ELEG 421

Control Systems

Modeling of Mechanical and

Electrical Systems

Dr. Ashraf A. Zaher

American University of Kuwait
College of Arts and Science
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
 Layout
Objectives
This chapter presents mathematical modeling of both mechanical and
electrical systems. The fundamental laws of Newton and Kirchhoff,
governing the behavior of both systems are used to derive their
transfer functions. Analogy between both systems are analyzed to be
able to model electromechanical systems found in mechatronics.
Outcomes
By the end of this chapter, students will be able to:
use position, velocity, and acceleration as states for describing the
behavior of mechanical systems,
use voltage, current, and charge as states for describing the
behavior of electrical systems,
find analogous mechanical/electrical systems,
synthesize transfer functions using mechanical/electrical systems,
develop transfer function and state space models for a variety of
electromechanical systems.

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 Introduction
Dynamics of mechanical systems,
Basic mechanical components of mechanical systems.

Dynamics of electrical systems,

Basic mechanical components of electrical systems.

Analogy between mechanical and electrical systems,

Using Op Amps,
Electromechanical systems.

Summary of the used models:

Translational and rotational mechanical systems,
Passive electrical circuits,
Ideal Op Amp circuits,
DC Motors with gear trains.
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 Basic Electrical Components
Passive elements:
Resistors
Capacitors
Inductors
Generalized Ohms law
The concept of Impedance
Direct modeling in the s domain

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 Translational Mechanics
Basic components (Mass, Viscous Damper, and Spring)

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 Rotational Mechanics
Basic components (Inertia, Viscous Damper, and Spring)

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 Gear Trains

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 Force-Voltage Analogy

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 Force-Current Analogy

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 Example (2nd order mechanical)
Input = displacement (u)
Output = displacement (y)
States:
Position (?)
Velocity (?)
Method: Newtons law
b k
s +
=
Y ( s) m m
U ( s) b k b
s 2 + s + 1 x
m m x1 0 m
x = k b 1 + u
2 m x2 k b 2
1 x 0 m
x1 0 m m
x = k b 1 + u
2 m x2 1
m x
y = [1 0] 1 + [0]u
k b x1 x2
y = + [0]u
m m x2

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 Example (2nd order electrical)
Input = voltage (ei)
Output = voltage (e0)
States:
Current (?)
Voltage (?)
Method: KVL

1 x1 0 1 x 0
x = 1 R 1 + 1 u
LC x2
2 LC LC
E0 ( s )
= L
Ei ( s ) R 1
s 2 + s + x1

L LC y = [1 0] + [0]u
x2

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 Analogous Systems

b1 b
s + 1 2 s + 1
X 0 (s) k1 k 2
E0 ( s )
=
(R1C1s + 1)(R2C 2s + 1)
= Ei ( s ) (R1C1s + 1)(R2C 2s + 1) + R2C1s
X i ( s ) b1 b b
s + 1 2 s + 1 + 2 s
k1 k 2 k1

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 Practical Applications

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 Practical Applications

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 Ideal Op Amps

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 Electromechanical Systems

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 Summary
Mathematical modeling for mechanical and electrical
systems, and their combinations, is very important to
derive both the transfer functions and the state space
models for many practical applications. Using the
analogy between them simplifies the modeling process.
Knowledge of basic laws of physics is crucial when
developing the relationship between the input(s) and
output(s) of such systems.

What is next?
Modeling of liquid level systems,
Modeling of pneumatic systems,
Modeling of thermal systems,
Industrial processes,
First order Approximations,
Analogy to mechanical/electrical systems.
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