Final answer:
A second-order control system refers to a control system that has a transfer function with a denominator polynomial of degree 2. The system specifications mentioned, including a percentage overshoot of less than 10%, a settling time of less than 8 s, and a peak time of less than 3 s, are used to design and evaluate the performance of such a control system.
Step-by-step explanation:
A second-order control system refers to a control system that has a transfer function with a denominator polynomial of degree 2. In this case, the closed-loop transfer function is given by T(s) = Y(s)/R(s), where Y(s) is the output and R(s) is the input. The system specifications mentioned, including a percentage overshoot of less than 10%, a settling time of less than 8 s, and a peak time of less than 3 s, are used to design and evaluate the performance of such a control system.
To meet these specifications, the controller design must take into account factors such as the damping ratio, natural frequency, and pole locations. By tuning the controller parameters, it is possible to achieve the desired response with minimal overshoot, fast settling time, and peak time within the given limits.