3) Limit Cycles and Oscillations

A linear time invariant system (LTI) oscillates if and only if it has a pair of eigenvalues on the
imaginary axis.
Practically, this condition is impossible to meet since any small perturbation would move the
eigenvalues away from the imaginary axis. Then one would end up with an unstable system
or a system whose oscillations decay to zero.
Moreover, the amplitude of the oscillations (if we can get sustained ones) depends on initial
conditions.

For practical applications where one needs sustained oscillation with a given amplitude, one
needs nonlinear systems.

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Example: (to show that you ignore non linear effects at your own risk)
Consider a linear system with saturating actuators

If you want all closedloop poles at

Moral : Ignore Nonlinearities At Your Own Risk

Closed loop System

not asymptotically stable
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Additional phenomena exhibited by nonlinear systems

(will not be covered in class)
4) Subharmonic and harmonic oscillations: Having outputs on a frequency that is a multiple or a
submultiple of the frequency of the input signal.

5) Chaos: Having trajectories that are very different even though the initial conditions are virtually
the same.
6) Multiple modes of behavior: For example, more than one limit cycle (the one that sets in depends
on initial conditions), jumps, etc.

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Examples of nonlinear systems:

1) Pendulum
Many systems of practical importance are modeled by equations similar to the pendulum
equations. Examples are phase-locked loops, Josephson junctions, a synchronous generator
connected to an infinite bus, etc...
T exogenous torque
assume friction torque

talking momentum equations around 0 yields

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Define states

Assume T=0
Eq. points:

Are all of these eq. points equivalent? NO

Look first at
Linearization is

STABLE
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STABLE

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Now lets look at eq. point

Linearization

READER

UNSTABLE
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Example 2: Mass Spring System

Linear model

Nonlinear friction model

Assume
Since
With this we get

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Weget a nonlinear system with discontinuous terms

The set of eq. points is

We cannot have sucha set of eq. points in a linear system

either a point or a subspace

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Example 3: Van der Pol oscillator (one of many oscillators based on negative resistance)

Non linearity

Negative Resistance

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And get

Normalizing, we get something like

damper
"negative damper"

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