EGB345 Control and Dynamic Systems

Unit Outline: Semester 2 2024, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

Control systems engineering is at the heart of most of the modern electrical and mechanical systems that you will encounter in your careers as practicing engineers. The unit provides theoretical and practical understanding of control systems to enable you to better apply and design engineering technologies. The unit is an intermediate level unit to be undertaken once you have sufficient mathematical and analysis skills to understand the theory and to apply the theory in practice.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Develop mathematical models of mechanical, electrical and electromechanical systems at an introductory level..
2. Calculate and estimate the stability measures, error measures and time response measures from the analysis of mathematical models of some simple engineering systems at a developed level.
3. Design and develop practical controllers and compensators in feedback control systems to achieve the desired behaviour at a developed level.

Content

Learning Approaches

Mode of Teaching
Total hours: 5 hours/week in some weeks
Lectures: 2 hours per week
Tutorial: 2 hour per week
Computer Lab: 1 hour in some weeks

The teaching of control systems engineering requires a careful blend of theory and practice. The unit needs to introduce several new principles and theories that are unfamiliar to you. Each principle requires repeated engagement from different perspectives for you to gain sufficient understanding to apply the theory in appropriate practice. The unit uses a three-pronged approach to engaging you with the principles of control systems engineering:

1. Lectures: Lectures are used to provide an introduction to material, and demonstrate immediate application of the material with small focused problems. Principles are introduced, discussed and dissected in the lecture, treating each principle deeply.
2. Problem based tutorials: Tutorials focus on problems that bring together material from multiple units. Early material is reinforced as necessary, and used as a foundation for learning the new material. Principles are integrated with material from previous modules and grounded in application scenarios. Computer labs are used to support learning objectives of practical lab and tutorials.
3. Control system design experience: Practical work is conducted in computer labs and two structured design activities that provide exposure to control system design. The experiments step through the principles of design and link the theoretical elements of the lectures and tutorials to control practice.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Formative feedback
Tutorials will allow self-assessment of performance and formative assessment by tutorial staff. Control system design performance will be assessed against performance expectations for such work, and further formative assessment by the teaching team. The problem solving tasks give you feedback on your understanding of the critical early modules of the unit, before moving on to more advanced material.

Assessment

Overview

Summative assessment 
Assessment will be based on Control system design report (30%), problem solving tasks (20%) and a final exam (50%). Control system design performance will be based on a report and MATLAB code written about control design tasks that you perform during the semester. The theory performance is assessed in problem solving tasks during semester, and in the final exam. The problem solving tasks and final exam will use questions that require synthesis and application of knowledge across multiple modules. The problem solving task and final exam will place emphasis on understanding rather than memorisation.

Formative feedback 
Tutorials will allow self-assessment of performance and formative assessment by tutorial staff. Control system design performance will be assessed against performance expectations for such work, and further formative assessment by the teaching team. The problem solving tasks give you feedback on your understanding of the critical early modules of the unit, before moving on to more advanced material.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Control system design report

Control system design report
Perform control system design throughout semester and prepare related reports. Part a) Servo motor system identification report (worth 10%) Part b) Servo motor control design report (worth 20%)

Assessment: Problem solving tasks

Problem solving tasks which require you to solve a selection of problems related to the control system material developed in this unit.

Assessment: Examination (written)

The exam will require you to solve a selection of problems related to the control system material developed in this unit.

“On-Campus invigilated Exam. If campus access is restricted at the time of the central examination period/due date, an alternative, which may be a timed online assessment, will be offered. Individual students whose circumstances prevent their attendance on campus will be provided with an alternative assessment approach.”

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Resource Materials

Recommended text(s)

Textbook: Norman S. Nise, Control Systems Engineering, Sixth Edition, John Wiley, 2011.
Computer software: MATLAB, MATLAB Control Systems Toolbox

Risk Assessment Statement

You will undertake teaching activities in the traditional learning spaces. As such, there are no extraordinary workplace health and safety issues associated with these components of the unit.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineer

1: Knowledge and Skill Base

1. 
   Relates to: Control system design report, Problem solving tasks, Examination (written)
2. 
   Relates to: Control system design report, Problem solving tasks, Examination (written)
3. 
   Relates to: Control system design report, Examination (written)
4. 
   Relates to: Control system design report, Examination (written)

2: Engineering Application Ability

1. 
   Relates to: Control system design report, Examination (written)
2. 
   Relates to: Control system design report, Examination (written)
3. 
   Relates to: Control system design report, Examination (written)

3: Professional and Personal Attributes

1. 
   Relates to: Control system design report
2. 
   Relates to: Control system design report

Course Learning Outcomes

EN01 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)

1. Manage projects to solve complex engineering problems, using appropriate information, engineering methods, and technologies.
   Relates to: Control system design report, Examination (written)
2. Demonstrate coherent knowledge and skills of physical, mathematical, statistical, computer, and information sciences that are fundamental to professional engineering practice.
   Relates to: Control system design report, Problem solving tasks, Examination (written)
3. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of one engineering discipline, its research directions, and its application in contemporary professional engineering practice.
   Relates to: Control system design report, Examination (written)

EV01 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)

1. Manage projects to solve complex engineering problems, using appropriate information, engineering methods, and technologies.
   Relates to: Control system design report, Examination (written)
2. Demonstrate coherent knowledge and skills of physical, mathematical, statistical, computer, and information sciences that are fundamental to professional engineering practice.
   Relates to: Control system design report, Problem solving tasks, Examination (written)
3. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of one engineering discipline, its research directions, and its application in contemporary professional engineering practice.
   Relates to: Control system design report, Examination (written)