This thesis examines the development and testing of a novel 2 DOF (Degrees of Freedom) thermal actuator using Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology. A out-of-plane displacement measurement technique based on optical focus adjustments is also implemented and tested. In-plane displacement measurement techniques are also compared. Existing MEMS actuator can either move in-plane or out-of-plane but no reported actuators were found to move in a user selectable combination of both domains. The novel actuator fabricated using the PolyMUMPs process is capable of displacements of 5 ?m out-of-plane and 1.5 ?m in-plane. A Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was performed as a proof of concept prior to physical construction. FEA was also used to characterize the actuator. Measuring out-of-plane displacements of MEMS devices is difficult to accomplish using only a standard microscope and camera setup. Methods have included tilting the chip so the vertical motion has a planar component. The most common commercial measurement technique uses interferomery but special expensive equipment is necessary. A method adapted from biological autofocus is proposed in which multiple images (100+) are taken at various focal planes. An algorithm is applied which extracts the most focused image. An out-of-plane displacement measurement can be extracted between two image sets. Results were compared to optical profiler measurements and the results had an average error of 0.47 ?m A comparison of planar displacement measurement methods, which included two variations of both edge detection and pattern matching along with measurements using the optical profiler, was accomplished. Consistent planar displacement results were collected for all techniques except for the simple edge detection.

Because of several advantages, e.g. compact structure, high air-gap flux density, and high torque capability, the PM synchronous motor plays an important role in recent years. The basic principle of controlling a PMSM is based on vector control. The control performance is influenced by factors as the plant parameter variations, the external load disturbances, and the unmodeled or nonlinear dynamics. In the thesis, we apply a recently proposed robust 2DOF configuration to designing controllers for PMSM to achieve the robust asymptotical tracking under perturbations in both the motor and the controllers. Two design methods are adopted to implement the desired controllers, i.e. the linear algebraic method and the design method. The effect of the well-known internal model principle is addressed in the former design method. The merit of the latter design method is that both time and frequency domain design specifications can be easily included in the design procedure. Computer simulation results are displayed to illustrate the advantages of our designs.

A need for a cost effective, versatile and easy to use suspension component testing method has arisen, following the development of a four-state hydro-pneumatic semi-active spring-damper system. A method known as hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) was investigated, in particular its use and compatibility with tests involving physical systems – previously HiL was used predominantly for Electronic Control Unit (ECU) testing. The suitability of HiL in the development of advanced suspension systems and their control systems, during which various vehicle models can be used, was determined. A first step in vehicle suspension design is estimating a desired spring and damper characteristic, and verifying that characteristic using software simulation. The models used during this step are usually low-order, simple models, which hampers quick development progress. To predict vehicle response before vehicle prototype completion, many researchers have attempted to use complex and advanced damper models to simulate the vehicle’s dynamics, but these models all suffer from some drawback – it is either based on empirical data, giving no indication of the physical parameters of the design sought; it may be overly complex, having many parameters and thus rendering software impractical; or it may be quick but based on the premise that there is no hysteresis in the damping character. It can be seen that an obvious answer exists – use a physical commercially available or prototype damper in the software simulation instead of the mathematical model. In this way the suspension deflection, i.e. the true motion of the damper is used as excitation, and the true damper force is measured using a hydraulic actuator and load cell. The vehicle mass motions are simulated in a software environment. This is basically what HiL simulation does. The HiL method was verified by comparing HiL simulations and tests to globally accepted testing methods, employing widely-used vehicle models: linear single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) and two-degrees-of-freedom (2DOF) or quarter-car models were used. The HiL method was also compared to a non-linear physical system to verify that the method holds for real vehicle suspension geometries. This meant that HiL had to perform adequately at both ends of the suspension-testing spectrum – base software and real system simulation. The comparison of the HiL and software/real system simulation was done using the “Error Coefficient of Variance” (ECOV) between the compared signals; this quantitative measure proved very sensitive and performed dubiously in the presence of signal offsets, phase lags and scaling errors, but remains a tangible, measurable parameter with which to compare signals. Visual confirmation was also obtained to back the ECOV values. It was found that even using a relatively low-force actuator, the HiL simulation results followed the software/real system responses well. Phase lags and DC offsets in the HiL simulation’s measured signals (as well as the real systems responses) has an adverse effect on the performance of the HiL simulation. Special attention must thus be paid to the zeroing of equipment and the amount/type of filters in the system, as these affect the HiL results dramatically. In all, HiL was proven to be a versatile and easy to use alternative to conventional mass-based suspension testing. / Dissertation (MEng (Mechanical Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / unrestricted

The thesis deals the issue of solution of continuous systems by evolutionary computational techniques. Evolutionary computing techniques fall into the field of softcomputing, an advanced metaheuristics optimization that is becoming more and more a method of solving complicated optimization problems with the gradual increase in computing performance of computers. The solution of continuous systems, or the synthesis of continuous control circuits, is one of the areas where these advanced algorithms find their application. When dealing with continuous systems we will focus on regulatory issues. Evolutionary computing can then become a tool not only for optimization of controller parameters but also to design its structure. Various algorithms (genetic algorithm, differential evolution, etc.) can be used to optimize the parameters of the controller, for the design of the controller structurewe usually encounter so called grammatical evolution. However, the use of grammatical evolution is not necessary if appropriate coding is used, as suggested in the presented thesis. The thesis presents a method of designing the structure and parameters of a general linear controller using the genetic algorithm. A general linear regulator is known also as so called polynomial controller, if we encounter the polynomial theory of control. The method of encoding the description of the general linear controller into the genetic chain is crucial, it determines a set of algorithms that are usable for optimization and influence the efficiency of the calculations. Described coding, effective EVT implementation, including multi-criteria optimization, is a key benefit of this work.