
Then the motor started moving. That is how the proportional gain term was tuned.
After solving the issue of the motor not moving. Some tests were conducted to test
the response of the system and whether the system was giving a measured value
close to the input value or not. In the first few trials, the system had a huge error, but
after some iterations and changing the value of the derivative time by increasing it
with 0.05 increments, the system finally showed some good results. That is how the
best PD controller for the system was found. The observations on how the system
works are as follows. When a position input is typed in the desired position, the
motor starts moving, then when it reaches the desired position, it passes it and goes
back to it. The fluctuations indicate that the system has overshoot, and this is
understandable because it is a second order system. Then after fluctuating several
times – almost 3 to 4 times – the system finally sets on the given value or very close
to it.

Prepared by Eng. Rihab Hamza Fall 2023

MECH 450 Laboratory Assignment 5 8/3

7) Test your controlled system by performing step response from min. to max
and from max. to min. For each test result find the system performance
parameters (i.e. rise time, settling time, percentage overshoot, and steady
state error) Show your calculations at the graphs. Discuss your results by
comparing the parameters with the stated design requirements. [20%]

Min to max
200

150

100

50

8.8

9.6
0

10.4
0.4
0.8
1.2
1.6
2
2.4
2.8
3.2
3.6
4
4.4
4.8
5.2
5.6
6
6.4
6.8
7.2
7.6
8
8.4

9.2

10

10.8
-50
Tc
-100

-150 Tr
-200 Ts
Series1 Series2

Tc = (0.63Vss) corresponding to t = 1.9 s, Tr = (0.9Vss – 0.1Vss)

corresponding to t = 4.2-1.6 = 2.6 s, Ts = (0.98Vss) corresponding to t = 5.6 s,
There is no overshoot.

Max to min
Ts
200
Tr
150

100

50

0
9.5
0.5

1.5

2.5

3.5

4.5

5.5

6.5

7.5

8.5

10.5

11.5
0

10

11

-50
Tc
-100

-150

-200

Series1 Series2

Tc = (0.63Vss) corresponding to t = 2.9 s, Tr = (0.9Vss – 0.1Vss)

corresponding to t = 4.2-1.25 = 2.95 s, Ts = (0.98Vss) corresponding to
t = 5 s, There is no overshoot.
Prepared by Eng. Rihab Hamza Fall 2023
MECH 450 Laboratory Assignment 5 9/3

The results are compatible with the required Ts which is equal to 10 s, Tr

which is equal to 6 s, and overshoot that we did not have at all. In fact, the
system was very fast and responsive.

8) Now, does your system satisfy the desired specifications? Is the PD is a good
controller for your system? Discuss. State the final controller you got.[10%]

The system satisfies the desired specifications as discussed above. A PD

controller is a good and compatible controller for the system. The final
controller has 0.1 for kc which is the proportional gain and Td equal to 0.025
which is the derivative time. Both of the gains worked very well.

Assignment Requirements:

• Each group must submit a typed assignment. (Handwriting not accepted).

• All equations must be typed using the MS equation editor and must be
numbered.
• All symbols have to be defined or included in the nomenclature.
• Drawings must be generated using appropriate computer software.
• Plots must be done using Matlab or Excel with axis-labels and units
• Drawing and plots must have figure numbers and captions.

Prepared by Eng. Rihab Hamza Fall 2023