E33NCHA-LNN-NS-00 describes and analyzes self-excited oscillations

Although various types of control systems date back to ancient times, a more formal analysis of this field began with the dynamic analysis of robots with centrifugal sensors, carried out by physicist James Clerk Maxwell in 1868, entitled on Governors. [4] Centrifugal governors have been used to regulate the speed of windmills. [5] Maxwell described and analyzed self-excited oscillations, where hysteresis in a system can lead to overcompensation and erratic behavior. This aroused interest in the topic, and during this time Maxwell’s classmate, Edward John Rouse, abstracted Maxwell’s results for a general class of linear systems. [6] Independently, Adolf Hurwitz used differential equations to analyze the stability of the system in 1877, resulting in what is now known as the Rouse-Hurwitz theorem. [7] [8]

One notable application of power control is in manned flight. The Wright brothers made their first successful test flight on December 17, 1903, and were noted for their ability to control flight for long periods of time (exceeding the ability to generate lift from the wings, which was known). Continuous and reliable control of the aircraft is necessary for flights lasting more than a few seconds.

After the Second World War control theory was becoming an important field of study. Ilgard Flugg-Loz developed the theory of discontinuous automatic control systems and applied the Bang-bang principle to… The development of automatic flight control devices for aircraft. [9][10] Other applications of discontinuous control include fire-fighting systems, guidance systems and electronics.