The Transfer Function

The transfer function method is a description in the frequency domain. The transfer function is
designated by H(s) or G(s) and is defined as follows:
 The transfer function H(s) or G(s) of a linear, time invariant system with zero initial
conditions is the ratio of the Laplace transform of the output y(t) to the Laplace transform
of the input u(t).

𝐿𝐿{𝑦𝑦(𝑡𝑡)} 𝑌𝑌(𝑠𝑠)
𝐻𝐻 (𝑠𝑠) 𝑜𝑜𝑜𝑜 𝐺𝐺(𝑠𝑠) = =
𝐿𝐿{𝑢𝑢(𝑡𝑡)} 𝑈𝑈(𝑠𝑠)

Laplace Transforms: In order to compute the time response of a dynamic system, it is

necessary to solve the differential equations for a given input.
Laplace transforms a problem from time (t) domain to Laplace (s) domain.
The advantage in doing this is that complex time domain differential equations become simple s
domain algebraic equations. When a suitable solution is arrived at, it is inverse transformed back
to the time domain.

The Laplace transform of a function of time f (t) is given by the integral;

∞
ℒ[𝑓𝑓(𝑡𝑡)] = ∫0 𝑓𝑓(𝑡𝑡)𝑒𝑒 −𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = 𝐹𝐹(𝑠𝑠)
Where s is a complex variable 𝜎𝜎 ± 𝑗𝑗𝑗𝑗.

Inverse Transformation
The inverse transform of a function of s is given by the integral;
σ+jω
−1 1
𝑓𝑓(𝑡𝑡) = ℒ [𝐹𝐹(𝑠𝑠)] = � 𝐹𝐹(𝑠𝑠)𝑒𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
2𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋
σ−jω

1
Common Partial Fraction Expansions
i) Factored roots
𝐾𝐾 𝐴𝐴 𝐵𝐵
= +
𝑠𝑠(𝑠𝑠 + 𝑎𝑎) 𝑠𝑠 𝑠𝑠 + 𝑎𝑎

ii) Repeated roots

𝐾𝐾 𝐴𝐴 𝐵𝐵 𝐶𝐶
= + +
𝑠𝑠 2 (𝑠𝑠 + 𝑎𝑎) 𝑠𝑠 𝑠𝑠 2 𝑠𝑠 + 𝑎𝑎

iii) Second order real roots (𝑏𝑏 2 > 4𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎)

𝐾𝐾 𝐾𝐾 𝐴𝐴 𝐵𝐵 𝐶𝐶
2
= = + +
𝑠𝑠(𝑎𝑎𝑠𝑠 + 𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏 + 𝑐𝑐) 𝑠𝑠(𝑠𝑠 + 𝑑𝑑)(𝑠𝑠 + 𝑒𝑒) 𝑠𝑠 𝑠𝑠 + 𝑑𝑑 𝑠𝑠 + 𝑒𝑒

iv) Second order complex roots (𝑏𝑏 2 < 4𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎)

𝐾𝐾 𝐴𝐴 𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 + 𝐶𝐶 𝐴𝐴 𝐵𝐵𝐵𝐵 + 𝐶𝐶
= + = +
𝑠𝑠(𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 + 𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏 + 𝑐𝑐) 𝑠𝑠 (𝑎𝑎𝑠𝑠 + 𝑏𝑏𝑏𝑏 + 𝑐𝑐) 𝑠𝑠 (𝑠𝑠 + 𝛼𝛼)2 + 𝜔𝜔 2
2 2
Completing square method gives the last part of equation

NOTE: in (iii) and (iv) the coefficient a is usually to a unity value.

Example 1: Find the Laplace transform of the following equation given;

𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
a) Initial conditions 𝑥𝑥0 = 4, 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑜𝑜 = 3
b) Zero initial conditions
𝑑𝑑 2 𝑥𝑥𝑜𝑜 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑜𝑜
2
+3 + 2𝑥𝑥𝑜𝑜 (𝑡𝑡) = 5
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
Example 2: Find the time function from the following Laplace transforms
𝑠𝑠 + 4 2𝑠𝑠 2 + 15𝑠𝑠 + 24 2(𝑠𝑠 + 2)
𝐹𝐹(𝑠𝑠) = 𝐺𝐺(𝑠𝑠) = 2
𝐺𝐺(𝑠𝑠) =
(𝑠𝑠 + 1)(𝑠𝑠 + 2) 𝑠𝑠 + 6𝑠𝑠 + 8 𝑠𝑠(𝑠𝑠 2 + 2𝑠𝑠 + 5)

Example 3:
The rotational velocity of 𝜔𝜔 of a satellite is adjusted by changing the length, L of a beam. The
transfer function between 𝜔𝜔(𝑠𝑠) and the increamental change in beam length 𝐿𝐿(𝑠𝑠) is
𝜔𝜔(𝑠𝑠) 2(𝑠𝑠 + 3)
=
𝐿𝐿(𝑠𝑠) (𝑠𝑠 + 5)(𝑠𝑠 + 1)2
1
Determine the response of the velocity 𝜔𝜔(𝑡𝑡) for a beam length change of 𝐿𝐿(𝑠𝑠) = 2𝑠𝑠

Example 4:
Find the transfer function represented by
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑(𝑡𝑡)
+ 2𝑐𝑐(𝑡𝑡) = 𝑟𝑟(𝑡𝑡)
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

2
Example 5:
Find the transfer function, G(s)=C(s)/R(s), corresponding to the differential equation

𝑑𝑑 3 𝑐𝑐 𝑑𝑑 2 𝑐𝑐 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 𝑑𝑑 2 𝑟𝑟 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
3
+ 2
+ 7 + 5𝑐𝑐 = 2
+4 + 3𝑟𝑟
𝑑𝑑𝑡𝑡 𝑑𝑑𝑡𝑡 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 𝑑𝑑𝑡𝑡 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑

Example 6:
Find the transfer function, X(s)/F(s), for the system below;

3
 Table of Laplace Transforms
f ( t ) = L -1 {F ( s )} F ( s ) = L { f ( t )} f ( t ) = L -1 {F ( s )} F ( s ) = L { f ( t )}
1 1
1. 1 2. e at
s s-a
n! G ( p + 1)
3. t n , n = 1, 2,3,K 4. t p , p > -1
s n +1 s p +1
p 1 × 3 × 5L ( 2n - 1) p
, n = 1, 2,3,K
n - 12
5. t 3 6. t n+ 1
2s 2
2n s 2
a s
7. sin ( at ) 8. cos ( at )
s + a2
2
s + a2
2

2as s2 - a2
9. t sin ( at ) 10. t cos ( at )
(s + a2 ) (s + a2 )
2 2 2
2

2a 3 2as 2
11. sin ( at ) - at cos ( at ) 12. sin ( at ) + at cos ( at )
(s + a )
2 2 2
(s + a )
2 2 2

s(s - a ) 2 2
s ( s + 3a )
2 2

13. cos ( at ) - at sin ( at ) 14. cos ( at ) + at sin ( at )

(s + a )
2 2 2
(s + a )
2 2 2

s sin ( b ) + a cos ( b ) s cos ( b ) - a sin ( b )

15. sin ( at + b ) 16. cos ( at + b )
s2 + a2 s2 + a2
a s
17. sinh ( at ) 18. cosh ( at )
s - a2
2
s - a2
2

b s-a
19. e at sin ( bt ) 20. e at cos ( bt )
(s - a) (s - a)
2 2
+ b2 + b2
b s-a
21. e at sinh ( bt ) 22. e at cosh ( bt )
(s - a) (s - a)
2 2
-b 2
- b2
n! 1 æsö
23. t ne at , n = 1, 2,3,K 24. f ( ct ) Fç ÷
(s - a)
n +1
c ècø
uc ( t ) = u ( t - c ) e - cs d (t - c )
25. 26. e - cs
Heaviside Function s Dirac Delta Function
27. uc ( t ) f ( t - c ) e F (s)
- cs
28. uc ( t ) g ( t ) e - cs L { g ( t + c )}
ect f ( t ) F ( s - c) t n f ( t ) , n = 1, 2,3,K ( -1) F ( n) ( s )
n
29. 30.
1 ¥ t F (s)
31. f (t ) ò F ( u ) du 32. ò f ( v ) dv
t s 0
s
T
t
ò e - st f ( t ) dt
33. ò f ( t - t ) g (t ) dt F (s)G (s) 34. f (t + T ) = f (t ) 0
0
1 - e - sT
35. f ¢ (t ) sF ( s ) - f ( 0 ) 36. f ¢¢ ( t ) s 2 F ( s ) - sf ( 0 ) - f ¢ ( 0 )
37. f ( n) ( t ) s n F ( s ) - s n-1 f ( 0 ) - s n- 2 f ¢ ( 0 )L - sf ( n- 2) ( 0 ) - f ( n-1) ( 0 )