A State Space Analysis on the Stability of Periodic Orbit Predicted by Harmonic Balance

A closed loop system with a linear plant and nonlinearity in the feedback connection is analyzed for its quasi-static orbital stability by a state-space approach. First a periodic orbit is assumed to exist in the loop which is determined by describing function method for the given nonlinearity. This is possible by selecting a proper nonlinearity and a rigorous justification of the describing function method.[1-3, 18, 20]. Then by introducing residual operator, a linear perturbed model can be formulated. Using various transformations like a modified eigenstructure decomposition, periodic-averaging, charge of variables and coordinate transformation, the stability of the periodic orbit, as a solution of harmonic balance, can be shown by investigating a simple scalar function and result of linear algebra. This is ...