An investigation of the effects of transportation lag on linear feedback control systems

Abstract

One of the non-linearities which occur in feedback control systems in transportation lag. All of the currently popular mathematical techniques available for the analysis of these systems are severely complicated by the introduction of transportation lag. The suitability of a numerical method employing the Z-transformation to this problem was investigated, as well as the particular advantages and disadvantages of the other methods. Solutions by the numerical method were compared with solutions by other methods and the results obtained presented in tabular form. These results demonstrate the superiority of the numerical method in determining the transient response of these systems within reasonable engineering accuracy in a much shorter time. The writers wish to express their appreciation to Dr. M. P> Pastel for his guidance during the initial stages of the work, and to Dr. G. J. Thaler for his advice and suggestions throughout the investigation and his aid in the preparation of this paper.