INVESTIGATIONS OF DESCRIBING FUNCTION TECHNIQUE.

Abstract

Three problems were chosen so as to explore some of the apparent limitations of describing function technique for the analysis of nonlinear systems, and to show how the technique might be extended so as to overcome the indicated deficiencies. The problems were (a) the effects of stick and valve friction in fully powered, manual aircraft control systems, (b) limit cycles in satellite attitude control with off-on jets, and (c) the effects of aerodynamic hysteresis in the stability derivatives of tilt-wing VTOL aircraft. The results indicate that new describing functions can be developed as closed-loop functions provided that specific restrictions are met, that non-sinusoidal, Fourier series describing functions or a generalized periodic input describing function can be successful, but that they are extraordinarily difficult to apply, and that the aerodynamic nonlinearities which were considered are of small practical importance. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 1966
Accession Number
AD0631314

Entities

People

  • Dunstan Graham
  • Lee Gregor Hofmann

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Control Systems
  • Fourier Series
  • Nonlinear Systems
  • Satellite Attitude Control
  • Satellite Orientation
  • Tilt Wings

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Control Systems Engineering.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Spacecraft Maneuvers