Component Tolerances Research Articles

Thyristor voltage equalising network for crowbar application

Many high-voltage applications are realised with series connected thyristors. Voltage imbalance among series connected thyristors during steady state as well as in transients is one of the major concerns. This voltage imbalance is mitigated by using static and dynamic balancing network. Dynamic balancing networks are typically designed based on reverse recovery charge of the thyristor during turn-off, which suits many applications. But this is not the case for a crowbar application, where turn-off of the thyristor is not a major circuit constraint. This study proposes the design method for dynamic balancing network considering gate turn-on delay time and the balancing network component tolerances. The study derives two models for the dynamic balancing network based on its charge–discharge cycle. The importance of charge–discharge cycle in the design of dynamic balancing network during high d i / d t operation is emphasised. Influence of dynamic balancing resistance and crowbar current limiting inductance on voltage imbalance, charging current and discharging current is studied using the analytical model. The proposed design method also offers flexibility to incorporate differences in propagation delays among the thyristor drivers that are used to trigger individual thyristors. Such delays cannot be directly incorporated in the conventional balancing network design method based on reverse recovery. Further, it is also analytically shown that designing the dynamic balancing network based on reverse recovery charge makes the balancing network lossy and bulky for crowbar application. Simulation studies and experimental results on a 12 kV , 1 kA crowbar consisting of six series connected thyristors confirm the theoretical analysis and validate the proposed approach for crowbar applications.

Voltage and Power Balance Strategy without Communication for a Modular Solid State Transformer Based on Adaptive Droop Control

Solid State Transformers (SST) are attracting considerable attention due to their great application potential in future smart grids. It is an essential technology capable of promoting the modernization of the electric power distribution system and it is considered a key element for interfacing future microgrid systems to medium voltage utility grids, allowing plug-and-play integration with multiple renewable energy sources, storage devices and DC power systems. Its main advantages in relation to conventional transformers are substantial reduction of volume and weight, fault isolation capability, voltage regulation, harmonic filtering, reactive power compensation and power factor correction. A three-stage modular cascaded topology has been considered as an adequate candidate for the SST implementation, consisting of multiple power modules with input series and output parallel connection. The modular structure presents many advantages, e.g., redundancy, flexibility, lower current harmonic content and voltage stress on the power switches, however component tolerances and mismatches between modules can lead to DC link voltage imbalance and unequal power sharing that can damage the solid state transformer. This paper proposes a decentralized strategy based on adaptive droop control capable of promoting voltage and power balance among modules of a modular cascaded SST, without relying on a communication network. The behavior of the proposed strategy is assessed through a MATLAB/Simulink simulation model of an 100 kVA SST and shows that power and voltage balance are attained through inner power distribution of the SST modules, being transparent to elements connected to the transformer input and output ports. Besides that, real-time simulation results are presented to validate the proposed control strategies. The performance of embedded algorithms is evaluated by the implementation of the SST in a real-time simulation hardware, using a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) and high level programming.

Towards an Energy Efficient Series Production of High Performance Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors by Selective Magnet Assembly

When installing magnets on synchronous rotors, the target values of energy efficiency, vibration, noise emissions, power density and synchronism are decisively influenced by the quality of the rotor magnetic field. This depends on the real position of the magnets after mounting, on the polarization of the magnet and on the direction of magnetisation. However, large component tolerances in the magnet bodies also require tolerances in the rotor magnetic field. The quality assurance in the field of rotor production, which is largely lacking in the current state of the art, is compensated for by robust motor designs in order to keep the rejects low. Unconventional machine designs, such as the Halbach arrangement of the magnets, exploit optimization potential in terms of power density by eliminating the ferromagnetic component in the rotor and reduce harmonics due to the almost sinusoidal field shape, so that more efficient winding processes, such as linear winding in the stator with a constant low torque ripple compared to distributed winding, are used. At the same time, however, the requirement for homogeneity of the magnetic field increases due to the matching pairing of the magnets and the correct magnetic position when using sintered, isotropic rare earth magnets. By 100 % testing of magnets and rotors, it is possible on the one hand to exploit these design potentials and on the other hand to estimate the performance data of the motor before the final assembly test by means of data mining. In the framework of the E|MagTol project, the process feasibility of a logistics solution for storing magnetized goods has already been successfully investigated. In order to extend the potential uncovered in the previous project, it is necessary to record all process data of the rotor assembly process such as magnet geometry, magnet position, polarization and magnetization direction. The aim of E|S2MART is on the one hand to increase machine efficiency by compensating for component deviations by adapting or matching the magnetic position and magnetic parameters in a closed-loop control loop in the assembly process and on the other hand to significantly increase the energy efficiency of the assembly process. This is done by optimizing the magnetization process and coupling with inductive heating to replace the furnace process during the bonding process and to reduce the energy consumption during magnetization. On the basis of the existing process experience, the savings potential in the assembly process is estimated to be at least 70 % compared to conventional processes.

New Modeling Method and Design Optimization for a Soft-Switched DC–DC Converter

High-performance cloud computing enables many key future technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), self-driving vehicle, big data analysis, and the Internet of things (IoT), using clustered CPU and GPU servers in the datacenter. To improve the power efficiency and the infrastructure flexibility, the computing industry is adopting 54 VDC to power the servers in the open compute racks. In this paper, a new modeling technique for a soft-switched dc–dc converter is presented and suitable to guide optimal design in different applications, for example, 54 V to point of load (PoL) for the new open compute rack. To improve the model accuracy and reduce the complexity, this paper proposes a reduced-order linear differential equation (LDE) based modeling technique to discover the following: 1) the tank resonance involving the output inductor; 2) the output current ripple and its impact on power efficiency; 3) the proper on-time control for soft switching; 4) the unique bleeding mode under the heavy load; 5) the output power capability of the converter; and 6) component tolerance analysis and impact on the performance of the converter. With the power loss estimation, design guidelines are provided for a reference design and design improvement based on this new modeling technique. Using the proposed method, great accuracy can be expected in the efficiency estimation. Simulation and experimental results are provided to verify the modeling technique in a 54–1.2 V 25 A dc–dc converter prototype.

Quantifying the Vial Capping Process: Residual Seal Force and Container Closure Integrity.

Capping completes the closure of parenteral drug products in the final packaging container and is critical in maintaining an integral seal to ensure product quality. Residual seal force (RSF) is considered the sole quantifiable attribute for measuring seal "goodness" and potentially enables nonsubjective, consistent setting of cappers across manufacturing sites. However, the consistency and reliability of RSF measurement and data have been scarcely reported, and the relationship between RSF and container closure integrity (CCI) remains poorly understood.Here, we present a large data set generated from a commercial capper and the results from a laboratory capper of glass vials and rubber stoppers with aluminum caps. All RSF values exhibited significant variability. We evaluated four potential sources of variability: the capper, the RSF tester, the time-dependent nature of RSF, and the components. We determined that the capper, the tester, and the time-dependent nature are not main sources. Dimensional tolerances of the packaging components were the root cause for the container closure system (CCS) configurations tested in this study.This study correlated RSF with CCI (via helium leakage), although CCI is not sensitive to RSF; CCI was maintained even for loosely capped vials with no measurable RSF. This was attributed to the stopper's two sealing surfaces: the valve seal and the land seal. A methodology capable of differentiating the two seals' functions demonstrated that vials with only the valve seal always passed leakage testing for a selected CCS configuration in this study, while vials with only the land seal failed CCI at low RSF values. This observation allows proposal of a low RSF limit that is safe even when the valve seal is defective. Simplified statistical analysis of commercial capping data, with the input of sample size, allowed the relationship between RSF's low limit and an allowable failing rate to be established. Overall, despite the inherent variability of RSF, this study shows that it is a feasible parameter for capping process quantification and demonstrates the potential of RSF measurement in capper setup.LAY ABSTRACT: Pharmaceutical vials are typically closed off with an elastomeric stopper that is secured onto the vial with an aluminum crimp cap (or seal) such that the entire assembly is meant to protect the vial's contents from external contamination. Therefore, the capping process is critical for ensuring container closure integrity. Characterizing the effectiveness of a seal in a nonsubjective and quantifiable manner is challenging. In this communication, we report the evaluation of residual seal force measurements (the compression force that the crimp cap exerts on the stopper) to evaluate capping for a large set of samples generated on both an at-scale commercial capper and a benchtop laboratory capper. We propose a test methodology, based on a statistical approach, for establishing permissible lower residual force limits that would provide a high degree of confidence to the capping process. This is a useful tool for consistent capper setup and capping process quantification.

Seismic behavior of 3-D ECC beam-column connections subjected to bidirectional bending and torsion

Special moment resisting frames (SMF) are commonly used in low- and medium-rise buildings located in regions of high seismicity. Although adequate performance of this seismic force resisting system was observed in prior earthquakes in terms of protecting buildings from collapse, the formation of plastic hinges in the beams and columns causes irreparable damage to the beam-column connections. Recently, interest in using fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) has been growing to enhance energy absorption capacity and damage tolerance of beam-column connections and other components in reinforced concrete (RC) buildings. Prior research has mostly focused on the application of steel FRC (SFRC) in 2-D beam-column connections. However, little is known about the performance of exterior beam-column connections that are usually subjected to more complex loading during an earthquake, involving bi-directional bending and torsion of the column. In addition to the loading, the geometry of the connection requires a more involved test setup (i.e., with an out-of-plane beam and proper boundary conditions). In this research, the use of engineered cementitious composites (ECC) in 3-D exterior beam-column connections is investigated experimentally to improve building seismic performance. ECC is a special class of high-performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composites (HPFRCC) that, compared to conventional concrete, exhibits higher tensile ductility, energy absorption and shear resistance, in addition to improved bond performance with reinforcing steel (rebar). To understand the performance of exterior beam-column connections under complex loading conditions, scaled 3-D specimens were constructed and tested under simulated seismic loads. To improve the performance of the connections, conventional RC was replaced with reinforced ECC (RECC) that extends from the panel zone to the adjoining beams and columns to cover the potential plastic hinge regions. This paper discusses the loading protocols, the test setup for 3-D exterior beam-column connections, and the improvement in the joint behavior with the application of RECC as compared to conventional RC. The results suggest that the efficient use of ECC in the potential plastic hinge regions can improve the capacity and damage tolerance of beam-column connections under realistic seismic loading conditions.

A Self-Tuning Resonant-Inductive-Link Transmit Driver Using Quadrature Symmetric Delay Trimmable Phase-Switched Fractional Capacitance

The efficiency of inductively coupled power transfer systems is increased when high- $Q$ inductor–capacitor circuits are used, maximizing the magnetic field strength at the transmitter for a given drive amplitude. Such circuits require precise tuning to compensate environmental effects and component tolerances, which modify the resonant frequency. A single zero-voltage-switched fractional capacitance may be used to accurately tune the circuit to resonance, reducing implementation costs compared with classical tuning techniques. However, integration into a chip presents challenges, which must be addressed, such as operating with large voltage excursions and compensating for high-voltage driver delays. We describe here the operation of a self-tuning $LC$ resonant circuit driver using a symmetrically switched fractional capacitance. An architecture for a fully integrated system for operation at 75 kHz–2.6 MHz is presented. Implemented in a 0.18- $\mu \text{m}$ 1.8–50 V CMOS/laterally diffused MOSFET(LDMOS) technology, the integrated circuit uses high-voltage interfaces for capacitance switching and sampling inputs and includes digital phase trimming to compensate propagation delays in large driver devices. Correct operation of the self-tuning functionality is verified across the available frequency range, with results presented for static and dynamic tuning responses.

Study of the radiation environment of the Serpens-II satellite mission and the necessary protection of electronic components

The space environment is very inhospitable; several factors must be considered when designing a satellite so that it can be operated with the desired lifetime and reliability levels. Satellites consist of different subsystems, mostly constituted by electronic components. The incidence of space radiation over such components can cause them to fail or degrade their performance over time. In this paper, we conduct studies to identify the need for shielding to reduce radiation incidence upon CubeSat components. The SPENVIS interface was used for particle flow simulations in the space environment to analyze the radiation deposited in the devices. The more detailed the geometry of the satellite model, the closer to reality will the estimated dose be. We concluded that computational simulations can be a useful tool for dimensioning the radiation tolerance of components in the design phase of a satellite.

Effect of Different Approximation Techniques on Fractional-Order KHN Filter Design

Having an approximate realization of the fractance device is an essential part of fractional-order filter design and implementation. This encouraged researchers to introduce many approximation techniques of fractional-order elements. In this paper, the fractional-order KHN low-pass and high-pass filters are investigated based on four different approximation techniques: Continued Fraction Expansion, Matsuda, Oustaloup, and Valsa. Fractional-order filter fundamentals are reviewed then a comparison is made between the ideal and actual characteristic of the filter realized with each approximation. Moreover, stability analysis and pole movement of the filter with respect to the transfer function parameters using the exact and approximated realizations are also investigated. Different MATLAB numerical simulations, as well as SPICE circuit results, have been introduced to validate the theoretical discussions. Also, to discuss the sensitivity of the responses to component tolerances, Monte Carlo simulations are carried out and the worst cases are summarized which show good immunity to component deviations. Finally, the KHN filter is tested experimentally.

An interactive method for computer-aided optimal process tolerance design based on automated decision making

Interactive and integrated design and manufacturing can be a useful strategy for designers to reach the efficient design through the cognitive or physical interactions. Process tolerance design is a key tool in the integrated design and manufacturing to reach a product with high quality and low cost. Since the optimal tolerance allocation involves several aspects of the design, manufacturing and quality issues, it is always a time consuming and difficult procedure, especially for complex products. Therefore, to overcome these difficulties, a computer-aided approach for optimal tolerance design of manufacturing process is needed in the design stage. In this paper, a novel interactive framework is introduced for computer-aided multi-objective optimal process tolerance design established upon entropy-based decision making. According to the proposed method, the optimal process tolerances of components are allocated through a multi-objective optimization problem where the process capability function and the overall manufacturing cost should be simultaneously optimized. To model the proper objective functions, the new formulations of process capability and manufacturing cost functions are proposed based on the design and customer’s requirements on the virtual model in CAD software, and the experimental observations, respectively. The non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II is used for solving the multi-criteria optimization. For automated decision making to find the best process tolerances from the optimal Pareto solutions without objective weighting, an improved entropy-based TOPSIS is used. Based on the obtained optimal process tolerances and specifications, the process planning procedure can be carried out. Finally, to illustrate the capability of the proposed method and to validate it, a windmill transmission assembly as a case study is considered and the computational results are compared and discussed.

High Cycle Fatigue Performance in Laser Shock Peened TC4 Titanium Alloys Subjected to Foreign Object Damage

During their service, titanium alloys are likely to suffer from the foreign object damage (FOD), resulting in a decrease in their fatigue strength. Laser shock peening (LSP) has been proved to effectively increase the damage tolerance of military engine components by introducing a magnitude compressive residual stress in the near-surface layer of alloys. In this paper, smooth specimens of a TC4 titanium alloy were used and treated by LSP and subsequently exposed to FOD, which was simulated by firing a steel sphere with a nominal velocity of 300 m/s, at 90° with the leading edge of the LSP-treated region using a light gas gun. All impacted specimens were then subjected to fatigue loading. The results showed that LSP could effectively improve the fatigue strength of the damaged specimens. The effect of LSP on the fatigue strength was assessed through fracture observations, microhardness tests and residual stress analyses. The residual stresses due to the plastic deformation caused by LSP and the FOD impact, which were found to play a crucial role on the fatigue strength, were determined using the commercial software ABAQUS.

Modal Analysis, Metrology, and Error Budgeting of a Precision Motion Stage

In this study, a precision motion stage, whose design utilizes a single shaft supported from the bottom by an air bearing and voice coil actuators in complementary double configuration, is evaluated for its dynamic properties, motion accuracy, and potential machining force response, through modal testing, laser interferometric metrology, and spectral analysis, respectively. Modal testing is carried out using two independent methods, which are both based on impact hammer testing. Results are compared with each other and with the predicted natural frequencies based on design calculations. Laser interferometry has been used with varying optics to measure the geometric errors of motion. Laser interferometry results are merged with measured servo errors, estimated thermal errors, and the predicted dynamic response to machining forces, to compile the error budget. Overall accuracy of the stage is calculated as peak-to-valley 5.7 μm with a 2.3 μm non-repeatable part. The accuracy measured is in line with design calculations which incorporated the accuracy grade of the encoder scale and the dimensional tolerances of structural components. The source of the non-repeatable errors remains mostly equivocal, as they fall in the range of random errors of measurement in laser interferometry like alterations of the laser wavelength due to air turbulence.

An Active-Rectifier-Based Maximum Efficiency Tracking Method Using an Additional Measurement Coil for Wireless Power Transfer

The efficiency of wireless power transfer (WPT) systems is highly dependent on the load, which may change in a wide range in field applications. Besides, the detuning of WPT systems caused by the component tolerance and aging of inductors and capacitors can also decrease the system efficiency. In order to track the maximum system efficiency under varied loads and detuning conditions in real time, an active single-phase rectifier (ASPR) with an auxiliary measurement coil (AMC) and its corresponding control method are proposed in this paper. Both the equivalent load impedance and the output voltage can be regulated by the ASPR and the inverter, separately. First, the fundamental harmonic analysis model is established to analyze the influence of the load and the detuning on the system efficiency. Second, the soft-switching conditions and the equivalent input impedance of ASPR with different phase shifts and pulse widths are investigated in detail. Then, the analysis of the AMC and the maximum efficiency control strategy are provided in detail. Finally, an 800-W prototype is set up to validate the performance of the proposed method. The experimental results show that with 10% tolerance of the resonant capacitor in the receiver side, the system efficiency with the proposed approach reaches 91.7% at rated 800-W load and 91.1% at 300-W light load, which has an improvement by 2% and 10% separately compared with the traditional diode rectifier.

Test Point Selection Method for Analog Circuit Fault Diagnosis Based on Similarity Coefficient

The demand for testability analysis has increased with the integration densities and complexity of circuits. As an important part of testability analysis, the test point selection method needs to be researched in depth. A new similarity coefficient criterion is proposed to determine the fault isolation degree because output responses of a circuit with component tolerance are approximately subject to the normal distribution. Then, a new test point selection method is proposed based on the fault-pair similarity coefficient criterion information table. Simulation experiments are used to validate the accuracy of the proposed method in terms of the optimum test point set and fault isolation degree. The results show that the proposed method improves the performance of test point selection by comparing with the other reported methods.

A Joint Distribution-Based Testability Metric Estimation Model for Unreliable Tests

The selection of tests required to make complex systems testable is a fundamental of system-level fault diagnosis. To evaluate the test selection, testability metric estimation (TME) is required. The influence of unreliable (imperfect) tests, whose outcomes are non-deterministic due to unstable environmental conditions, test equipment errors, and component tolerances, should be considered for accurate TME. Previously, researchers considered a TME model using a Bernoulli distribution with the assumption that the variations of different test outcomes are independent. However, this assumption is not always true. To address the issue, a joint distribution-based TME model was developed derived from the copula function to quantify the influence of dependent outcomes of unreliable tests. The efficacy of the developed TME model was verified with a linear voltage divider and a negative feedback circuit.

Modelling and analysis of assembly clearance by size and form tolerances in selective assembly using clustering algorithm

In this paper, a new method in selective assembly to minimise the assembly variation due to the size and form tolerances of the mating components is proposed. The radial assembly of hole and shaft is analysed with the form tolerances of circularity and straightness respectively. The mating components are segregated into selective groups with respect to their size as well as form tolerance deviations. The assembly clearance between any pair of mating components is calculated by the Euclidean distance measure. A K-mean clustering algorithm has been used to club the mating components and clusters the assemblies according to the required assembly fit specification based on the proximity of mating data points. A case example with hole and shaft assembly has been successfully used to explain the application of selective assembly based on size and form tolerance deviations.

Tolerance Analysis Supports Tolerance Assignment

This work presents a method to support product design, since it shows how to use together tolerance assignment and analysis for choosing among different set of tolerances assigned to the same product. It starts from tolerance assignment that produces different sets of tolerances for the product components which are all acceptable from a functional point of view. It translates each assigned set of tolerances into one or more groups of tolerances that are recognized by the software used for tolerance analysis. Therefore, the software for tolerance analysis is applied to each group of tolerances by means of a Monte Carlo simulation approach. Finally, the obtained results are intersected or compounded to obtain the trend of product functional requirements that allows to identify the best set of tolerances assigned to the product components. The developed method was applied to a skillet, a platform of an industrial plant that is made of five parts connected by screws. The obtained results show how the developed new method is a valid tool to support design for industrial application.

Common Capacitor Multiphase LLC Converter With Passive Current Sharing Ability

In high-power applications, parallel operation is required to improve both efficiency and reliability. In an LLC converter, it is difficult to achieve parallel operation due to the gain sensitivity to component tolerance. This paper proposes a new structure of a common resonant capacitor for a multiphase LLC converter, which can achieve very good current-sharing performance with no additional components or control. To evaluate the current-sharing performance, a new first harmonic approximation (FHA) model is built in this paper to analyze the LLC converter with coupled resonant tanks. Both FHA analysis and powersim (PSIM) simulation results demonstrate the load-sharing improvement of the proposed common capacitor LLC resonant converter over the conventional two-phase LLC converter. The current-sharing performance from the FHA analysis and the PSIM simulation are compared, and the error of the FHA analysis is evaluated and explained. A 600 W two-phase LLC converter prototype based on the proposed method is also built to verify the feasibility. Excellent current-sharing performance (6% resonant current sharing error at a wide load range) has been achieved.

A Passive-Impedance-Matching Technology to Achieve Automatic Current Sharing for a Multiphase Resonant Converter

A passive-impedance-matching (PIM) technology is proposed to achieve automatic current sharing for multiphase resonant converters through matching the input impedance of each phase. The series inductors (or series capacitors) of each phase are connected in parallel to achieve a couple of virtual resistors including positive and negative resistors and variably series inductors (or capacitors). A virtual positive (or negative) resistor increases (or decreases) the input impedance of the respective phase, and the variably series inductors can also compensate the component tolerance such that the impedance of each phase is matched. The current-sharing performance of the common-inductor two-phase LLC resonant converter (as one example) is evaluated under the first-harmonic-approximation assumption. The virtual positive and negative resistors and variably virtual inductors are calculated. The proposed method can share the primary resonant current and the load current for all phases without any additional circuit and control strategy. The PIM technology is extended to other resonant converter topologies, including common-inductor or common-capacitor series-resonant converter, LCC, CLL resonant converter, etc. A 600-W 12-V common-inductor two-phase LLC resonant converter prototype is built to verify the feasibility and demonstrate advantages of PIM technology.

Experimental study of deformable connection consisting of friction device and rubber bearings to connect floor system to lateral force resisting system

SummaryThis paper presents experimental and numerical studies of a full‐scale deformable connection used to connect the floor system of the flexible gravity load resisting system to the stiff lateral force resisting system (LFRS) of an earthquake‐resistant building. The purpose of the deformable connection is to limit the earthquake‐induced horizontal inertia force transferred from the floor system to the LFRS and thereby to reduce the horizontal floor accelerations and the forces in the LFRS. The deformable connection that was studied consists of a friction device (FD) and carbon fiber‐reinforced laminated low‐damping rubber bearings (RB), denoted as the FD + RB connection.The test results show that the force‐deformation responses of the FD + RB connection are stable under quasi‐static sinusoidal and earthquake loading histories and dynamic sinusoidal loading histories. The FD + RB connection force‐deformation response is approximated with a bilinear elastic‐plastic force‐deformation response with kinematic hardening. The FD is axially stiff, compact, easy‐to‐assemble, and able to accommodate the FD + RB connection kinematic requirements. The FD elastic stiffness controls the FD + RB connection elastic stiffness. The FD friction force controls the force when the FD + RB connection force‐deformation response transitions from elastic to post elastic. The RB provide predictable and reliable post‐elastic stiffness to the FD + RB connection. The machining tolerances for the FD components, the “break‐in” effect, the sliding history, and the dwell time affect the FD friction force. Numerical simulation results for a 12‐story reinforced concrete wall building with FD + RB connections under seismic loading show that a reduction of the FD friction force increases the FD + RB connection deformation demand.