Dynamics Of Actuation Research Articles

A comprehensive mathematical theory and optimized design of a high-frequency electro-pneumatic variable valve actuator for a camless IC engine

This paper discusses the development of a detailed mathematical theory and its use for the design of an electronically controlled, double-acting Variable Valve Actuation (VVA) mechanism for a camless internal combustion engine, that offers a comprehensive control over the timings and the motion of the valves such that any arbitrary time-variation of the valve lift profile can be obtained at variable rotational speeds of the engine shaft. The developed theory encompasses the thermo-fluid-dynamic as well as the applied-mechanical aspects of the actuator cylinder-engine valve system performance, the dynamics of the valve actuation being characterized by parameters such as valve opening duration, peak lift and seating velocity. The prediction of the mathematical theory compares well with several experimental data sets obtained from an in-house pneumatic VVA set-up. A new design methodology is formulated for determining the appropriate dimensions of the actuator, operating thermodynamic parameters and the electronic control of the various valve events for a desired range of engine rotational speed. Several parameters in the new design philosophy are kept within acceptable ranges established from time-tested data obtained from conventional cam-based valve actuation. For example, a new pneumatic cushioning strategy has been developed that is simple, effective and energy-efficient, and is able to keep the valve seating velocity within an acceptable range (0.08–1.13 m/s). The work also discusses the implementation of several constraints that are necessary for the design of a practically viable pneumatic actuator. The evolution of a design matrix map for the electro-pneumatic VVA is quantified for the engine rotational speed varying up to 5500 rpm.

Are steady-state wake models and lookup tables sufficient to design profitable wake steering strategies? A Large Eddy Simulation investigation

We leverage Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of wind farms to study the performances of an open-loop wake steering controller. This global controller is elaborated based on Lookup Table (LUT) generated using FLORIS. Our objectives are to highlight the potential problems that can arise from model errors due to its steady-state formulation and from difficulties to properly define the ambient flow state. We consider two wind farm configurations: a first theoretical layout of six machines, and a second layout representing a commercial wind farm that is currently studied for wake steering strategy, the King Plains wind farm. We represent our wind farm environment using LES within which the turbines are modeled as actuator disks. In addition to the standard local controller, the wind farm utilizes a LUT to compute the optimal yaw offset angles. Before its integration into the controller, this LUT is first populated using the yaw optimizer integrated into FLORIS. The primary input parameters for the LUT are derived from the freestream atmospheric conditions, which are parametrized in terms of TI, hub height wind speed, and wind direction. In this work, we investigate different strategies for estimating the ambient wind direction fed as input to the LUT during the control and their impact on the dynamics of the yaw actuation. While results confirm the potential of this type of controller, they also highlight the importance of a proper sensing to determine the freestream state.

Analysis of the Vibro-Impact Nonlinear Damped and Forced Oscillator in the Dynamics of the Electromagnetic Actuation

In this work, the effect of vibro-impact nonlinear, forced, and damped oscillator on the dynamics of the electromagnetic actuation (EA) near primary resonance is studied. The vibro-impact regime is given by the presence of the Hertzian contact. The EA is supplied by a constant current generating a static force and by an actuation generating a fast alternative force. The deformations between the solids in contact are supposed to be elastic and the contact is maintained. In this study, a single degree of freedom nonlinear damped oscillator under a static normal load is considered. An analytical approximate solution of this problem is obtained using the Optimal Auxiliary Functions Method (OAFM). By means of some auxiliary functions and introducing so-called convergence-control parameters, a very accurate approximate solution of the governing equation can be obtained. We need only the first iteration for this technique, applying a rigorous mathematical procedure in finding the optimal values of the convergence-control parameters. Local stability by means of the Routh-Hurwitz criteria and global stability using the Lyapunov function are also studied. It should be emphasized that the amplitude of AC excitation voltage is not considered much lower than bias voltage (in contrast to other studies). Also, the Hertzian contact coupled with EA is analytically studied for the first time in the present work. The approximate analytical solution is determined with a high accuracy on two domains. Local stability is established in five cases with some cases depending on the trace of the Jacobian matrix and of the discriminant of the characteristic equation. In the study of global stability, the estimate parameters which are components of the Lyapunov function are given in a closed form and a graphical form and therefore the Lyapunov function is well-determined.

Milling Processes With Active Damping: Modeling and Stability

Abstract Active dampers are on the verge of appearing in commercial machines as devices that assist the avoidance of machine tool chatter. The adjustment of control parameters in these devices is mostly guided by models that do not consider the dynamics within the control loop of active damper. Therefore, these models neglect the dynamics of actuation, measurement, and filtering, which can result in inaccurate stability predictions that hinder the efficient tuning of active dampers. To formulate a more realistic model for milling processes assisted by active damping, this paper derives a novel mathematical model that takes into account the internal dynamics of the actuator, measuring device, and discrete filtering. This study shows that accurate stability prediction requires the incorporation of actuator and filter dynamics into the model, especially at high spindle speeds and large feedback gains.

Nonlinear energy-based control of soft continuum pneumatic manipulators

This paper investigates the model-based nonlinear control of a class of soft continuum pneumatic manipulators that bend due to pressurization of their internal chambers and that operate in the presence of disturbances. A port-Hamiltonian formulation is employed to describe the closed loop system dynamics, which includes the pressure dynamics of the pneumatic actuation, and new nonlinear control laws are constructed with an energy-based approach. In particular, a multi-step design procedure is outlined for soft continuum manipulators operating on a plane and in 3D space. The resulting nonlinear control laws are combined with adaptive observers to compensate the effect of unknown disturbances and model uncertainties. Stability conditions are investigated with a Lyapunov approach, and the effect of the tuning parameters is discussed. For comparison purposes, a different control law constructed with a backstepping procedure is also presented. The effectiveness of the control strategy is demonstrated with simulations and with experiments on a prototype. To this end, a needle valve operated by a servo motor is employed instead of more sophisticated digital pressure regulators. The proposed controllers effectively regulate the tip rotation of the prototype, while preventing vibrations and compensating the effects of disturbances, and demonstrate improved performance compared to the backstepping alternative and to a PID algorithm.

Electrowetting based local sensing of liquid properties using relaxation dynamics of stretched liquid interface

HypothesisMonitoring progression of biochemical processes is required for medical and industrial applications. Spatiotemporal changes in fluid properties can be measured to determine progress of biochemical processes like blood coagulation. Localised electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) actuates a part of droplet contact line, allowing local measurement of fluid properties without inducing bulk fluid motion, which is unlike full droplet oscillation-based techniques. ExperimentsIn this work, narrow electrodes (50–450 μm) were used to actuate a portion of drop interface. Dynamics of interface actuation and relaxation was used to estimate the local visco-elastic properties of the droplet. FindingsFor local interface motion, theory predicts a generic dispersion relation ω=cqn. In agreement with theory, decay time was found to be proportional to viscosity and inversely proportional to surface tension. Interface displacement remained almost constant for different viscosities, but it decreased with increase in surface tension. Capability to measure spatiotemporal dynamics of chemical process was demonstrated for sugar dissolution in a droplet of water. For full droplet oscillation-based techniques, the induced bulk flows adversely affect the monitored process. Localised EWOD reduces bulk flows in the sample. So, this technique was applied to study blood coagulation dynamics, enlightening the future prospect of developing biomedical sensors.

Возможности совершенствования распылительной сушки пищевых суспензий

Spray drying is currently used to obtain powder products from suspensions. It is considered the most effective type of drying for such media. The complexity of the drying process is associated with thermal destruction of components, which degrades the properties of the product and imposes significant restrictions on temperature condition. The present research features the simulation of transient modes of operation of the solenoids to generate a controlled cavitation effect when applied to a stream of acoustic vibrations using a magnetostrictive generator of ultrasound. The authors propose a new design of spray nozzle for drying suspensions with counter-connected solenoids. Such solenoids can cause deformation of the main suspension supply line. The intensity of the cavitation processes depends on the dynamics of the solenoid actuation. The paper introduces a mathematical modeling of transient modes of operation for ultrasonic frequency generator solenoids that create a controlled cavitation effect when applied to the jet of acoustic oscillations of this frequency. When modeling the process of operation of solenoids, the main criterion for changing the intensity of cavitation is the average rate of change in the volume of the cavity at the stage of its collapse, related to one cycle of oscillations for a spherical cavity. An increase in the static pressure of the liquid led to a shift in the phase of the collapse of the cavity. As a result of the chosen mathematical model, a numerical experiment with modeling in the MathCAD program was carried out. It revealed some graphical dependences of the change in U(t), L(t), and R(t). The obtained data allow one to predict the ballast induction and active load (R, L) for the control of transients in the solenoid of the ultrasonic generator. These dependences make it possible to choose more effective parameters for drying suspensions, which is especially important for heat- sensitive components.

Toward a Process Model of Social Capital Actuation

We present a theoretical examination of the dynamics of social capital actuation by grafting cognitive, temporal and emotional lenses. Building on our theorisation we develop a framework of social capital perception and explore the process of its actuation, thereby depicting potentiality, activation and mobilisation phases. Studying the dynamics of social capital provides a new avenue for understanding the role of perception of relationships and available resources, providing insight into their impact on social exchange.

Robust Nonlinear Control of Inertia Phase in Clutch-to-Clutch Shifts

Shift quality for clutch-to-clutch shifts in an automatic transmission is governed by controller performance in both the torque and inertia phases. In the current study, the problem of inertia phase control is investigated with emphasis on robustness with respect to clutch friction characteristics. A combination of sliding mode control and adaptive feedback linearization is used to achieve the desired reference tracking for the oncoming clutch slip speed. Since the dynamics of electro-hydraulic actuation of the clutch plays a critical role in determining shift quality, a formal treatment of electro-hydraulic system dynamics is presented which consists of state-space averaging and model order reduction based on time-scale analysis. The resulting reduced order model is used as the basis for controller design and is shown to lead to effective and robust inertia phase control. A validated high-order model of the transmission shift hydraulic system in a production transmission is the platform used for controller evaluation.

Boundary Actuation in Galerkin-Models of Linear Distributed Parameter Systems

AbstractProper orthogonal decomposition and subsequent Galerkin-projection is a common technique to obtain low-dimensional models for distributed parameter systems. In this paper a transformation of boundary conditions into equivalent source terms for linear partial differential equations is used to set up such reduced-order models. This approach provides the means to consider boundary actuation in Galerkin-models, which is essential for the design of feedback controllers. Using the example of a one-dimensional convection-diffusion equation, the transient dynamics between the non-actuated and actuated steady state are described with such a reduced-order-model. Dynamic range and model accuracy are investigated in connection with the employed number of POD modes and the dynamics of actuation.

Mechanical bistability in liquid crystal elastomer-wire composite actuators

We investigate a design of a composite combining a spontaneously actuating liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) with heating wires embedded directly into the rubbery matrix. We focus on the bistable configuration of wires at a critical angle to actuation direction, which theoretically provides a second energy minimum for wires deforming within an incompressible matrix. Experiments confirm the practicality of the theory when wires are embedded in a soft matrix. For a LCE-wire composite, the critical angle depends on the intrinsic actuation amplitude of its component LCE layers. It is further demonstrated for a side-chain LCE, an actuation stroke of ∼35% contraction was possible with a double-layer stacking design, while a triple-layer design showed a contracting stroke of ∼25%. Finally, we examine the dynamics of actuation and estimate the performance limit of a generic heat-stimulated LCE composite actuator in terms of its power efficiency and response time.

Optical and mechanical performance of a novel magnetically actuated MEMS-based optical switch

A novel magnetically actuated 8/spl times/8-port MEMS-based fiber-optic switch is described. Fiber-to-fiber insertion loss measurements of six 8/spl times/8 switch units show average and worst-case insertion loss of 1.3 dB and 2 dB, respectively. Low insertion loss is achieved through a unique MEMS design that uses anisotropically etched single-crystal silicon sidewalls to provide a global mechanical alignment stop for an array of MEMS mirrors. This alignment surface produces a uniform and repeatable mirror angle across the mirror array. Mirror misalignment is attributed to the surface roughness of the silicon sidewalls. Repeated interferometric measurements of the mirrors of 24 8/spl times/8 switch units show repeatability of the mirror angle of 3/spl times/10/sup -3/ degrees, while the uniformity of the mirror angle across the MEMS array is 2/spl times/10/sup -2/ degrees, in agreement with the angular error predicted from measurements of sidewall surface roughness. In turn, the average repeatability and uniformity of the insertion loss are 0.01 dB and 1 dB, respectively, in agreement with predictions based on the interferometric measurements. Finally, the unique dynamics of the magnetic actuation and electrostatic addressing scheme are described. Measurements show that fast switching can be achieved by driving the mirrors with a magnetic pulse that is faster than the mechanical resonant frequency of the mirror, relying on an electrostatic clamping force to capture the mirror as it overshoots the magnetic field angle. This actuation scheme is shown to result in switching times of 8.5 ms to 13.5 ms, but requires accurate control of the kinetic energy of the mirror.

The actively controlled jet in crossflow

This study quantifies the dynamics of actuation for the temporally forced, round gas jet injected transversely into a crossflow, and incorporates these dynamics in developing a methodology for open loop jet control. A linear model for the dynamics of the forced jet actuation is used to develop a dynamic compensator for the actuator. When the compensator is applied, it allows the jet to be forced in a manner which results in a more precisely prescribed, temporally varying exit velocity, the RMS amplitude of perturbation of which can be made independent of the forcing frequency. Use of the compensator allows straightforward comparisons among different conditions for jet excitation. Clear identification can be made of specific excitation frequencies and characteristic temporal pulse widths which optimize transverse jet penetration and spread through the formation of distinct, deeply penetrating vortex structures.