NPTEL

Control Engineering
Sept.-Dec 2020
Solution: Assignment 2
Note: Unless mentioned otherwise, all signals are causal, that is, their value is zero for all time t < 0.

1. The Laplace transform of f (t) = t sin ωt + e−3t cos ωt is

2ωs s+3
(a) s2 −ω 2 + (s+3)2 +ω 2
ω s+3
(b) s2 +ω 2 + (s+3)2 +ω 2
2ωs s−3
(c) (s2 +ω 2 )2 + (s−3)2 +ω 2
2ωs s+3
(d) (s2 +ω 2 )2 + (s+3)2 +ω 2 [Correct]

Solution:
Using following properties,
ω
• L{sin ωt} = s2 +ω 2
s
• L{cos ωt} = s2 +ω 2
• L{e−at g(t)} = G(s + a), where G(s) = L{g(t)}
• L{tg(t)} = − dL{g(t)}
ds

So

L{f (t)} = L{t sin ωt} + L{e−3t cos ωt}

dL{sin ωt}
=− + L{H(s + 3)}, where H(s) = L{cos ωt}.
ds
simplifying leads to,
2ωs s+3
L{f (t)} = +
(s2 +ω )2 2 (s + 3)2 + ω 2

2. Given the following differential equation, solve for y(t) assuming all initial conditions are zero.
(Hint: Use Laplace transform)

d2 y(t) y(t)
2
+4 + 3y(t) = 2u(t)
dt dt
where u(t) is the step input.
(a) y(t) = (1 − et + e3t )u(t)
(b) y(t) = (1 − e−t − e−3t )u(t)
(c) y(t) = ( 32 − e−t + 31 e−3t )u(t) [Correct]
(d) y(t) = ( 23 − et + 31 e3t )u(t)

1
 Solution:
Applying Laplace transform to the equation lead to,

s2 Y (S) + 4sY (s) + 3Y (s) = 2U (s)

1
where Y (s) = L{y(t)} and U (s) = L{u(t)} = .
s
2
(s2 + 4s + 3)Y (S) =
s
2
Y (s) =
s(s + 1)(s + 3)
2 1
3 1
Y (s) = − + 3
s s+1 s+3
Taking inverse Laplace tranform,
2 1
y(t) = ( − e−t + e−3t )u(t)
3 3

3. What is the Region of Convergence (ROC) of the Laplace transform of the signal e−2t + e−4t ?
Note that Re(s) denotes the real part of the complex numbers.
(a) Re(s) > −4
(b) Re(s) > −2 [Correct]
(c) Re(s) > 4
(d) Re(s) > 2
Solution:

Z ∞
L{e−2t + e−4t } = (e−2t + e−4t )e−st dt
0
Z ∞
= (e−t(s+2) + e−t(s+4) )dt
0
t=∞ t=∞
e−t(s+2)  e−t(s+4) 
=− −
s + 2 t=0 s + 4 t=0

The expression is defined for Re(s) > −2 ∩ Re(s) > −4, which is Re(s) > −2.
4. If the transfer function of a system is given by
1
G(s) =
s2 + as + b
where a 6= 0, b 6= 0. If one of the poles of the system is −5 + 7i, then what are a, b ?
(a) 37, 5
(b) 37, 49
(c) 74, 10
(d) 10, 74 [Correct]
(e) Can not be determined

2
 Solution:
The complex poles occur in pair. Hence other pole is −5 − 7i. So,

s2 + as + b = (s + 5 − 7i)(s + 5 + 7i)
= s2 + 10s + 74

Hence a = 10, and b = 74.

5. Consider a mechanical system as shown in the figure below

F
x

b k
M

where M is the mass, b and k are damping and spring coefficients and f is the frictional force, F
is the force applied and x is the displacement. If X(s) and F (s) are the Laplace transform of the
x and F respectively, then transfer function X(s)
F (s) is

1
(a) M s2 −(f +b)s+k
1
(b) M s2 +f s+k+b
1
(c) M s2 +(f +b+k)s
1
(d) M s2 +(f +b)s+k [Correct]

Solution:
The force equation of the mechanical system is,

dx2 dx dx
M =F −f −b − kx
dt2 dt dt
Taking Laplace transform leads to,

M s2 X(s) = F (s) − f sX(s) − bsX(s) − kX(s)

(M s2 + f s + bs + k)X(s) = F (s)
X(s) 1 1
= =
F (s) M s2 + f s + bs + k M s2 + (f + b)s + k

6. The initial value and the final value of the given function are respectively
s+1
X(s) =
(s + 2)2 + 10
1
(a) 14 , 14

3
 (b) 1 , 0 [Correct]
(c) 0 , ∞
1
(d) 14 ,∞
Solution:
Form initial value theorem,
lim f (t) = lim sF (s)
t→
−0 s→
−∞
Hence,
 
s+1
lim x(t) = lim s
t→−0 s→
−∞ (s + 2)2 + 10
s2 (1 + 1s )
= lim 2
s→
− ∞ s (1 + 4s + 14 s2 )

=1
From final value theorem,
lim f (t) = lim sF (s)
t→
−∞ s→
−0
Hence,
 
s+1
lim x(t) = lim s
t→
−∞ s→
−0 (s + 2)2 + 10
=0

7. Find the inverse Laplace transform of the function

e−s
(s + 2)2 + 9
1 −t
(a) 3e sin (3t)
1 −2t
(b) 3e sin (3t)
1 −2(t+1)
(c) 3e sin 3(t + 1)
1 −2(t−1)
(d) 3e sin 3(t − 1) [Correct]
1 −(2t+3)
(e) 3e sin (3t)
Solution:
Using following properties
• L{f (t − a)} = e−as , where a > 0.
ω
• L{sin ωt} = s2 +ω 2 .
• L{e−at g(t)} = G(s + a), where G(s) = L{g(t)}
Since there is e−s there is a −1 time delay. Now the Inverse Laplace transform of ,
1 1
L{ 2
} = e−2t sin 3t
(s + 2) + 9 3
Due to −1 time delay it becomes,
e−s 1
L{ } = e−2(t−1) sin 3(t − 1)
(s + 2)2 + 9 3

4
8. What are the poles and zeros of the system,
s+5
G(s) = .
s3 + 6s2 + 11s + 6
(a) Pole(s): p1 = −1, p2 = −2, p3 = −3, Zero(s): z1 = −5 [Correct]
(b) Pole(s): p1 = 1, p2 = 2, p3 = 3, Zero(s): z1 = 5
(c) Pole(s): p1 = 5 , Zero(s): z1 = 1, z2 = 2, z3 = 3
(d) Pole(s): p1 = −5 , Zero(s): z1 = −1, z2 = −2, z3 = −3
(e) Pole(s): p1 = 5 , Zero(s): z1 = 6, z2 = 11, z3 = 6
(f) Pole(s): p1 = 6, p2 = 11, p3 = 6 , Zero(s): z1 = 5
Solution:

N (s)
G(s) =
D(s)
where N (s) is the numerator and D(s) is the denominator. Zeros are the roots of numerator which
implies,
s+5=0
s = −5
Poles are roots of denominator which implies,
s3 + 6s2 + 11s + 6 = 0
(s + 1)(s + 2)(s + 3) = 0
s = −1 or s = −2 or s = −3

9. Using Convolution theorem, find the convolution of the signals e−t and cos 2t ?
(a) − 51 e−t − 15 cos 2t − 52 sin 2t
(b) − 15 e−t + 15 cos 2t + 52 sin 2t [Correct]
(c) − 15 e−t − 15 cos 2t − 54 sin 2t
(d) 15 e−t + 15 cos 2t + 45 sin 2t
Solution:
Convolution in time domain is multiplication in frequency domain.
1
L{e−t } =
s+1
.
s
L{cos 2t} =
+4 s2
convolution in frequency domain is product of both these frequency domain terms,
s
L{e−t }L{cos 2t} =
(s + 1)(s2 + 4)
Taking inverse Laplace transform of the R.H.S of the above term,
   −1   1   4 
−1 s −1 5 −1 5s −1 5
L =L +L +L
(s + 1)(s2 + 4) s+1 s2 + 4 s2 + 4
1 1 2
= − e−t + cos 2t + sin 2t
5 5 5

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10. Consider the following electric circuit.

+
C vout (t)
vin (t)
R −

where vin (t) , vout (t) are input and output voltages respectively. And L, R and C are inductor,
resistor and Capacitor respectively. If Vin (s) and Vout (s) are Laplace transform of the input and
output voltages respectively, then find the transfer function VVout (s)
in (s)

1
(a) LC
1
s2 + LC R
s+ C
1
(b) LC
L
s2 + R 1
s+ LC
1
(c) LC
L
s2 + RC 1
s+ LC
1
(d) LC
1
s2 + RC 1
s+ LC
[Correct]

Solution:

i1(t) i2(t)
+
C vout (t)
vin (t)
R −

Applying KVL in both loop 1 and loop2 we get,

di1 (t)
vin = L + R(i1 (t) − i2 (t))
dt
Z
1
R(i2 (t) − i1 (t)) + i2 (t) = 0
C
Taking Laplace transform,

Vin (s) = sLI1 (s) + R(I1 (s) − I2 (s))

1
R(I2 (s) − I1 (s)) + I2 (s) = 0
Cs

6
Simplifying the equations and using
Z
1
vout (t) = i2 (t)dt
C
which has a Laplace transform of,
1
Vout s) = I2 (s)
Cs
leads to,
1
Vout (s) LC
= 2 1 1
Vin (s) s + RC s + LC