Nyquist Stability Criterion

If the G(s)H(s) contour in the G(s)H(s) plane corresponding to the

Nyquist contour in the s-plane encircles the point -1+j0 in the anti-
clockwise direction as many times as the number of right half s-plane
poles of G(s)H(s), the closed-loop system is stable
No encirclement of -1+j0 point: System is stable if there are no poles of
G(s)H(s) in the right half s-plane . If there are poles in the right half s-
plane then the system is unstable.
Anticlockwise encirclements of -1+j0 point: System is stable if the number
of anticlockwise encirclements is equal to the number of poles of G(s)H(s)
in the right half s-plane. If the number of anticlockwise encirclements are
not equal to the number of poles of G(s)H(s) in the right half s-plane, then
the system is unstable.
Clockwise encirclements of -1+j0 point: System is always unstable. If
there are no poles of G(s)H(s) in the right half s-plane, then the number of
clockwise encirclements is equal to the number of poles of closed-loop 1
system on right half s-plane.
 Procedure for investigating the stability using
Nyquist criterion
Step-1: Choose a Nyquist contour which encloses the entire right
half of S-plane except the singular points (poles on imaginary axis)

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Step-2: The Nyquist contour should be mapped in the G(s)H(s)
plane using the function G(s)H(s) to determine the encirclement of -
1+j0 point in the G(s)H(s) plane. The Nyquist contour of Fig. 1(b)
can be divided into four sections (C1, C2, C3 and C4)

The mapping of the four

sections in the G(s)H(s) plane
can be carried out section wise
and then combined together to
get entire G(s)H(s) contour.

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Step-3: In section C1 , the value of ω is varied from 0 to ∞. The
mapping of section C1 is obtained by letting s=jω in G(s)H(s) and
varying ω from o to ∞. This is nothing but the polar plot. There are
three ways of obtaining the mapping of section C1

Method-1: Separate the real and imaginary part of G(jω)H(jω).

Equate the imaginary part to zero to find ωPC. Substitute ω= ωPC in
the real part of G(jω)H(jω) to find the crossing point ‘P’. Sketch the
approximate locus of G(jω)H(jω) using the type number and order of
the system.
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Method-2: Find the magnitude and phase values of G(jω)H(jω) for
various values of ω and then sketch the locus of G(jω)H(jω)

Method-3:
Separate the magnitude and phase of G(jω)H(jω).
Equate the phase of G(jω)H(jω) to -180o and solve for ω to get the
phase crossover frequency (ωPC).
The magnitude at ω =ωPC is the crossing point on real axis (point P).
Sketch the approximate locus of G(jω)H(jω) using the type number
and order of the system

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 𝐾 1 + 𝑠𝑇1 1 + 𝑠𝑇2 1 + 𝑠𝑇2 …
𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 = 𝑦
𝑠 1 + 𝑠𝑇𝑎 1 + 𝑠𝑇𝑏 1 + 𝑠𝑇𝑐 …
𝑎𝑠 R→∞, the term (1+sT) ≈ sT. If 𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 has m zeros and n poles,
𝐾1 𝑠 𝑚 𝐾1
𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 = 𝑛 = 𝑛−𝑚
𝑠 𝑠
𝐾1 −𝑗𝜃(𝑛−𝑚)
𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 = 𝑗𝜃 )𝑛−𝑚
= 0𝑒
lim 𝑅𝑒 𝑗𝜃
𝑅→∞
lim (𝑅𝑒
𝑅→∞ 𝜋
𝜋 −𝑗 2 (𝑛−𝑚)
When θ = ,𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 = 0𝑒 and
2
𝜋
−𝜋 𝑗 2 (𝑛−𝑚) 6
if θ = ,𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 = 0𝑒
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Step-5: In section C3 , the value of ω is varied from - ∞ to 0. The
mapping of section C1 is obtained by letting s=+jω in G(s)H(s) and
varying ω from - ∞ to 0. This locus will be the inverse polar plot of
G(jω)H(jω) (i.e. mirror image of the plot obtained in Step-3 with
respect to imaginary axis)

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Step-6: In section C4 , the Nyquist contour has a semicircle of zero
radius. The mapping of section C4 is obtained by letting s= lim 𝑅𝑒 𝑗𝜃
𝑅→0
in G(s)H(s) and varying 𝜃 from −𝜋/2 to 𝜋/2.
𝐾 1 + 𝑠𝑇1 1 + 𝑠𝑇2 1 + 𝑠𝑇2 …
𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 = 𝑦
𝑠 1 + 𝑠𝑇𝑎 1 + 𝑠𝑇𝑏 1 + 𝑠𝑇𝑐 …

𝑎𝑠 R→0, the term (1+sT) ≈ 1. If 𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 has m zeros, n poles and

y poles at the origin, 𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 = 𝐾/𝑠 𝑦 .
𝐾 −𝑗𝜃𝑦
𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 = = ∞𝑒
lim 𝑅𝑒 𝑗𝜃
𝑅→0
lim (𝑅𝑒 𝑗𝜃 )𝑦
𝑅→0
𝜋 𝜋
−𝜋 𝑗 2𝑦 𝜋 𝑗 2𝑦
When θ = ,𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 = ∞𝑒 and if θ = ,𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 = ∞𝑒
2 2

Hence, C4 is mapped as circles or circular arc of infinite radius

with origin as centre.
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Example-1: Draw the Nyquist plot of the system whose open loop
transfer function is 𝐾
𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 =
𝑠 𝑠 + 2 𝑠 + 10
Determine the range of K for which the closed-loop system is stable.
Solution: 0.05𝐾
𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 =
𝑠(1 + 0.5𝑠)(1 + 0.1𝑠)
Step-1: G(s)H(s) has a pole at origin. So choose the Nyquist contour
on the s-plane enclosing the entire right half except the origin.

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Step-2 (Mapping of Section C1 ): In section C1 , the value of ω is
varied from 0 to +∞. The mapping of section C1 is obtained by
letting s=jω in G(s)H(s) and varying ω from o to ∞.
0.05𝐾
𝐺 jω 𝐻 jω = =
𝑗ω(1 + 𝑗0.5ω)(1 + 𝑗0.1ω)
0.05𝐾
−0.6ω2 + 𝑗ω(1 − 0.05ω2 )
Equate the imaginary part to zero to find ωPC. Substitute ω= ωPC in
the real part of G(jω)H(jω) to find the crossing point ‘P’.
ωPC =4.472 rad/sec

At ω = ωPC=4.472 rad/sec,
0.05𝐾
𝐺 jω 𝐻 jω = 2 = −0.00417𝐾
−0.6(4.472)
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Sketch the approximate locus of G(jω)H(jω) using the type
number (Type-1) and order of the system (Third).

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Step-3 (Mapping of Section C2 ): In section C2, the Nyquist
contour has a semicircle of infinite radius. The mapping of section
C2 is obtained by letting s = lim 𝑅𝑒 𝑗𝜃 in G(s)H(s) and varying 𝜃
𝑅→∞
from 𝜋/2 to −𝜋/2. 0.05𝐾
𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 ≈ = 𝐾/𝑠 3
𝑠 0.05𝑠 0.1𝑠
𝐾1 −𝑗3𝜃
𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 = 𝑗𝜃 )3
= 0𝑒
lim 𝑅𝑒 𝑗𝜃
𝑅→∞
lim (𝑅𝑒
𝑅→∞
π π
π −𝑗3 2 −π 𝑗3
𝐼𝑓 𝜃 = , 𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 = 0𝑒 𝐼𝑓 𝜃 = , 𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 = 0𝑒 2
2 2

Circular arc of zero

radius around the
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origin
Proceedure for investigating the stability using Nyquist criterion
Step-4: In section C3 , the value of ω is varied from - ∞ to 0. The
mapping of section C1 is obtained by letting s=+jω in G(s)H(s) and
varying ω from - ∞ to 0. This locus will be the inverse polar plot of
G(jω)H(jω) (i.e. mirror image of the plot obtained in Step-2 about
the real axis)

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Step-5 (Mapping of Section C4): In section C4, the Nyquist contour
has a semicircle of zero radius. The mapping of section C4 is
obtained by letting s = lim 𝑅𝑒 𝑗𝜃 in G(s)H(s) and varying 𝜃 from
𝑅→0
− 𝜋/2 to 𝜋/2. 0.05𝐾
𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 ≈
𝑠
𝐾1 −𝑗𝜃
𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 = 𝑗𝜃
= ∞𝑒
lim 𝑅𝑒 𝑗𝜃
𝑅→0
lim 𝑅𝑒
𝑅→0
π −π
−π 𝑗2 π 𝑗
𝐼𝑓 𝜃 = , 𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 = ∞𝑒 𝐼𝑓 𝜃 = , 𝐺 𝑠 𝐻 𝑠 = ∞𝑒 2
2 2

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Step-6: the complete G(s)H(s) contour is obtained by combining the
mappings obtained in steps 2-5

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 Stability Analysis
When -0.00417K=-1, the contour passes through -1+j0 point and the
corresponding value of K is 1/0.00417 = 240 (limiting value of K)

When K<240, the G(s)H(s) contour crosses the real axis at a point
between -1+j0 and 0. Hence -1+j0 is not encircled. Moreover, the
given open loop transfer function does not have any poles in the
right half s-plane  The closed loop system is stable

When K>240, the G(s)H(s) contour crosses the real axis at a point
between -∞ and -1+j0 thus encircling Hence -1+j0 twice in
clockwise direction. Since there are two clockwise encirclements and
no right half open loop poles, the closed loop system has two poles in
the right half of s-plane making the system stable

Therefore, the value of K for stability is 0<K<240

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