Characteristics of Non-Linear Systems

CHARACTERISTICS OF NONLINEAR
SYSTEMS
• The response of nonlinear system to a particular test
signal is no guide to their behaviour to other inputs, since
the principle of superposition does not hold for nonlinear
systems.
• The nonlinear system response may be highly sensitive to
input amplitude. The stability study of nonlinear systems
requires the information about type and amplitude of the
anticipated inputs, initial conditions, etc., in addition to
the usual requirement of the mathematical model.
• The nonlinear systems may exhibit limit cycles which are
self sustained of fixed frequency and amplitude.
• The nonlinear system may have jump resonance in
the frequency response
• The output of a nonlinear system will have harmonics
and subharmonics when excited by sinusoidal signals.
• The nonlinear systems will exhibit phenomena like
frequency entrainment and asynchronous quenching.
Nonlinear System Behavior
• Physical systems are inherently nonlinear.
• Thus, all control systems are nonlinear to a certain
extent.
• Nonlinear control systems can be described by
nonlinear differential equations.
• However, if the operating range of a control system is
small, and if the involved nonlinearities are smooth,
then the control system may be reasonably
approximated by a linearized system, whose
dynamics is described by a set of linear differential
equations.
NONLINEAR SYSTEM BEHAVIORS
• Let us now discuss some common nonlinear system properties,
so as to familiarize ourselves with the complex behavior of
nonlinear systems.
• In nonlinear systems, the response(output) depends on the
magnitude and type of input signal.
• The nonlinear systems may exhibit various phenomena like
jump resonance, subharmonic oscillation, limit cycles,
frequency entrainment and asynchronous quenching.
1. FREQUENCY-AMPLITUDE
DEPENDENCE
• The frequency amplitude dependence is one of the most
fundamental characteristics of the oscillations of nonlinear
systems. The frequency amplitude dependence can be studied
by considering the mechanical system shown in fig. in which
the spring is nonlinear. The differential equation governing the
dynamics of the system may be written as
• Fig: Mechanical system with nonlinear spring
• The parameters M,B and K are positive constants.
• The parameter K’ may be positive or negative.
• If K’ is positive , the spring is called hard spring
• If K’ is negative the spring is called soft spring.
• The equation is nonlinear differential equation and it is called
Duffing’s equation.
• When the system has non zero initial conditions, the free
response(solution) is damped oscillatory.
• The frequency of oscillations depends on the amplitude of
oscillations.
• When K’ <0 (soft spring) the frequency decreases with
decreasing amplitude.
• When K’>0 (hard spring) the frequency increases with
decreasing amplitude.
• When K’=0 (corresponding to linear system) the
frequency remains unchanged as the amplitude of free
oscillation decrease.
• The frequency-amplitude dependance characteristic of
nonlinear mechanical system is shown in fig.
2. Jump resonance
• In the frequency response of nonlinear systems, the amplitude
of the response (output) may jump from one point to another
for increasing values or decreasing values of frequency. This
phenomenon is called jump resonance and it can be observed
in the frequency response of the mechanical system, when it is
subjected to sinusoidal input.
• Let the mechanical system be subjected to an input of type
Acoswt. Now the differential equation governing the
mechanical system is
• Let X be the amplitude of the response or output of the system.
• In frequency response studies, the amplitude , A of the input is
held constant, while its w is varied and the amplitude , X of the
output is observed.
• The frequency response curve is plotted between X and W.
• The frequency response curves of the mechanical system is
3. Sub harmonic Oscillations
• When a nonlinear system is excited by a sinusoidal signal , the
response or output will have steady state oscillation whose
frequency is an integral multiple of the forcing frequency.
These oscillations are called sub harmonic oscillations.
• The generation of sub harmonic oscillations depends on the
system parameters and initial conditions. It also depends on
amplitude and frequency of the forcing functions.
4. Limit cycles
• The response (or output ) of nonlinear systems may exhibit
oscillations with fixed amplitude and frequency.
• These oscillations are called limit cycles.
• Consider a mechanical system with nonlinear damping and
described by the equation ,
• Where M,B, and K are positive constants

• The equation is called the Van der pol equation.
• This important phenomenon can be simply illustrated by a
famous oscillator dynamics, first studied in the 1920's by the
Dutch electrical engineer Balthasar Van der Pol.
• For small values of x the damping will be negative which implies
the stored energy in the damper is fed to the system.
• For large values of x the damping is positive which implies that it
absorbs energy from the system.
• Thus , it can be expected that such a system may exhibit a sustained
oscillation.
• Since the system explained above is not a forced system, this
oscillation is called a self excited oscillation or zero input limit
cycle.
• Nonlinear systems can display oscillations of fixed amplitude
and fixed period without external excitation. These oscillations
are called limit cycles, or self-excited oscillations.
• Of course, sustained oscillations can also be found in linear
systems, in the case of marginally stable linear systems (such
as a mass-spring system without damping) or in the response
to sinusoidal inputs.
• However, limit cycles in nonlinear systems are different from
linear oscillations in a number of fundamental aspects.
• First, the amplitude of the self-sustained excitation is
independent of the initial condition, while the oscillation of a
marginally stable linear system has its amplitude determined
by its initial conditions.
• Second, marginally stable linear systems are very sensitive to
changes in system parameters (with a slight change capable of
leading either to stable convergence or to instability), while
limit cycles are not easily affected by parameter changes
• Limit cycles represent an important phenomenon in nonlinear
systems.
• They can be found in many areas of engineering and nature.
• Aircraft wing fluttering, a limit cycle caused by the interaction
of aerodynamic forces and structural vibrations, is frequently
encountered and is sometimes dangerous.
• The hopping motion of a legged robot is another instance of a
limit cycle. Limit cycles also occur in electrical circuits, e.g.,
in laboratory electronic oscillators.
• As one can see from these examples, limit cycles can be
undesirable in some cases, but desirable in other cases.
• An engineer has to know how to eliminate them when they are
undesirable, and conversely how to generate or amplify them
when they are desirable. To do this, however, requires an
understanding of the properties of limit cycles and a familiarity
with the tools for manipulating them.
5. Frequency Entrainment
• The phenomena of frequency entrainment is observed in the
frequency response of nonlinear systems that exhibit limit
cycles.
• Consider a system capable of exhibiting a limit cycle of
frequency wl.
• If a periodic input of frequency w is applied to this system
then the phenomenon of beats is observed.
• The beat is the oscillation whose frequency is the difference
between wl and w. This frequency is called beat frequency.
• In linear systems, the beat frequency decreases indefinitely as
w approaches wl.
• But in nonlinear systems, the frequency wl of the limit cycle
falls in synchronistically with or is entrained by the forcing
frequency, w within a certain band of frequencies. This
phenomenon is called frequency entrainment.
• The band of frequency in which entrainment occurs is called
the zone of frequency entrainment.
• In this zone, the frequencies w and wl coalesce and only one
frequency , w exists.
• At a certain point , the output frequency exactly matches the
input frequency.
• The relationship between |w-wl| and w is
6. Asynchronous Quenching
• In a nonlinear system that exhibits a limit cycle of frequency
wl, it is possible to quench( stop or eliminate) the limit cycle
oscillation by forcing the system of a frequency wq, where wq
and wl are not related to each other. The phenomenon is called
signal stabilization or asynchronous quenching.
7. Multiple Equilibrium Points
• Nonlinear systems frequently have more than one equilibrium

point (an equilibrium point is a point where the system can
stay forever without moving, as we shall formalize later).
• A linear system has only one equilibrium point.
• The system can settled down to any equilibrium point in
nonlinear system.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF NONLINEAR

• Where M,B, and K are positive constants

• Nonlinear systems frequently have more than one equilibrium

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