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Unit IV Phase Plane Analysis

Presentation · December 2023

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.31338.08640

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 Unit IV
Phase Plane Analysis
 Phase Plane Analysis
 It is one of the earliest techniques developed for the study of
second order nonlinear system.
It may be noted that in the state space formulation, the state
variables chosen are usually the output and its derivatives.
 The phase plane is thus a state plane where the two state variables
x1 and x2 are analyzed which may be the output variable y and its
derivative .
The method was first introduced by Poincare, a French
mathematician. The method is used for obtaining graphically a
solution of the two simultaneous equations of an autonomous
system
 The 1 = 1 ( 1, 2) & 2 = 2( 1, 2) are either linear or nonlinear functions of the state variables x1 and
x2 respectively.
The state plane with coordinate axes x1 and x2 is called the phase plane. In many cases, particularly in the
phase variable representation of systems, take the form .

1= 2
2 = 2 ( 1, 2)

 The curve described by the state point 1, 2 in the phase plane with time as running parameter is called phase
trajectory.
 The plot of the state trajectories or phase trajectories of above said equation thus gives an idea of the solution of the state
as time t evolves without explicitly solving for the state.
 The phase plane analysis is particularly suited to second order nonlinear systems with no input or constant inputs. It can
be extended to cover other inputs as well such as ramp inputs, pulse inputs and impulse inputs.
 Phase Portraits
• From the fundamental theorem of uniqueness of solutions of the state equations or differential equations, it
can be seen that the solution of the state equation starting from an initial state in the state space is unique.
• This will be true if 1 ( 1, 2) and 2( 1, 2) are analytic.
• For such a system, consider the points in the state space at which the derivatives of all the state variables are
zero. These points are called singular points.
• These are in fact equilibrium points of the system
• If the system is placed at such a point, it will continue to lie there if left undisturbed.
• A family of phase trajectories starting from different initial states is called a phase portrait.
• As time t increases, the phase portrait graphically shows how the system moves in the entire state plane
from the initial states in the different regions.
• Since the solutions from each of the initial conditions are unique, the phase trajectories do not cross one
another.
• If the system has nonlinear elements which are piece-wise linear, the complete state space can be divided
into different regions and phase plane trajectories constructed for each of the regions separately.
 Analysis & Classification of Singular Points
Nodal Point: Consider Eigen values are real, distinct and negative as shown in figure3.9 (a). For this case the
equation of the phase trajectory follows as

Where c is an integration constant . The trajectories become a set of parabola as shown in figure 3.9(b) and the
equilibrium point is called a node.
In the original system of coordinates, these trajectories appear to be skewed as shown in figure 3.9(c).

Stable node in (X1,X2)-plane

If the Eigen values are both positive, the nature of the trajectories does not change, except that the
trajectories diverge out from the equilibrium point as both z1(t) and z2(t) are increasing exponentially.
The phase trajectories in the x1-x2 plane are as shown in figure3.9 (d).

(d) Unstable node in (X1,X2)-plane

Saddle Point: Both Eigen values are real, equal & negative of each other. The corresponding phase
portraits are shown in Fig 3.10. The origin in this case a saddle point which is always unstable, one
Eigen value being positive.
Focus Point: Consider a system with complex conjugate Eigen values. A plot for negative values of real part is a
family of equiangular spirals. Certain transformation has been carried out for 1, 2 to 1, 2 to present the
trajectory in form of a true spiral.
 The origin which is a singular point in this case is called a stable focus. When the Eigen values are complex
conjugate with positive real parts, the phase portrait consists of expanding spirals as shown in figure and the
singular point is an unstable focus.
 When transformed into the x1-x2 plane, the phase portrait in the above two cases is essentially spiraling in
nature, except that the spirals are now somewhat twisted in shape.
Centre or Vortex Point: Consider now the case of complex conjugate eigen values with zero real parts.
ie., λ1, λ2 = ±jω.

 Integrating the above equation, we get which is an equation to a circle of radius R.

 The radius R can be evaluated from the initial conditions.
 The trajectories are thus concentric circles in y1-y2 plane and ellipses in the x1-x2 plane as shown in figure.
 Such a singular points, around which the state trajectories are concentric circles or ellipses, are called a centre
or vortex.
 Construction of Phase Trajectories:
• Construction of Phase Trajectories:

where ζ and ωn are the damping factor and undamped natural frequency of the system. Defining the state
variables as x = x1 and = 2, we get the state equation in the state variable form as

 These equations may then be solved for phase variables x1 and x2.
 The time response plots of x1, x2 for various values of damping with initial conditions can be plotted.
 When the differential equations describing the dynamics of the system are nonlinear, it is in general not possible
to obtain a closed form solution of x1, x2
For example, if the spring force is nonlinear say th e state equation takes the form

 Solving these equations by integration is no more an easy task.

 In such situations, a graphical method known as the phase-plane method is found to be very helpful.

 The coordinate plane with axes that correspond to the dependent variable x1 and x2 is called phase-plane.

 The curve described by the state point (x1,x2) in the phase-plane with respect to time is called a phase
trajectory.
 A phase trajectory can be easily constructed by graphical techniques.
 Isoclines Method:

Let the state equations for a nonlinear system be in the form

When both f1(x1,x2) and f2(x1,x2) are analytic. From the above equation, the slope of the trajectory is
given by

Therefore, the locus of constant slope of the trajectory is given by f2(x1,x2) = Mf1(x1,x2)
 The above equation gives the equation to the family of isoclines.
 For different values of M, the slope of the trajectory, different isoclines can be drawn in the phase plane.
 Knowing the value of M on a given isoclines, it is easy to draw line segments on each of these isoclines.
Consider a simple linear system with state equations

Dividing the above equations we get the slope of the state trajectory in the x1-x2 plane as

For a constant value of this slope say M, we get a set of equations

 which is a straight line in the x1-x2 plane. We can draw different lines in the x1-x2 plane for different values of M;
called isoclines.
 If draw sufficiently large number of isoclines to cover the complete state space as shown, we can see how the state
trajectories are moving in the state plane.
 Different trajectories can be drawn from different initial conditions. A large number of such trajectories together
form a phase portrait.
 A few typical trajectories are shown in figure given below.
 Procedure for construction of the phase trajectories
1.For the given nonlinear differential equation, define the state variables as x1 and x2 and obtain the
state equations as

2.Determine the equation to the isoclines as

3. For typical values of M, draw a large number of isoclines in x1-x2 plane.

4. On each of the isoclines, draw small line segments with a slope M.

5. From an initial condition point, draw a trajectory following the line segments With slopes M on
each of the isoclines.
 Delta Method:
The delta method of constructing phase trajectories is applied to systems of the form

Where may be linear or nonlinear and may even be time varying but must be continuous and
single valued
With the help of this method, phase trajectory for any system with step or ramp or any time varying input can be
conveniently drawn.
The method results in considerable time saving when a single or a few phase trajectories are required rather than a
complete phase portrait.
While applying the delta method, the above equation is first converted to the form

In general ( , , ) depends upon the variables , but for short intervals the changes in these
variables are negligible. Thus over a short interval, we have
Let us choose the state variables as

Therefore, the slope equation over a short interval is given by

With δ known at any point P on the trajectory and assumed constant for a short interval, we can draw a short
segment of the trajectory by using the trajectory slope dx2/dx1 given in the above equation. A simple
geometrical construction given below can be used for this purpose.

1. From the initial point, calculate the value of δ.

2. Draw a short arc segment through the initial point with (-δ, 0) as centre, thereby determining a new point on the
trajectory.
3. Repeat the process at the new point and continue.
Example : For the system described by the equation given below, construct the trajectory starting at the initial point
(1, 0) using delta method.
 At initial point δ is calculated as δ = 0+1-1 = 0.
 Therefore, the initial arc is centered at point(0, 0).
 The mean value of the coordinates of the two ends of the arc is used to calculate the next value of δ and the
procedure is continued.
 By constructing the small arcs in this way the arcs in this way the complete trajectory will be obtained as shown in
fig
 Limit Cycles:

 Limit cycles have a distinct geometric configuration in the phase plane portrait, namely, that of an isolated
closed path in the phase plane.
 A given system may have more than one limit cycle.
 A limit cycle represents a steady state oscillation, to which or from which all trajectories nearby will converge or
diverge.
 In a nonlinear system, limit cycles describes the amplitude and period of a self sustained oscillation.
 It should be pointed out that not all closed curves in the phase plane are limit cycles.
 A phase-plane portrait of a conservativesystem, in which there is no damping to dissipate energy, is a
continuous family of closed curves.
 Closed curves of this kind are not limit cycles because none of these curves are isolated from one another.
 Such trajectories always occur as a continuous family, so that there are closed curves in any neighborhoods of
any particular closed curve.
 On the other hand, limit cycles are periodic motions exhibited only by nonlinear non conservative systems.
 As an example, let us consider the well known Vander Pol‟s differential equation

which describes physical situations in many nonlinear systems.

In terms of the state variables

The figure shows the phase trajectories of the system for μ > 0 and μ < 0. In case of μ > 0 we observe that for large
values of x1(0), the system response is damped and the amplitude of x1(t) decreases till the system state enters the
limit cycle as shown by the outer trajectory. On the other hand, if initially x1(0) is small, the damping is negative,
and hence the amplitude of x1(t) increases till the system state enters the limit cycle as shown by the inner trajectory.
When μ < 0, the trajectories moves in the opposite directions as shown in fig
A limit cycle is called stable if trajectories near the limit cycle, originating from outside or inside, converge to that limit cycle.
In this case, the system exhibits a sustained oscillation with constant amplitude. This is shown in figure (i). The inside of the
limit cycle is an unstable region in the sense that trajectories diverge to the limit cycle, and the outside is a stable region in
the sense that trajectories converge to the limit cycle.
A limit cycle is called an unstable one if trajectories near it diverge from this limit cycle. In this case, an unstable region
surrounds a stable region. If a trajectory starts within the stable region, it converges to a singular point within the limit
cycle. If a trajectory starts in the unstable region, it diverges with time to infinity as shown in figure (ii). The inside of an
unstable limit cycle is the stable region, and the outside the unstable region.
Draw the Phase –plane trajectory for the following expression using isocline Method
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