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Find a, b, c from time specifications

Short answer

From steady-state output 0.5 for a 10 Nm step, c=20 Nm/rad. A 6% overshoot yields damping ratio 0.667; peak time 1 s gives natural frequency 4.217 rad/s. Then a=1.125 kg-m^2, b=6.33 Nm-s/rad.

For a mechanical system with closed loop transfer function θ(s)/T(s) = 1/(as² + bs + c), where θ(s) is the output of step input T(t) = 10 Nm. Determine values of a, b and c if maximum overshoot is 6%, peak time (tp) = 1 sec, and ess = 0.5.

Compare the system with the standard second order form. The final value fixes cc; the overshoot fixes ζ\zeta; the peak time then fixes ωn\omega_n.

Interpretation: "ess=0.5e_{ss} = 0.5" is taken as the steady state value of the output, θ(∞)=0.5\theta(\infty) = 0.5 rad, for the 10 Nm step (the usual reading of this problem, since θ\theta and TT have different units).

θ(s)T(s)=1as2+bs+c=1/as2+bas+ca  ⇒  ωn2=ca,2ζωn=ba\frac{\theta(s)}{T(s)} = \frac{1}{as^2+bs+c} = \frac{1/a}{s^2 + \frac{b}{a}s + \frac{c}{a}} \;\Rightarrow\; \omega_n^2 = \frac{c}{a},\quad 2\zeta\omega_n = \frac{b}{a}

Step 1: Find cc from the steady state

T(s)=10/sT(s) = 10/s. By the final value theorem:

θ(∞)=lim⁡s→0s⋅10s⋅1as2+bs+c=10c=0.5  ⇒  c=20 Nm/rad\theta(\infty) = \lim_{s\to 0} s\cdot\frac{10}{s}\cdot\frac{1}{as^2+bs+c} = \frac{10}{c} = 0.5 \;\Rightarrow\; c = 20\ \text{Nm/rad}

Step 2: Damping ratio from 6% overshoot

ζ=−ln⁡Mpπ2+(ln⁡Mp)2=−ln⁡0.06π2+(ln⁡0.06)2=2.81349.8696+7.9153=0.6671\zeta = \frac{-\ln M_p}{\sqrt{\pi^2 + (\ln M_p)^2}} = \frac{-\ln 0.06}{\sqrt{\pi^2 + (\ln 0.06)^2}} = \frac{2.8134}{\sqrt{9.8696 + 7.9153}} = 0.6671

Step 3: Natural frequency from tp=1t_p = 1 s

tp=πωn1−ζ2  ⇒  ωn=π1×1−0.66712=3.14160.7449=4.217 rad/st_p = \frac{\pi}{\omega_n\sqrt{1-\zeta^2}} \;\Rightarrow\; \omega_n = \frac{\pi}{1\times\sqrt{1 - 0.6671^2}} = \frac{3.1416}{0.7449} = 4.217\ \text{rad/s}

Step 4: Find aa and bb

a=cωn2=204.2172=2017.785=1.125 kg-m2b=2ζωna=2(0.6671)(4.217)(1.125)=6.328 Nm-s/rad\begin{aligned} a &= \frac{c}{\omega_n^2} = \frac{20}{4.217^2} = \frac{20}{17.785} = 1.125\ \text{kg-m}^2 \\ b &= 2\zeta\omega_n a = 2(0.6671)(4.217)(1.125) = 6.328\ \text{Nm-s/rad} \end{aligned}

Answer: a≈1.125a \approx 1.125 kg-m², b≈6.33b \approx 6.33 Nm-s/rad, c=20c = 20 Nm/rad.

(If instead ess=10−θ(∞)=0.5e_{ss} = 10 - \theta(\infty) = 0.5 is used, then c=10/9.5=1.053c = 10/9.5 = 1.053, a=0.0592a = 0.0592, b=0.333b = 0.333; ζ\zeta and ωn\omega_n are unchanged.)

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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