An analytic and computer study of the jump phenomenon in ferroresonant regulators

At certain ac input levels, discontinuous jumps appear in the ferroresonant regulator´s steady-state output-versus-input characteristic. The conditions are derived under which this action, known as jump resonance, can occur. The describing function method of nonlinear system analysis is used to derive the range of circuit parameters in which the jump can occur. It is found that the conditions for the jump can be expressed in terms of the values of the linear energy storage elements and the character of the non-linearity, and that there exists a unit circle in the Nyquist plane which must be avoided to assure the nonoccurrence of the jump. The theoretical analysis is supplemented with a computer study of the circuit using an analog computer simulation program.