Flight Control:

Fundamentals and Technologies

Part 4.
Nonlinear Control
 Nonlinear Control Systems
 Introduction
 Describing function method
 Phase plane method
 3

Nonlinear Control Systems

Introduction
 What is a nonlinearity?
 What is a nonlinear control system?
 Typical nonlinearities.
 Characteristics of a nonlinear system
 Analysis method for nonlinear systems
 4

Nonlinear Control Systems

 What is a nonlinearity?
 The “output” variation is not proportional to the “input”
variation of the device.
 The characteristic of the nonlinear device cannot be
described by a linear differential equation.

 What is a nonlinear control system?

 If a control system includes one or more nonlinear cha-
racteristic element or link, the system is named
nonlinear control system.
 Nonlinear Control Systems
Typical Nonlinearities
 Saturation

y(t )
kx(t) x(t)  a
y(t)   b
ka  sign x(t) x(t)  a a k x(t )

a  linear zon e width; k  slope of the linear characteristic

0 a
b
 1 x(t)  0
sign x(t)  
 1 x(t)  0

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 6

Nonlinear Control Systems

Typical Nonlinearities
 Dead Zone y(t )

ìï0 x(t) £ a a
k
x(t )
y(t) = í
ïîk [ x(t) - asin g x(t)] x(t) > a k 0 a

a  dead zone width; k  slope of the linear output;

 7

Nonlinear Control Systems


Typical Nonlinearities
 Relay
y(t )
b x(t)  ma
0  ma  x(t)  a x(t)  0 b
y(t )  b x(t)  a a  ma x(t )
b x(t)  ma 0 ma a
0  a  x(t)  ma x(t)  0
b
b x(t)  a

a  relay attracting voltage; ma  relay rele ase voltage

b  saturation output
 8

Nonlinear Control Systems

Typical Nonlinearities
 Backlash

k x(t)  ε  y(t)  0 y(t )


y(t)  k x(t)  ε  y(t)  0 b
bsign x(t) y(t)  0 a  k x(t )
 0  a
2  backlash width
k  slope of the backlash characteristic
 Nonlinear Control Systems
Typical Nonlinearities
 Changeable Gain
y(t )
k2
k1 x(t) x(t)  a
y(t)   a x(t )
k 2 x(t) x(t)  a 0
k1
a
a  change point
k1 k 2  slope of the changeable gain characteristic

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 10

Nonlinear Control Systems

Characteristics of a Nonlinear System
Linear system Nonlinear system
characteristics characteristics
1 Satisfy superposition theorem. Do not satisfy superposition
theorem.
2 Stability is only related to the Stability is related to system
system parameters. input, initial state, parameters,
structure, etc.
3 Have two kinds of work states: Have stable, unstable and self-
stable and unstable. oscillation states.
4 The form of the output is the The form of the output is
same as the input. different from the input.
 Nonlinear Control Systems
Analysis and Design Methods for
Nonlinear Systems
 Describing Function Method
 Phase Plane Method

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 12

Nonlinear Control Systems

Describing Function Method

 What is the describing function?
 How to get the describing function?
 How to analyze a nonlinear system by the
describing function method?
 Nonlinear Control Systems

Describing Function Method

r(t )  0

x (t )
N
y(t )
G(s)
c (t )

H(s)
nonlinear linear
If : x(t) = X sin w t a sinusoidal input,
y(t) may not be a sinusoidal but a periodic function, which
can be expressed as a Fourier series:
¥
y(t ) = A0 + å (An cos nw t + Bn sin nw t )
n =1
¥
= A0 + å Yn sin(nw t + fn )
n =1

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 Nonlinear Control Systems

Describing Function Method

 The describing function N(X) of the nonlinear element
is the complex ratio of the fundamental component of the
output y(t) and the sinusoidal input x(t), that is:
For x( t )  X sint ,
y( t )  A1 cos t  B1 sint
Y1e j1
 Y1 sin(t  1 ) N(X ) 
X
2

 y( t ) cos td (t )

1


A1 
Y1  A12  B12 
0
A
 1  arctg 1 2

 y( t ) sintd (t )
1
B1 B1 

0
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Nonlinear Control Systems

Describing Function Method

 How to get the describing function
 Input a sinusoid signal x(t) to the nonlinear elements

x(t) = X sin w t
 Solve y(t) and obtain the fundamental component of y(t)

 Calculate the describing function N(X) according to the previous

formula
 Nonlinear Control Systems

 Describing functions of some typical nonlinearities

M 4M
N(X) =
M
4M h 2
pX h N(X) = 1- ( )
－M －M pX X
Relay

k 2k é a a a 2ù
N(X) = ê arcsin + 1- ( ) ú
a p ë X X X û
saturation

k
2k é p D D D 2ù
 N(X) = ê - arcsin - 1- ( ) ú
dead zone p ë2 X X X û
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 17

Nonlinear Control Systems

 Describing functions of some typical nonlinearities

M 4M h 2 4M
N(X) = 1- ( ) - j
h
pX X p X2
ép 2h ù
+ arcsin(1 - )
k ê2 X ú
k
N(X) = ê ú
h
pê 2h h h ú
êë +2(1 - X ) X (1 - X ) úû
backlash
hysteresis 4kh h
+j ( - 1)
pX X
 18

Nonlinear Control Systems

Stability analysis of the nonlinear system by describing function
Review of Nyquist criterion G( j ) Im

For the linear system:

r (t )  c(t )
G(s) －1 Re


The characteristic equation of the system:

1 + G( jw ) = 0
stable
Þ G( jw ) = -1 + j0 unstable Critical
If G(s) is a minimum phase transfer function, the necessary stability
and sufficient condition of the stable system is

G(jw ) does not circle the point ( - 1, jw )

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Nonlinear Control Systems

Stability analysis of the nonlinear system by describing function
Nonlinear Linear
r (t )  c(t ) r (t )  x(t ) y(t ) c(t )

G(s)
 N(x) G(s)

Linear system Nonlinear system

Transfer function of the system:
C( jw ) G( jw ) C( jw ) N(X)G( jw )
j ( jw ) = = j ( jw ) = =
R( jw ) 1 + G( jw ) R( jw ) 1 + N(X)G( jw )
Characteristic equation:
1 + N(X)G( jw ) = 0
1 + G( jw ) = 0
1
Þ G( jw ) = -1 Þ G( jw ) = -
N(X)
A point A curve
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Nonlinear Control Systems

Stability analysis of the nonlinear system by describing function

compare wi th
1 linear system
* G ( j ) doesn' t circle the 
N(X ) *G(jw ) doesn't circle the point
curve, the nonlinear system is stable; ( - 1, 0) , the system is stable;
1
* G ( j ) circles the  curve,
N(X ) *G(jw ) circles the point ( - 1,0),
the nonlinear system is unstable; the system is unstable;
1
* G ( j ) intersects with the  *G(jw ) intersects with the point
N(X )
curve, there will be a self - oscillatio n ( - 1,0), the system is in the
in the nonlinear system . critical stability.
 21

Nonlinear Control Systems

Stability analysis of the nonlinear system by describing function

Graphical explanation:

Im X increasing Im G ( j ) Im
1 direction

N(X)
Re Re Re
G ( j )

G ( j ) 1 1
 
N(X ) N(X)
G ( j ) G ( j )
does not circle －1/N(X) G ( j ) circles －1/N(X) Intersects with －1/N(X)
(stable) (unstable) (self-oscillation)
 22

Nonlinear Control Systems

Stability analysis of the nonlinear system by describing function
Im
Self-oscillation:
A : stable point
Re

Corresponding to the intersection stable unstable

zone zone
1
point of G(jω) with  1
N(X ) B: 
N(X )
unstable point G( j )

B: unstable self-oscillation point→－1/N(X) enters unstable zone

from stable zone.
A: stable self-oscillation point→－1/N(X) enters stable zone from
unstable zone.
 23

Nonlinear Control Systems

Describing Function Method

 Remarks:

 When using the describing function to analyze the

nonlinear system, the linear part of the system must be
provided with a good characteristic of low-pass filter so
that the harmonics produced by the nonlinear element
can be neglected.
 Generally, the describing function method can only
be used for analyzing the stability and self-oscillation of
the nonlinear systems, but not the stead-state error and
transient specifications.
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Nonlinear Control Systems

Phase Plane Method

 What is the phase plane?
 How to plot the phase plane?
 How to analyze a nonlinear system by the
phase plane method?
 25

Nonlinear Control Systems

Phase Plane Method

 It is a kind of graphic method to solve first and second order
differential equation The rectangular coordinate plane is
constituted by:
 The rectangular coordinate plane is constituted by:

X-axis: x (t )
Y-axix: x (t )

 The plane is called phase plane

 x (t ) and x (t ) are the phase plane variables (state variables)
 26

Nonlinear Control Systems

Phase Plane Method

 Relation curve between x (t ) and x (t ) : phase trajectory

x x ( X 2 , X 2 )
Phase plane
X 1 X 2 t x graph
0
( X 3 , X 3 )
Increasing t
x ( X1 , X 1 ) direction
X3
X2
X1 t Always to be
clockwise
 27

Nonlinear Control Systems

Typical Phase Plane Plots
Types Roots Phase plane
stable
focus

unstable
focus

stable
nodes

unstable
nodes
 28

Nonlinear Control Systems

Typical Phase Plane Plots
Types Roots Phase plane

centers

saddle
points
 29

Nonlinear Control Systems

Phase Plane Method

x  f ( x, x )  0 Isoclines (α):
 For a system: Family of curves of
the same slope in the
dx dx dx dx dx2
 Since: x  
dt dx dt
x

dx
 x2
dx
phase plane

 0
  0.5 x   0.5
 We can make: x  x1 x  x 2  1   1
 2
  2
 Then, we have:
x  
dx2
x2   f ( x1 , x2 )
dx1
(x 0 , x 0 )
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Nonlinear Control Systems

Phase Plane Method

 Remarks:

 We can analyze the stability directly from the phase plane: the
phase locus is convergent or divergent.
 We can analyze the self-oscillation directly from the phase plane:
the phase locus converges upon a limit circle.
 We can transform the phase locus into the time response curve
x(t) to analyze the transient response of the system.
 We can analyze the steady state error and overshoot directly from
the phase locus.
 The phase plane method is only used for analyzing or designing
1st-order or 2nd-order nonlinear systems.