Nonlinear stability of a delayed feedback controlled container crane

A simplified model of a container crane subject to a delayed feedback is investigated. The conditions for a Hopf bifurcation to stable/unstable limit-cycle solutions are determined. It is shown that a subcritical Hopf bifurcation to unstable oscillations cannot be ruled out and the undesired coexistence of stable large amplitude oscillations and a stable equilibrium endangers the robustness of time-delay control strategies. The bifurcation is analyzed both analytically and numerically using a continuation method.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe