Nonlinear Systems and Control

Lecture # 5
Limit Cycles

p. 1/?
Oscillation: A system oscillates when it has a nontrivial
periodic solution

x(t + T ) = x(t), t 0

Linear (Harmonic) Oscillator:

" #
0
z = z
0

z1 (t) = r0 cos(t + 0 ), z2 (t) = r0 sin(t + 0 )

1 z2 (0)
q  
r0 = z12 (0) + z22 (0), 0 = tan
z1 (0)

p. 2/?
The linear oscillation is not practical because
It is not structurally stable. Infinitesimally small
perturbations may change the type of the equilibrium
point to a stable focus (decaying oscillation) or unstable
focus (growing oscillation)

The amplitude of oscillation depends on the initial

conditions

The same problems exist with oscillation of nonlinear

systems due to a center equilibrium point (e.g., pendulum
without friction)

p. 3/?
 1

Limit Cycles:

Example: Negative Resistance Oscillator

i

X
X



+ i = h(v)


C L



v Resistive
Element
CC
iC CC
iL v

(a)
(b)

p. 4/?
 x1 = x2
x2 = x1 h (x1 )x2

There is a unique equilibrium point at the origin

 0 1
f 

A= =

x x=0

1 h (0)

2 + h (0) + 1 = 0
h (0) < 0 Unstable Focus or Unstable Node

p. 5/?
 Energy Analysis:

E = 12 CvC
2
+ 12 Li2L

1
vC = x1 and iL = h(x1 ) x2

E = 12 C{x21 + [h(x1 ) + x2 ]2 }

E = C{x1 x1 + [h(x1 ) + x2 ][h (x1 )x1 + x2 ]}

= C{x1 x2 + [h(x1 ) + x2 ][h (x1 )x2 x1 h (x1 )x2 ]}
= C[x1 x2 x1 h(x1 ) x1 x2 ]
= Cx1 h(x1 )

p. 6/?
a x
b 1

E = Cx1 h(x1 )

p. 7/?
Example: Van der Pol Oscillator

x1 = x2
x2 = x1 + (1 x21 )x2

4 x2 x
3 2
3
2 2

1 1

0 0
x x
1 1 1
1
2 2
3
2 0 2 4 2 0 2 4
(a) (b)

= 0.2 =1
p. 8/?
 1
z1 = z2

z2 = (z1 z2 + 13 z23 )

3
10 x z
2 2
2

5 1

0
0 z
1 1
x
1
5 2

3
5 0 5 10 2 0 2
(a) (b)

=5

p. 9/?
 x x
2 2

x x
1 1

(a) (b)

Stable Limit Cycle Unstable Limit Cycle

p. 10/?
Example: Wien-Bridge Oscillator

s R1
B B B
C1
+ v1
#
BB BB BB 

"!
+ +
v2 C2 R2 gv
P
P




( 2)
P
P
P



P
P
P



P
P

Equivalent Circuit
p. 11/?
State variables x1 = v1 and x2 = v2
1
x1 = [x1 + x2 g(x2 )]
C1 R1
1 1
x2 = [x1 + x2 g(x2 )] x2
C2 R1 C2 R2
There is a unique equilibrium point at x = 0

Numerical data: C1 = C2 = R1 = R2 = 1

g(v) = 3.234v 2.195v 3 + 0.666v 5

p. 12/?
 x = x + y (3.234 y 2.195 y3 + 0.666 y5)
y = ( x + y (3.234 y 2.195 y3 + 0.666 y5)) y

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
y

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

x

p. 13/?
 x = x + y (3.234 y 2.195 y3 + 0.666 y5)
y = ( x + y (3.234 y 2.195 y3 + 0.666 y5)) y

0
y

6 4 2 0 2 4 6
x

p. 14/?