Phase plane method

Presents by: issam Mohamed assabri

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 Phase plane method

It is a kind of graphic method to solve first and second order

differential equation, put forward by Poincare In 1885.the basic
idea of method is to generate in the state space of second order
dynamic system (a two dimensional plane called phase plane).

Four items:
1. What is the Phase plane
2. How to plot the Phase plane
3. How to analyze the nonlinear systems by the Phase plane
method.
4. Attentions and development.

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 1. What is the Phase plane

The phase plane method is concerned with the graphical

study of second order autonomous systems
For a second - order time - invariable system :
x f ( x , x )
f ( x , x ) is a linear or nonlnear function of x( t ) and x (t).
The solution of x f ( x , x ) can be expressed by the form of the
relation curve between x( t ) and x ( t )
In the rectangular coordinate plane constituted by:
x-axis[x (t )] and y -axis[x (t )]
the plane the phase plane
x (t ) and x (t ) the phase plane variables (state variable). 3
 relation curve between x (t ) and x (t ) phase trajectory.

x x ( X 2 , X 2 )
Phase plane
graph
X 1 X 2 t x
0
Increasing t
x ( X 3 , X 3 ) direction
( X1 , X1 )

X3
X2
X1 t Fig.1
Graphic expression

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2. Plotting method of the phase locus
1. Analytic method
For the sy stem : x f ( x , x ) 0
dx dx dx dx dx
Because : x x x2 2
dt dx dt dx dx
dx2
Make : x x1 x x 2 we have : x 2
f ( x1 , x 2 )
dx1
can be x2
If f ( x1 , x 2 ) f1 ( x1 ) f 2 ( x 2 ) dx2 f1 ( x1 )dx1
decomposed f 2 ( x2 )
x2
Then : f 2 ( x2 )
dx2 f1 ( x1 )dx1

we have : F2 ( x 2 ) F1 ( x1 )
The relationship between x ( x ) and x ( x ) is obtained . 5
Example.1:
Spring - mass motion system : mx Kx 0
k=1
m mass, K spring constant.
If initial condition x (0) x 0 , x (0) 0 , m=1
x
plot the phase loci.
Stable position
Solution: m x Kx 0 x x 0
m 1, K 1
dx
then : x
dx
x x dx xdx
1 2 1 2
2
x x ( 0)
x x 2 ( 0)
2 2
Because x (0) x 0 , x (0) 0 x 2 x 2 x 0 2
The phase trajectory is a circ le, x 0 is the radius.
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 For different x0 the phase loci are
x
a tuft of concentric circles shown
in following figure.
x0 x
Example.2: For the system:

r =0 e M y 1 c
s2
-
Plot the phase loci of the system:
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Solution: Because : Y ( s ) C ( s ) Y ( s ) s 2C ( s ) y c
s2
So we have :
d 2c
dt 2
y
M

M
r c 0
r c 0

M *sign(r c )
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make : c x 1, c x 2
then : x1 x 2 dx 2 M * sign (r x 1 )
x 2 c M * sign (r x 1 )
dx 1 x2
x2 x1

that is
x 2 (0)
x 2dx 2
x 1 (0)
M * sign (r x 1 )dx 1

when x 1 r : x2

we have x 2Mx 1 2Mx 1 (0) x (0)

2
2
2
2 x1
when x 1 r : r

we have x 22 2Mx 1 2Mx 1 (0) x 22 (0)

The phase loci of the system is shown in
following figureself-oscillation.
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 2. Graphic method-isoclinal method

The basic idea in this method is that of isoclines . An isocline

is defined to be the locus of points with a given tangent slope.
dx
For the systems : x f ( x , x ) 0 x f ( x , x ) 0
dx
dx2
make : x1 x , x 2 x then : x 2 f ( x1 , x 2 )
dx1
dx2 f ( x1 , x 2 )

dx1 x2
dx2 f ( x1 , x 2 )
make : isocline equation
dx1 x2
: the slope of the phase loci
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Example 3: x 0
Spring - mass motion system : x
plot the phase loci by the isoclinal method.
Solution:
dx x
In terms of : x x 0 we have :
dx x
dx 1
make then : x x

dx
The isocline is the beelines passing the coordinate origin and
1
with slope .
1

The values are shown in following table for different

2 1 0.5 0 0.5 1 2
1


0 0.5 1 2 2 1 0.5 0
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We can plot the isoclinals like as following figure:
(1) Plot the isoclinals for different .
is the slope of the phase loci.
(2) Plot the corresponding tangents of the phase loci in each
isoclinals.
(3) Plot the phase loci starting at the initial states (x 0 , x 0 ).
0
0.5 x 0.5
1 1
2
2

(x 0 , x 0 )
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Attentions:

1) x-axis and x shoud have the same scale.

2) The direction of the phase loci always are clockwise:
For x 0:from left to right with x increasing;
For x 0:from right to left with x decreasing .
3) The slope of the phase loci through x-axis is ,
so the phase loci intersect x-axis uprightly.
4) apply the symmetry of the phase locus to reduce work.
For the symmetry about x axis : f(x, x) f( x, x)
For the symmetry about x axis : f(x, x) f(x, x)
For the symmetry about origin : f(x, x) f( x, x)

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3. Analysis of the phase plane
1. Singularity points of the phase locus
1) Singularity points
A singular point is an equilibrium point in the phase
plane
dx dx f (x , x )
For : x x f (x , x ), slope :
dx dx x
if f (x , x ) 0 and x 0 at the same time, then :
dx 0
indefinite slope.
dx 0
singularity point.
There are infinite phase loci going to or going off the
singularity point because of the indefinite slpoe.
The singularity points are the balance points of the
nonliear systems because of x 0 at the points. 13
(2) Types of the singularity points
The linearized nonlinear differential equation in the
neighborhood of the singularity point can be expressed:
x 2n x n2 x 0 Characteristic s 2 2 s 2 0
n n
equation:
s1,2 n 2n2 n2

According to the position of s1,2 in s-plane, there

are six types of the singularity points:

For 0 1 stable focus; 1 stable nodes;

1 0 unstable focus . 1 unstable nodes .
0 center.
If: x 2n x n2 x 0 and 0 saddle point
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 types Roots Phase plane

stable
focus

unstable
focus

stable
nodes

unstable
nodes
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centers

saddle
points

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2. Limit cycle
in the phase plane , limit cycle is defined as isolated
closed curve. The trajectory has to be both closed,
indicating the periodic nature of the motion, and
isolated.
Types of the limit cycle :
(1) stable limit cycle
(2) unstable limit cycle
(3) semi - stable limit cycle

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Example.4:
The differential equation of the nonlinear contol system :
x 0.5x 2x x 2 0
Determine the singularity point of the system and plot the
phase loci by the isocline method .
Solution:
dx 0.5x 2x x 2 0
make:
dx x 0
we have the singularity point: x 0, x 0; x 2, x 0.
Linearize the nonlinear differential equation to determine the
types of the singularity points:

According to : x f ( x , x ) (0.5 x 2 x x 2 )
f ( x , x )
we have : 2 2 x x 0, x 0 2
x x 0, x 0
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 f (x , x )
0.5
x x 0, x 0
In the neighborhood of the singularity point (0, 0) the linearization
equation of the system is :
x 0.5x 2x 0
The characteristic roots are: s1, 2 0.25 j 1.39.
So the singularity point (0, 0) is a stable focus.

In the neighborhood of the singularity point (-2, 0) the linearization

equation of the system is:
x 0.5x 2 x 0
The characteristic roots are: s1 1.19 , s 2 1.69.
So the singularity point (-2, 0) is a saddle point .

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 The phase loci plotted by the isoclinal method are
shown in following figure:

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3. How to get the time response x(t) from the phase locus

dx dx x
Because : x dt t i
dt x x avi
The graphical expression:
x1 x A x B
t1 x x B x A , x av1
x av1 2
x
x 2 x x C
A B t 2 x2 xC x B , x av 2 B
C x av 2 2
D
x x 3 x C x D
t 3 x3 x D xC , x av 3
x av 3 2

t1
x We can get the time response curve x(t)
t 2 from the phase locus to analyze the time
t 3 specifications, such as the rise time tr,
Settling time ts etc. , of the nonlinear systems.
t
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4. How to analyze the performance of the nonlinear
systems from the phase locus

(1) We can analyze the stability directly from the phase locus:
the phase locus is convergent or divergent.
(2) We can analyze the self-oscillation directly from the phase
locus: the phase loci converge upon a limit circle.

(3) We can transform the phase locus into the time response
curve x(t) to analyze the rise time tr , settling time ts etc..

(4) Also we can analyze the steady state error, overshoot etc.,
directly from the phase locus.

Example.5: k2

r e k1 y K c k1 0.0625 ; k2 1;
e0 s(Ts 1)
T 1; K 4; e0 0.2

If c(0) c(0) 0, analyze the unity step response of the system

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Solution:
4 0.0625e e 0.2
because : Y ( s) C ( s) y
s( s 1) e e 0.2
e e 4e 0 e 0.2
We have :
e e 0.25e 0 e 0.2
e(0) 1, e(0) 0
Singularity points: (0, 0), and a stable nodes in the e e plane.
The phase locus is shown in following figure:
(1) Stability: stable e
(2) Steady state error ess = 0
(3) Overshoot (1,0) e
(4) We can transform the phase locus
into the time response curve e(t) to
analyze the rise time tr , settling time ts etc. 0.2 0.2
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 Phase plane method
4. Attentions and development
(1) Phase plane method is only used for analyzing or designing
the 1th-order or 2th-order nonlinear systems.
(2) Analyzing the nonlinear systems by phase plane method is
more all-sided compare with the describing function method.
but more complicated.

(3) Also the phase plane method is used to analyze the stability
of some intelligent control systems, such as the Fuzzy
control systems.

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Thank you

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