Computer-Aided Control System Design Environment

Abstract

A computer-aided engineering environment for the design, analysis, and control of mechanical systems is defined and a detailed example is given. The overall integrated environment includes commercially available systems for 3D geometric modeling and animation, multibody system dynamics, finite element analysis, and control system design. The platform for the environment is the Silicon Graphics IRIS Workstation. This environment allows students in mechanical and aeronautical engineering to rapidly develop and test control strategies for mechanical systems. Transfer functions from the multibody system model, together with mathematical models of any electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic components, are used for control system synthesis. The controller architecture and parameters are specified in block diagram form and converted to a real-time program. This controller program, with any nonmechanical component models included, is combined with the original nonlinear mechanical system model. The dynamic response of this complete system is studied to verify the controller design for this nonlinear, more realistic system model. Once satisfied with the controller design, the student can then download the real-time controller program to a microprocessor for controlling the actual physical plant. This environment will be used in the senior elective/first year graduate course Dynamics and Control of Multibody Systems, developed by the author and offered in the Spring ’91 semester.