ASEE Annual Meeting 2005 Session # 3568 A Control Systems Lab Sequence Designed to Foster Understanding1

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology has a unique sophomore curriculum that culminates in a multi-disciplinary system dynamics course. Because of this curriculum, seniors entering their only required control systems course in the mechanical engineering curriculum have a background that differs from typical engineering upperclassmen. In particular, they have already seen the topics of modeling using transfer functions, state space and simulation diagrams, frequency response, and the rules for sketching Bode plots, and typical response of first and second order linear systems. With this in mind, the author has developed a series of laboratories to foster understanding of control systems topics. In particular, labs 2 and 4 seek to enhance understanding of the Bode and Root Locus plots respectively by requiring the students to generate these plots from experimental data. The sequence begins with time and frequency domain system identification, segues through basic control actions, experimental determination of the Root Locus plot, and ends with four design methodologies applied to single and two degree of freedom plants. In ME 406, we emphasize model based design. In particular, we find parametric models of the rectilinear plant in one degree of freedom (1 DOF) and two degree of freedom (2 DOF) modes. The quality of control delivered from the ensuing model is directly limited by the quality of the model. A model of the system is necessary for the initial design of a controller, but the predicted response of the system may not match the true system response due to the simplified models being used