Subharmonic ferroresonance in an LCR circuit with hysteresis

We use the Preisach model of magnetic hysteresis to model the inductance in a series LCR circuit. By introducing a hysteresis parameter into the Preisach functions used, we are able to continuously vary the width of the hysteresis loop and thereby investigate the effects of magnetic hysteresis on the circuit's behavior. In particular, it is shown that the stability region of a period-3 subharmonic ferroresonant solution can increase significantly as the hysteresis losses are reduced. The bifurcations leading to the appearance and disappearance of this subharmonic solution are examined. Also, strong numerical evidence is provided for the unsuitability of single-valued M - H curves in the analysis of ferroresonant phenomena. Index Terms - Bifurcation, ferroresonance, hysteresis (magnetics) nonlinear circuits, Preisach model.