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Table of Contents
1. Nyquist Stability Criterion
1.1. Review
1.2. Contour and Plot
1.3. Zeros and Poles
1.4. Observation
1.5. Counting Closed-Loop Poles using Argument Principle
1.6. Counting Closed-Loop Poles using Argument Principle
1.7. Example
1.8. Nyquist Contour
1.9. Nyquist Stability Criterion
1.10. Nyquist Stability Criterion
1.11. Implication of Nyquist Stability Criterion
1.12. Procedure for Determining Stability using Nyquist Stability Criterion
1.12.1. How to Sketch the Nyquist Plot
1.13. Example 1
1.13.1. Sketch Nyquist Plot
1.13.2. Finding and
1.14. Example 2
1.14.1. Nyquist Plot
1.14.2. Determine and
1.15. Example 3
1.15.1. Sketch Nyquist Plot
1.15.2. Determine and
1.16. Example 4
1.16.1. Sketch Nyquist Plot
1.16.2. Determine and
1.17. Summary

1 Nyquist Stability Criterion

1.1 Review

Frequency response
Bode plot
Frequency domain modeling

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One Fundamental Question: Given transfer functions , how to determine if the system is
closed-loop stable?
Time Domain: Routh-Hurwitz stability criterion, Root Locus
Frequency Domain: Nyquist Plot + Nyquist Stability Criterion

1.2 Contour and Plot

is the open-loop transfer function

is a mapping from complex -plane to complex -plane.
A closed-path (contour) on -plane will be mapped to to a closed path (plot) on
-plane.

1.3 Zeros and Poles

Consider the following transfer function

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Im Im

Re Re

1.4 Observation

If a clockwise contour does not encircle zeros nor poles, then the plot will not encircle the origin.
If a clockwise contour encircles a zero, then the plot will encircle the origin clockwise once.
If a clockwise contour encircles a pole, then the plot will encircle the origin counterclockwise once.
Cauchy's Argument Principle: If a clockwise contour encircles zeros and poles, then the number
of clockwise encirclements of the origin , is given by

1.5 Counting Closed-Loop Poles using Argument Principle

The closed-loop transfer function is given by

Define , we notice that

The poles of is the poles of
The zeros of will be poles for the close loop transfer function.

1.6 Counting Closed-Loop Poles using Argument Principle

By Cauchy's Argument Principle, for a clockwise contour on the -plane:

is the number of zeros of , i.e., number of closed-loop poles in the contour

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is the number of poles of , i.e., number of open-loop poles in the contour

is the number of clockwise encirclements of the origin for the plot
is also the number of clockwise encirclements of for the plot .

1.7 Example

Consider the following transfer function:

It has two open-loop poles at .

has two zeros (close-loop poles) at and .

The contour encircles 2 poles and 1 zeros. .
The -plot encircles origin counterclockwise once. .

1.8 Nyquist Contour

The stability of system is related to whether there exists any closed-loop poles (or zeros of ) on the
Right Half Plane (RHP).
We select a contour (Nyquist contour) consisting of
Segment 1: The imaginary axis from 0 to .
Segment 2: A semicircle of infinite radius that encloses the entire right half -plane.

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Segment 3: The imaginary axis from to .

The Nyquist Contour is a ‘big’ semicircle that encloses the RHP. The direction of the encirclement is
clockwise.

1.9 Nyquist Stability Criterion

By the Cauchy’s Principle of Argument:

is the number of unstable closed-loop poles (zeros of )

is the number of unstable open-loop poles (poles of )
is the number of clockwise encirclements of on the -plane for the plot .
The closed-loop system is stable, i.e. , when .

1.10 Nyquist Stability Criterion

A feedback system is stable if and only if , i.e. the number of the counterclockwise
encirclements of point by the Nyquist plot in the -plane is equal to the number of the unstable
poles of the open-loop transfer function.

1.11 Implication of Nyquist Stability Criterion

If the open-loop system is stable( ), the closed-loop system is stable if and only if the Nyquist plot
does not encircle point
If the open-loop system has unstable poles, the closed-loop system is stable if and only if the Nyquist
plot encircles point times counterclockwise.
If the Nyquist plot passes through , then the system has a closed-loop pole on the imaginary axis
(critically stable).

1.12 Procedure for Determining Stability using Nyquist Stability Criterion

Draw the Nyquist Plot

Determine the clockwise encirclement .
From the open-loop transfer function, find the number of unstable open-loop poles ( )
Stable if .

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1.12.1 How to Sketch the Nyquist Plot

Nyquist Contour consists of 3 segments:

Segment 1: The imaginary axis from 0 to .

Segment 2: A semicircle of infinite radius that encloses the entire right half -plane.
Segment 3: The imaginary axis from to .

1. Segment 1:
We use Bode plot to help us sketch the first segment.
We need to find 4 types of point:
;
Real intersection: Phase = ;
Imaginary intersection: Phase = ;
;
We can also deduce the trend of the plot around those points:
If the phase is decreasing, the plot goes clockwise
If the phase is increasing, the plot goes counterclockwise
Plot those points on the -plane and draw a smooth line to connect them.
2. Segment 2:
Consider the following open-loop transfer function:

For strictly proper function, the order of the denominator is greater than the order of the
numerator:

For proper function, the order of the denominator is no less than the order of the numerator:

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Segment 2 is the origin point for strictly proper function. It is a constant for proper function.
Non-proper transfer functions are not physically realizable.
3. Segment 3:
From the property of Laplace transform:

Therefore, segment 3 is the mirror reflection of segment 1 around the real axis.

1.13 Example 1

Consider the system with open-loop transfer function:

Determine the stability of the closed-loop system using the Nyquist stability criterion.

1.13.1 Sketch Nyquist Plot

Segment 1:
When , .
There is no real intersection for .
There is a imaginary intersection when . The intersection is around .
( )
More precisely, the intersection is at and the corresponding frequency is
.
When , .
The phase is always decreasing, therefore the plot goes clockwise.
Segment 2: Since the system is strictly proper, Segment 2 is the origin.
Segment 3: Mirror reflection of segment 1.

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1.13.2 Finding and

The Nyquist plot does not encircle . Therefore .

The open-loop poles are , . Therefore .
. The closed-loop system is stable.

1.14 Example 2

Consider a feedback system with open-loop transfer function

Determine the range of such that the feedback system is stable.

1.14.1 Nyquist Plot

Assume first.

Segment 1:
When , .
There is a imaginary intersection when . The intersection is between and .
There is a real intersection when . The intersection is around .
When , .

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The phase is always decreasing. Therefore the plot goes clockwise.

Segment 2: Since the system is strictly proper, Segment 2 is the origin.
Segment 3: Mirror reflection of segment 1.

1.14.2 Determine and

For the open-loop system, the poles are at . Therefore,

If , then , the Nyquist plot does not encircle . Therefore and the
system is closed-loop stable.
If , then , the Nyquist plot encircle clockwise once. Therefore and
. There is one unstable pole for the closed-loop system.

1.15 Example 3

Consider the two loops feedback system:

Determine the range of gain for stability of the system using Nyquist stability criterion.

1.15.1 Sketch Nyquist Plot

We first compute the closed-loop transfer function of the inner loop.

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The open-loop transfer function is

$$ G(s) = \frac{K(s+0.5)

Segment 1:
When , .
There is a imaginary intersection when $ω ≈ 0.7 $. The intersection is between and .
There is a real intersection when . Calculation shows that the exact frequency is
and the crossing is at .
When , . Calculation shows that the exact frequency is and
the crossing is at .
The phase is increasing around above points. Therefore the plot goes counterclockwise around
the above points.
Segment 2: Since the system is strictly proper, Segment 2 is the origin.
Segment 3: Mirror reflection of segment 1.

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1.15.2 Determine and

For the open-loop system, the poles are at . Therefore,

If , then , the Nyquist plot does not encircle . Therefore . The
system has 2 unstable poles.
If , then , the Nyquist plot encircle counterclockwise twice. Therefore
and . The system is stable.

1.16 Example 4

Consider a feedback system with open-loop transfer function

Determine the range of such that the feedback system is stable.

1.16.1 Sketch Nyquist Plot

Segment 1:
When , .
There is no real intersection for .
There is no imaginary intersection for .
When , .

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The phase is always increasing at , therefore the plot goes counterclockwise at .

Segment 2: Since the system is strictly proper, Segment 2 is the origin.
Segment 3: Mirror reflection of segment 1.

1.16.2 Determine and

For the open-loop system, the poles are at . Therefore,

If , then , the Nyquist plot does not encircle . Therefore . The
system has 1 unstable poles.
If , then , the Nyquist plot encircle counterclockwise once. Therefore
and . The system is stable.

1.17 Summary

Cauchy's Argument Principle: .

Nyquist Stability Criterion: Closed-loop system is stable if and only if

Sketch Nyquist plot from Bode plot

Determine stability of the closed-loop system using Nyquist stability criterion.

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