Stability via the Nyquist diagram

Range of gain for stability

Problem: For the unity feedback system below, where
K
G(s) =
,
s(s + 3)(s + 5)
find the range of gain, K, for stability, instability and the value of K for marginal stability.
For marginal stability, also find the frequency
of oscillation. Use the Nyquist criterion.

Figure above; Closed-loop unity feedback system.

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Solution:
G(j) =

K
|sj
s(s + 3)(s + 5)

8K j K(15 2)
=
64 3 + (15 2)2

When K = 1,

8 j (15 2)
G(j) =
64 3 + (15 2)2
Important points:
Starting point: = 0, G(j) = 0.0356 j
Ending point: = , G(j) = 06 270
Real axis crossing: found by setting the imaginary part of G(j) as zero,
=

15,

K
{
, j0}
120
2

When K = 1, P = 0, from the Nyquist plot,

N is zero, so the system is stable. The real
K does not encircle [1, j0)]
axis crossing 120
until K = 120. At that point, the system is
marginally stable, and the frequency of oscilla
tion is = 15 rad/s.
Nyquist Diagram
Nyquist Diagram

0.05
2

0.04
1.5

0.03
System: G
Real: 0.00824
Imag: 1e005
Frequency (rad/sec): 3.91

0.01

1
Imaginary Axis

Imaginary Axis

0.02

0
0.01

0.5
0
0.5

0.02
1

0.03

1.5

0.04
0.05
0.1

0.08 0.06 0.04 0.02

0
0.02
Real Axis

(a)

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.1

2
3

2.5

1.5
Real Axis

0.5

(b)

K
;
Figure above; Nyquist plots of G(s) = s(s+3)(s+5)
(a) K = 1; (b)K = 120.

Gain/phase margin via the Nyquist diagram

We use the Nyquist diagram to define two
quantitative measures of how stable a system
is. These are called gain margin and phase
margin. Systems with greater gain margin and
phase margins can withstand greater changes
in system parameters before becoming unstable.
Gain margin, GM , The gain margin is the change
in open-loop gain, expressed in decibels (dB),
required at 180 of phase shift to make the
closed-loop system unstable.
Phase margin, M , The phase margin is the
change in open-loop phase shift, required at
unity gain to make the closed-loop system unstable.
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Figure above; Nyquist diagram showing gain

and phase margins
Problem: Find the gain and phase margin for
the unity feedback system with
G(s) =

6
.
2
(s + 2s + 2)(s + 2)

Solution: From G(s), we see P = 0. The

Nyquist diagram shows that N is zero, so the
closed-loop system is stable.
G(j) =

6
|sj
2
(s + 2s + 2)(s + 2)

6[4(1 2) j(6 2)]

=
16(1 2)2 + 2(6 2)2

The Nyquist diagram

crosses the real axis at a
frequency of = 6. The real part is found
to be 0.3.
Nyquist Diagram
1.5

Imaginary Axis

0.5

0.5

1.5
1

0.5

0.5

1.5

Real Axis

Figure above; Nyquist diagram for

G(s) =

6
.
2
(s + 2s + 2)(s + 2)
6

The gain margin is

GM = 20 log(1/0.3) = 10.45dB.
To find the phase margin find the frequency
for which G(j) has a unit gain. Using a computing tool, we can find G(j) has a unit gain
at a frequency of 1.251, at this frequency the
phase angle is 112.3. The difference of this
angle with 180 is 67.7, which is the phase
margin M .
Gain/phase margin via the Bode plots

Figure above; Gain and phase margins on the

Bode plots.
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Problem: Let a unit feedback system have

K
G(s) =
.
(s + 2)(s + 4)(s + 5)
Use Bode plots to determine the range of gain
within which the system is stable. If K = 200
find the gain margin and the phase margin.
The low frequency gain is found by setting s to
zero. Thus the Bode magnitude plots starts
at K/40. For convenience set K = 40, so
that the log-magnitude plots starts at 0dB. At
each break frequency, 2, 4 and 5, a slope of
-20dB/decade is added.
The phase diagram starts at 0 until 0.2rad/s
(a decade below the break frequency of 2),
the curve decreases at a slope of 45/decade
at each subsequent frequency at 0.4rad/s and
0.5rad/s (a decade below the break frequency
of 4 and 5 respectively). Finally at 20rad/s,
40rad/s and 50rad/s (a decade above the break
frequencies of 2,4,5), a slope of +20dB/decade
is added, until the curve levels out.
8

Figure above; Bode log-magnitude and phase

40
diagram for G(s) = (s+2)(s+4)(s+5)
.
The Nyquist criterion tells us that we want zero
encirclement of {1, j0}. Thus the Bode logmagnitude plot must be less than unity when
the Bode phase plot is 180. Accordingly we
see that at frequency 7 rad/s, when the phase
plot is 180. The magnitude is -20dB.
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Thus an increase of 20dB is possible before the

system becomes unstable, which is a gain of
10, so the gain for instability is K > 10 40 =
400.
If K = 200 (five times greater than K = 40),
the magnitude plot would be 20 log 5 = 13.98dB
higher, as the Bodes plots was scaled to a gain
of 40.
At 180, the gain is 20 + 13.98 = 6.02dB,
so GM = 6.02dB.
To find phase margin, we look on the magnitude plot for the frequency where the gain
is 0dB. As the plot should be 13.98dB higher,
so we look at 13.98dB crossing to find the
frequency is 5.5rad/s. At this frequency, the
phase angle is 165. Thus
M = 165 (180) = 15.
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