Angular Actuators Research Articles

Crystal channeling investigations at medical synchrotron regimes

An experimental setup to investigate ion channeling in the hundreds MeV/u energy range is described. A short bent crystal, aligned to the incoming beam by an angular actuator, should deflect ions into a single plane pixel detector used to identify channeled and unchanneled particles. In order to enhance the footprint of channeling on the recorded signals, the incoming particle emittance is tailored on the crystalline plane acceptance by means of massive collimators. Numerical simulations of low energy carbon ions are performed with FLUKA to fully understand the measurement conditions demonstrate the feasibility of the test, to be performed in the experimental room of the National Center for Oncological Hadrontherapy accelerator complex in Pavia, Italy.

Feasibility of crystal-assisted collimation in the CERN accelerator complex

Bent silicon crystals mounted on high-accuracy angular actuators were installed in the CERN Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) and extensively tested to assess the feasibility of crystal-assisted collimation in circular hadron colliders. The adopted layout was exploited and regularly upgraded for about a decade by the UA9 Collaboration. The investigations provided the compelling evidence of a strong reduction of beam losses induced by nuclear inelastic interactions in the aligned crystals in comparison with amorphous orientation. A conceptually similar device, installed in the betatron cleaning insertion of CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC), was operated through the complete acceleration and storage cycle and demonstrated a large reduction of the background leaking from the collimation region and radiated into the cold sections of the accelerator and the experimental detectors. The implemented layout and the relevant results of the beam tests performed in the SPS and in the LHC with stored proton and ion beams are extensively discussed.

Simulation and Experimental Research on Electrical Control Anti-backlash Based on a Novel Type of Variable Tooth Thickness Involute Gear Pair

This paper presents an electrical backlash control method based on a novel variable tooth thickness involute gear pair (VTTIGP) through acceleration judgment. First, the principle, characteristics and theoretical tooth surface equation of the novel type of variable tooth thickness involute gear (VTTIG) are proposed. Compared with the traditional variable tooth thickness gear (VTTG), each transverse of the novel type of VTTIG has the same tooth root circle and the addendum circle. Therefore, there will be no interference caused by the excessive axial relative movement distance between the gear pairs when eliminating the backlash. The theoretical calculation equation of no-load transmission error (TE) and time-varying backlash for a dual-eccentric novel type of VTTIGP are deduced. Second, using the theoretical backlash equation and the eccentricities and the initial phases obtained through the experimental TE curve obtained with angular displacement sensors and the developed TE equation, the continuous backlash curve of the gear pair is obtained. Based on the RecurDyn software and its Colink control module, the co-simulation model of the novel type of VTTIGP and its backlash control system is used to explore the electrical backlash control method through acceleration judgment in the case of time-varying backlash. Finally, using angular displacement sensors and linear actuators, the experimental study on the anti-backlash control with different reversed positions under different input speeds is carried out, demonstrating that this novel electrical anti-backlash control method is effective.

Double-crystal measurements at the CERN SPS

The UA9 setup, installed in the Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) at CERN, was exploited for a proof of principle of the double-crystal scenario, proposed to measure the electric and the magnetic moments of short-lived baryons in a high-energy hadron collider, such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Linear and angular actuators were used to position the crystals and establish the required beam configuration. Timepix detectors and high-sensitivity Beam Loss Monitors were exploited to observe the deflected beams. Linear and angular scans allowed exploring the particle interactions with the two crystals and recording their efficiency. The measured values of the beam trajectories, profiles and of the channeling efficiency agree with the results of a Monte-Carlo simulation.

A high efficiency pneumatic drive system using vane-type semi-rotary actuators

A compressed air driven generator is proposed, where the pneumatic energy is converted into mechanical energy using two vane-type rotational actuators. The use of a second actuator with a higher displacement in order to produce a thermodynamic expansion allows to reach a better energetic efficiency in comparison to the classical operation of such actuators. The alternating movement of the angular actuators is transformed into a unidirectional rotational motion with the help of a mechanical motion rectifier. The paper analyses the enhancement of the energetic performance of the system. An experimental set-up is also described. The performance of the new system is described, and the limits of its realization is commented on the base of experimental recordings of the evolution of the pressure in the chambers.

Singularity Penetration with Unit Delay (SPUD)

This manuscript reveals both the full experimental and methodical details of a most-recent patent that demonstrates a much-desired goal of rotational maneuvers via angular exchange momentum, namely extremely high torque without mathematical singularity and accompanying loss of attitude control while the angular momentum trajectory resides in the mathematical singularity. The paper briefly reviews the most recent literature, and then gives theoretical development for implementing the new control methods described in the patent to compute a non-singular steering command to the angular momentum actuators. The theoretical developments are followed by computer simulations used to verify the theoretical computation methodology, and then laboratory experiments are used for validation on a free-floating hardware simulator. A typical 3/4 CMG array skewed at 54.73° yields 0.15H. Utilizing the proposed singularity penetration techniques, 3H momentum is achieved about yaw, 2H about roll, and 1H about pitch representing performance increases of 1900%, 1233%, and 566% respectfully.

Force analysis as a support to computer-aided tolerancing of planar linkages

The paper proposes a method for tolerance analysis on planar structures and mechanisms. As for generic assemblies, deviations on a functional requirement involving different parts are calculated from tolerance specifications on individual part dimensions. For a linkage the requirement is usually the position or orientation of a given element (link, joint) with respect to a fixed frame, and the solution of the problem has some additional difficulties such as the correct treatment of joint clearances. The paper points out that, for underconstrained or exactly constrained linkages, tolerance analysis can be treated by analogy with a force analysis problem. The static analogy is first introduced and justified from well-known concepts of classical mechanics, and then translated into a calculation procedure that is able to evaluate the propagation of deviations from different types of dimensions (lengths of links, diameters of pins and holes at joints), as well as from linear and angular actuators. Problems of high complexity are shown to be easily solvable by the proposed method by means of available software tools for the structural analysis of planar frames and trusses.

A curved ultrasonic actuator optimized for spherical motors: Design and experiments

Multi-degree-of-freedom angular actuators are commonly used in numerous mechatronic areas such as omnidirectional robots, robot articulations or inertially stabilized platforms. The conventional method to design these devices consists in placing multiple actuators in parallel or series using gimbals which are bulky and difficult to miniaturize. Motors using a spherical rotor are interesting for miniature multidegree-of-freedom actuators. In this paper, a new actuator is proposed. It is based on a curved piezoelectric element which has its inner contact surface adapted to the diameter of the rotor. This adaptation allows to build spherical motors with a fully constrained rotor and without a need for additional guiding system. The work presents a design methodology based on modal finite element analysis. A methodology for mode selection is proposed and a sensitivity analysis of the final geometry to uncertainties and added masses is discussed. Finally, experimental results that validate the actuator concept on a single degree-of-freedom ultrasonic motor set-up are presented.

Implementation of Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor Microelectromechanical Systems Lorentz Force Two Axis Angular Actuator

We present a novel dual-axis complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) angular actuator driven by Lorentz force. The device has been successfully implemented using the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) two-poly four-metal (2P4M) process. The current routing achieved with three metal layers enables independent driving for each axis. The measurement results show that the device has resonant frequencies of 1.36 and 2.26 kHz for the two axes.

Implementation of Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor Microelectromechanical Systems Lorentz Force Two Axis Angular Actuator

Implementation of Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor Microelectromechanical Systems Lorentz Force Two Axis Angular Actuator

Speed Control for a Biped Robot

A biologically inspired model for a biped robot is developed. Each leg is modeled as a massless spring equipped with one radial and one angular actuator. The two legs in the model are attached to a point mass. The biped locomotion is modeled as a hybrid dynamic system that switches between four operation phases, with distinct dynamic behavior in each phase. A novel, simple yet robust control law that utilizes symmetry is developed to control the robot's speed, hopping height and balance during forward motion. The controller utilizes a feedforward artificial neural network, trained offline, to find approximate symmetric touchdown angles that are used by the control algorithm to determine actuator corrections. Simulation results show that the controller is able to maintain reference forward speed while maintaining balance during forward motion.

Torque multiplication and stable range tradeoff in parallel plate angular electrostatic actuators with fixed DC bias

The nonlinear torque-voltage characteristics in two-terminal electrostatic actuators can be utilized to magnify the torque generated by a drive voltage applied to one electrode if a fixed dc bias is applied to the other. The resulting torque is enhanced by torque gain factor G/sub /spl tau//>1, and the drive voltage is effectively multiplied by voltage gain factor G/sub V/>1 compared to that of an actuator with no dc bias. These gain factors are generated at the expense of a reduced stable range. In this paper, we study and determine experimentally the tradeoff between torque and voltage gains versus stable range for one-dimensional (1-D), three-terminal, parallel-plate angular electrostatic actuators under dc bias. Simple approximate analytical relations are derived for voltage and torque gain as functions of applied dc bias voltage. We demonstrate that for voltage gains of 2-4, the angular range is marginally reduced. [1361].