The Nyquist criterion is a fundamental concept in control systems engineering that helps determine the stability of a feedback control system. It is named after the Swedish-American engineer Harry Nyquist. The criterion is a graphical method used to analyze the stability of a closed-loop control system by examining the frequency response of the open-loop system.
In a control system, the Nyquist criterion can be used to predict whether the system will be stable or unstable based on the location of poles and zeros in the complex plane. The poles and zeros are the values of the transfer function, which represents the system's behavior in the frequency domain.
Here's a basic outline of the Nyquist criterion:
Open-loop transfer function: The first step is to obtain the open-loop transfer function of the system. This transfer function represents the relationship between the output and the input of the system without any feedback.
Complex plane plot: Plot the poles and zeros of the open-loop transfer function on the complex plane. The poles are the points where the transfer function becomes infinite, and the zeros are the points where the transfer function becomes zero.
Nyquist plot: Next, create a Nyquist plot, which is a polar plot that maps the frequency response of the open-loop transfer function. It shows how the system responds to different frequencies of input signals.
Critical point: Determine the point on the Nyquist plot corresponding to the frequency at which the system's phase shift is -180 degrees. This point is known as the critical point or the unity gain frequency.
Stability analysis: Analyze the Nyquist plot based on the position of the critical point. If the Nyquist plot encircles the critical point in a counterclockwise direction (i.e., the open-loop transfer function encloses the -1 point on the complex plane), the system is unstable. On the other hand, if the Nyquist plot does not encircle the critical point, the system is stable.
In summary, the Nyquist criterion allows control engineers to analyze the stability of a control system by visually examining the frequency response of the open-loop transfer function. It is a valuable tool for designing stable and robust control systems. Additionally, it provides insights into the system's performance and helps engineers make adjustments to achieve desired specifications.