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AMME5501: Foundations of System Dynamics and Control (2011 - Semester 1)

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Unit: AMME5501: Foundations of System Dynamics and Control (6 CP)
Mode: Normal-Day
On Offer: Yes
Level: Postgraduate
Faculty/School: School of Aerospace, Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering
Unit Coordinator/s: Prof Williams, Stefan
Session options: Semester 1
Versions for this Unit:
Site(s) for this Unit: http://www.aeromech.usyd.edu.au/AMME3500
Campus: Camperdown/Darlington
Pre-Requisites: None.
Brief Handbook Description: This unit of study aims to allow students to develop an understanding of methods for modeling and controlling linear, time-invariant systems. Techniques examined will include the use of differential equations and frequency domain approaches to modeling of systems. This will allow students to examine the response of a system to changing inputs and to examine the influence of external stimuli such as disturbances on system behaviour. Students will also gain an understanding of how the responses of these mechanical systems can be altered to meet desired specifications and why this is important in many engineering problem domains.

The study of control systems engineering is of fundamental importance to most engineering disciplines, including Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronic and Aerospace Engineering. Control systems are found in a broad range of applications within these disciplines, from aircraft and spacecraft to robots, automobiles, computers and process control systems. The concepts taught in this course introduce students to the mathematical foundations behind the modelling and control of linear, time-invariant dynamic systems. In particular, topics addressed in this course will include:

1. Techniques for modelling mechanical systems and understanding their response to control inputs and disturbances. This will include the use of differential equations and frequency domain methods as well as tools such as Root Locus and Bode plots.

2. Representation of systems in a feedback control system as well as techniques for determining what desired system performance specifications are achievable, practical and important when the system is under control

3. Theoretical and practical techniques that help engineers in designing control systems, and an examination of which technique is best in solving a given problem.
Assumed Knowledge: AMME5500.
Lecturer/s: Prof Williams, Stefan
Dr Jakuba, Michael
Tutor/s: AMME 5501

Wed 2-5 Jason Gan [email protected]

AMME 3500

Tues 2-5 Adrian Ball [email protected]

Tues 2-5 Mark DeDeuge [email protected]

Thurs 2-5 Lachlan McCalman [email protected]

Thurs 2-5 Peter Morton [email protected]

Fri 9-12 Angela Lui [email protected]

Fri 9-12 Nick Lawrance [email protected]

Fri 9-12 John Vial [email protected]
Timetable: AMME5501 Timetable
Time Commitment:
# Activity Name Hours per Week Sessions per Week Weeks per Semester
1 Lecture 2.00 1 13
2 Tutorial 3.00 1 12
3 Independent Study 6.00 12
T&L Activities: Tutorial: Tutorial and Laboratory Sessions

Tutorials will be conducted once a week. The tutorial will at times be in the tutorial rooms and at times will be conducted in the control lab. The combination of tutorial assignments and laboratory work will allow students to apply their newfound knowledge of control systems to a variety of practical systems.

Independent Study: Independent study for this Unit of Study will involve work on assignments to support the Learning Outcomes as well a group work to prepare laboratory reports.

Attributes listed here represent the key course goals (see Course Map tab) designated for this unit. The list below describes how these attributes are developed through practice in the unit. See Learning Outcomes and Assessment tabs for details of how these attributes are assessed.

Attribute Development Method Attribute Developed
Opportunities to apply design and problem solving skills will be provided through hands-on laboratory experimentation and assignment material. Students will also be given the opportunity to design and conduct experiments and to analyse and interpret data from those experiments. Design and Problem Solving Skills (Level 3)
Develop an understanding of methods for modeling and controlling linear, time-invariant systems. Discipline Specific Expertise (Level 3)
Students will work on the fundamentals of science and engineering through assignment and laboratory work. Fundamentals of Science and Engineering (Level 3)
Ability to use state-of-the-art software programmes to assist in the analysis and design of control loops. Information Skills (Level 2)
Students will be required to submit reports outlining their solutions to problem sets and laboratory work. Professional Communication (Level 1)
Students will work in groups as part of laboratory work and for selected design problems. Teamwork and project management skills will be developed in this context. Teamwork and Project Management (Level 2)

For explanation of attributes and levels see Engineering/IT Graduate Attribute Matrix 2009.

Learning outcomes are the key abilities and knowledge that will be assessed in this unit. They are listed according to the course goal supported by each. See Assessment Tab for details how each outcome is assessed.

Discipline Specific Expertise (Level 3)
1. Mathematically model mechanical and other systems and determine their response characteristics based on the physical properties of the system.
2. Critically analyse the response characteristics and attribute it them to the physical properties of the system.
3. Understand what responses are considered stable and unstable, and how this affects the performance of the system.
4. Understand how desired specifications of a mechanical system such as overshoot, rise time, the time constant of a system, natural frequency and damping ratio can be represented mathematically.
5. Demonstrate an ability to design controllers and meet specifications according to mathematical models and simulation results.
6. Develop engineering and physical insights into how systems respond or how a controller has modified the behaviour of a system.
7. Understand the conceptual and mathematical differences between a PID, Lead and Lag controller
8. Implement, understand and appreciate mathematical tools such as Root Locus techniques and Bode diagrams which assist in designing controllers that control the mechanical system to the desired specifications given external disturbances.
9. Design a feedback control system given only a description of the physical properties of the mechanical system, desired specifications and the likely disturbances.
Information Skills (Level 2)
10. Ability to analyse control loops using Matlab and Simulink software tools.
Assessment Methods:
# Name Group Weight Due Week Outcomes
1 Assignment No 5.00 Week 4 1, 2, 3, 4,
2 Assignment No 10.00 Week 6 4, 10,
3 Assignment No 10.00 Week 9 5, 6, 8, 10,
4 Assignment Yes 15.00 Week 13 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
5 Final Exam No 60.00 Exam Period 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
Assessment Description: Assessment in this Unit of Study will be based on assignment and laboratory work as well as an end of semester examination. Tutorials will be conducted once a week. The tutorial will at times be in the tutorial rooms and at times will be conducted in the control lab. The combination of tutorial assignments and laboratory work will allow students to apply their newfound knowledge of control systems to a variety of practical systems. The assignment questions are designed to familiarize students with the material required to prepare for the laboratory experiments.
Grading:
Grade Type Description
Standards Based Assessment Final grades in this unit are awarded at levels of HD for High Distinction, DI (previously D) for Distinction, CR for Credit, PS (previously P) for Pass and FA (previously F) for Fail as defined by University of Sydney Assessment Policy. Details of the Assessment Policy are available on the Policies website at http://sydney.edu.au/policies . Standards for grades in individual assessment tasks and the summative method for obtaining a final mark in the unit will be set out in a marking guide supplied by the unit coordinator.
Policies & Procedures: Policies regarding academic honesty and plagiarism, special consideration and appeals in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies can be found on the Faculty's policy page at http://www.eng.usyd.edu.au/policies Faculty policies are governed by Academic Board resolutions whose details can be found on the Central Policy Online site at http://www.usyd.edu.au/policy/

Policies regarding assessment formatting, submission methods, late submission penalties and assessment feedback depend on the unit of study. Details of these policies, where applicable, should be found above with other assessment details.
Prescribed Text/s: Note: Students are expected to have a personal copy of all books listed.
Recommended Reference/s: Note: References are provided for guidance purposes only. Students are advised to consult these books in the university library. Purchase is not required.
Online Course Content: http://www.aeromech.usyd.edu.au/AMME3500

Note that the "Weeks" referred to in this Schedule are those of the official university semester calendar https://web.timetable.usyd.edu.au/calendar.jsp

Week Description
Week 1 Lecture: Introduction.
Week 2 Lecture: Frequency Domain Modelling.
Week 3 Lecture: Transient Performance and the s-plane.
Week 4 Lecture: Block Diagrams.
Assessment Due: Assignment
Week 5 Lecture: Feedback System Characteristics.
Week 6 Lecture: Root Locus.
Assessment Due: Assignment
Week 7 Lecture: Root Locus 2.
Week 8 Lecture: Bode Plots.
Week 9 Lecture: Bode Plots 2.
Assessment Due: Assignment
Week 10 Lecture: State Space Modelling.
Week 11 Lecture: State Space Design Techniques.
Week 12 Lecture: Advanced Control Topics.
Week 13 Lecture: Review.
Assessment Due: Assignment
Exam Period Assessment Due: Final Exam

Course Relations

The following is a list of courses which have added this Unit to their structure.

Course Year(s) Offered
Master of Professional Engineering (Aerospace) 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Master of Professional Engineering (Biomedical) 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
Master of Professional Engineering (Mechanical) 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

Course Goals

This unit contributes to the achievement of the following course goals:

Attribute Practiced Assessed
Design and Problem Solving Skills (Level 3) Yes 0%
Discipline Specific Expertise (Level 3) Yes 90%
Fundamentals of Science and Engineering (Level 3) Yes 0%
Information Skills (Level 2) Yes 10%
Professional Communication (Level 1) Yes 0%
Teamwork and Project Management (Level 2) Yes 0%

These goals are selected from Engineering/IT Graduate Attribute Matrix 2009 which defines overall goals for courses where this unit is primarily offered. See Engineering/IT Graduate Attribute Matrix 2009 for details of the attributes and levels to be developed in the course as a whole. Percentage figures alongside each course goal provide a rough indication of their relative weighting in assessment for this unit. Note that not all goals are necessarily part of assessment. Some may be more about practice activity. See Learning outcomes for details of what is assessed in relation to each goal and Assessment for details of how the outcome is assessed. See Attributes for details of practice provided for each goal.