The ability to convert electrical energy into mechanical motion is of significant interest in many energy conversion technologies. For more than a decade Ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) as an electroactive smart polymer material has been extensively studied and has shown great potential as soft robotic actuators, artificial muscles and dynamic sensors in the micro-to-macro size range. IPMC consists of an ion exchange polymer membrane sandwiched between two noble metal electrodes on either side of the membrane. Under applied potential, the IPMC actuator results in bending deformation because of ion migration and redistribution across its surface due to the imposed voltage. Nafion are highly porous polymer materials which have been extensively studied as the ion exchange membrane in IPMC. Nafion has also been mixed with carbon nanotubes, graphene, and metallic nanoparticles to improve actuation and bending characteristics of electro-mechanical actuators. For the first time, liquid phase exfoliated Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (TMDs)-Nafion nanocomposite based electro-mechanical actuators has been studied and demonstrate the improvement in the electromechanical actuation performance. In this thesis, we create a 2D model of the TMD-Nafion based electromechanical actuator in COMSOL Multi-physics software. The behavior of the model is examined at different electric potentials, frequencies, and actuation lengths. The simulation results were compared with the experimental data for validation of the model. The data showed improvement in the actuation for TMD-Nafion actuator when compared with pure Nafion actuator. The improvement in the actuation was due to the increase in diffusivity of the TMD-Nafion actuator in comparison with pure Nafion actuator. This increase in the diffusivity as seen in the model is because of the new proton conducting pathways being established with the addition of TMDs. The model also shows an increase in the stress and strain values with the incorporation of TMDs. With the same length of the actuator we were able to obtain more stress and strain with the addition of TMDs. This helps in improving the performance of the actuator as it would be able to handle more stress cycles which also increases the life of the actuator.

There are numerous benefits associated with replacing hydraulic actuators with electrical counterparts as part of an all electric landing gear including reduced consumption of non-propulsive engine power, reduced weight, reduced cost and the elimination of hydraulic systems. The development of health monitoring systems to support the introduction of electrical actuation systems into landing gears will aid in guaranteeing reliability and to optimise landing gear maintenance activities. One of the difficulties with designing health monitoring for industrial integration involves the large number of subject areas involved, ranging from architectural design, software and signal processing design, hardware selection and business modelling. The reason that many health monitoring systems never reach full development maturity is that there is a failure in realising a holistic design process. The purpose of this thesis and the overall contribution which has been made is to bring together a combined understanding of landing gear design, health monitoring and the business environment for aircraft maintenance in order for a holistic design process for landing gear health monitoring to be realised.

Ionic electroactive polymer (IEAP) actuators are a class of electroactive polymer devices that exhibit electromechanical coupling through ion transport in the device. They consist of an ionomeric membrane coated with conductive network composites (CNCs) and conductive electrodes on both sides. A series of experiments on IEAP actuators with various types of CNCs has demonstrated the existence of a direct correlation between the performance of actuators and physical and structural properties of the CNCs. Nanostructure of CNC is especially important in hosting electrolyte and boosting ion mobility. This dissertation presents a series of systematic experiments and studies on IEAP actuators with two primary focuses: 1) CNC nanostructure, and 2) ionic interactions. A novel approach for fabrication of CNC thin-films enabled us to control physical and structural properties of the CNC thin-films. We, for the first time, facilitated use of layer-by-layer ionic self-assembly technique in fabrication of porous and conductive CNCs based on polymer and metal nanoparticles. Results were porous-conductive CNCs. We have studied the performance dependence of IEAP actuators on nano-composition and structure of CNCs by systematically varying the thickness, nanoparticle size and nanoparticle concentration of CNCs. We have also studied influence of the waveform frequency, free-ions and counterions of the ionomeric membrane on the performance and behavior of IEAP actuators. Using the LbL technique, we systematically changed the thickness of CNC layers consisting of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride). It was observed that actuators consisting of thicker CNCs exhibit larger actuation curvature, which is evidently due to uptake of larger volume of electrolyte. Actuation response-time exhibited a direct correlation to the sheet-resistance of CNC, which was controlled by varying the AuNP concentration. It was observed that size and type of free-ions and counterion of ionomeric membrane are also influential on the actuation behavior or IEAP actuators and that the counterion of ionomeric membrane participates in the actuation process. / Ph. D.

High Redundancy Actuation (HRA) is a novel type of fault tolerant actuator. By comprising a relatively large number of actuation elements, faults in the elements can be inherently accommodated without resulting in a failure of the complete actuation system. By removing the possibility of faults detection and reconfiguration, HRA can provide high reliability and availability. The idea is motivated by the composition of human musculature. Our musculature can sustain damage and still function, sometimes with reduced performance, and even complete loss of a muscle group can be accommodated through kinematics redundancy, e.g. the use of just one leg. Electro-mechanical actuation is used as single element inside HRA. This thesis is started with modelling and simulation of individual actuation element and two basic structures to connect elements, in series and in parallel. A relatively simple HRA is then modelled which engages a two-by-two series-in-parallel configuration. Based on this HRA, position feedback controllers are designed using both classical and optimal algorithms under two control structures. All controllers are tested under both healthy and faults injected situations. Finally, a hardware demonstrator is set up based simulation studies. The demonstrator is controlled in real time using an xPC Target system. Experimental results show that the HRA can continuously work when one element fails, although performance degradation can be expected.

This Ph.D. thesis presents the design, modeling, optimization, prototyping, and experimental methodologies for a novel actuation system for the synchronized segmentally interchanging pulley transmission system (SSIPTS). The SSIPTS is an improved transmission which offers the combined benefits of existing transmission systems for the automotive, the power generation, and the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) industries. As a major subsystem of the SSIPTS, the Pulley Segment Actuation System (PSAS) plays a critical role in the SSIPTS operation and success. However, the overall design of the SSIPTS and its operation principle introduce very challenging and conflicting design requirements for PSASs that the existing actuation technologies cannot meet. To address the lack of actuation technologies for the PSAS application, this research proposes a unique actuation system that meets all the challenging design requirements of the PSAS. This new actuation system is based on the electromagnetic moving coil actuator (MCA) technology. The proposed system is conceptualized and modeled. The key parameters of the actuation system are defined following the conceptual design and modeling. Further, the geometry mapping optimization and the FEM analysis are conducted to determine the optimized values for the key design parameters. From the simulation results, the optimized actuator is shaped. Moreover, a proper control strategy is proposed for the motion of the actuator. Experiments are performed to find the empirical parameters of the actuator, to validate the proposed design, and to test the performance of the actuator. Experimental results show that the prototype of the actuation system meets the design requirements and is feasible for implementation in the SSIPTS. The main contribution of this thesis is to develop a highly efficient and reliable ultra fast bi-stable actuation system for the PSAS for the SSIPTS. As an ultra fast bistable actuation system, the designed actuation system has many advantages over other types of actuation systems: higher load capacity, smaller dimensions, and good controllability. These performance characteristics make the designed actuation system an excellent candidate in applications requiring fast transient response, high precision, and high load capacity such as electromagnetic valve actuators for engines, high speed pick and place, and precise positioning.

This Ph.D. thesis presents the design, modeling, optimization, prototyping, and experimental methodologies for a novel actuation system for the synchronized segmentally interchanging pulley transmission system (SSIPTS). The SSIPTS is an improved transmission which offers the combined benefits of existing transmission systems for the automotive, the power generation, and the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) industries. As a major subsystem of the SSIPTS, the Pulley Segment Actuation System (PSAS) plays a critical role in the SSIPTS operation and success. However, the overall design of the SSIPTS and its operation principle introduce very challenging and conflicting design requirements for PSASs that the existing actuation technologies cannot meet. To address the lack of actuation technologies for the PSAS application, this research proposes a unique actuation system that meets all the challenging design requirements of the PSAS. This new actuation system is based on the electromagnetic moving coil actuator (MCA) technology. The proposed system is conceptualized and modeled. The key parameters of the actuation system are defined following the conceptual design and modeling. Further, the geometry mapping optimization and the FEM analysis are conducted to determine the optimized values for the key design parameters. From the simulation results, the optimized actuator is shaped. Moreover, a proper control strategy is proposed for the motion of the actuator. Experiments are performed to find the empirical parameters of the actuator, to validate the proposed design, and to test the performance of the actuator. Experimental results show that the prototype of the actuation system meets the design requirements and is feasible for implementation in the SSIPTS. The main contribution of this thesis is to develop a highly efficient and reliable ultra fast bi-stable actuation system for the PSAS for the SSIPTS. As an ultra fast bistable actuation system, the designed actuation system has many advantages over other types of actuation systems: higher load capacity, smaller dimensions, and good controllability. These performance characteristics make the designed actuation system an excellent candidate in applications requiring fast transient response, high precision, and high load capacity such as electromagnetic valve actuators for engines, high speed pick and place, and precise positioning.

No description available.

No description available.

Avec l’avènement des nouvelles générations d’avions civils et militaires, la démarche d’électrification des fonctions de commande de vol est aujourd’hui pleinement engagée, depuis les interfaces homme-machine jusqu’aux actionneurs de puissance. En vue de s’affranchir définitivement des inconvénients propres à l’utilisation de l’énergie hydraulique, l’utilisation d’actionneurs purement électromécaniques (EMA) constitue en toute logique une étape clef des évolutions technologiques à venir. Ce projet de recherche a pour objectif de développer l'une des briques technologiques majeures du système d’actionnement - le moteur électrique - pour pouvoir effectuer demain le saut technologique vers l'avion plus électrique, qui est l'électrification complète des systèmes d'actionnement des commandes de vol. Une première partie permet de se familiariser avec le domaine des actionneurs électromécaniques destinés aux applications aéronautiques et plus particulièrement aux commandes de vols. Après avoir rappelé le rôle et les évolutions qu’ont connues les commandes de vol durant la dernière décennie, les technologies hydrauliques et électriques usuelles sont présentées. L’environnement sévère associé au domaine aéronautique implique des contraintes de sûreté de fonctionnement qui sont alors définies plus précisément au niveau des systèmes électromécaniques. Une analyse des défauts électriques susceptibles de se produire au sein des actionneurs électromagnétiques est dans un dernier temps effectuée. Une seconde partie se focalise sur la définition de critères de dimensionnement des actionneurs électromagnétiques qui lui permettent de supporter les défauts électriques précédemment mis en avant. Profitant de l’émergence de matériaux magnétiques composites qui facilitent la définition de pièces magnétiques compressées à structure géométrique complexe, un concept d’actionneur à aimants permanents et stator modulaire est défini et baptisé Aximag. Une troisième partie se concentre sur la réalisation d’un démonstrateur qui réponde à un cahier des charges du type commande de vol. Une étude analytique est réalisée dans le but d’observer les axes de dimensionnement et les possibilités de la machine Aximag. Enfin dans une quatrième et dernière partie sont présentés et analysés les simulations numériques ainsi que les essais de caractérisation des démonstrateurs. Au travers du couple statique, du couple dynamique et aussi de paramètres électriques comme les inductances propres et mutuelles, les démonstrateurs sont étudiés. Une analyse critique de la technologie proposée ainsi que les perspectives d’évolution viennent alors conclure l’ensemble des travaux réalisés. / With the rise up of new civil and military aircraft generations, an electrification process concerning the flight control systems, from the human machine interface to the actuation power, has been engaged. In order to finally suppress faults linked to the hydraulic power use, the development of full electromechanical actuators (EMA) is a critical step concerning next technological evolutions. The purpose of this research project is the development of a major technological element of actuation systems, the electrical motor, in order to enable tomorrow, the technological gap leading to a more electrical aircraft, that is to say the complete electrification of flight control actuation systems. A first part presents generals concerning the electromechanical actuators dedicated to aircraft applications and especially to flying control systems. Once the aim and evolutions that flight control systems have known during the last decade has been reminded, the hydraulic and electric technologies are presented. The drastic environment combined to aircraft field leads to safety and security requirements that are more precisely defined around electromechanical systems. A last step analises electrical faults that can occur within electromagnetic actuators. A second part focuses on the definition of sizing criteria that will enable the actuator to support the previous electrical faults pointed out. With the mergence of magnetic composite materials that make easier the definition of sintered magnetic pieces with complex geometry, a permanent magnet actuator with modular stator has been defined and named Aximag. A third part deals with the realisation of demonstrators that answer specifications associated to a flight control actuation systems. The different parts of the fabrication process are presented. An analytical study is leaded in order to point out the axes for the design and the possibilities of the machine Aximag. Finally, in a fourth and last part numerical analysis and characterisation tests of demonstrators are presented and analysed. Through the static torque, the dynamic torque and electrical parameters like self inductance and mutual inductance, demonstrators are studied. A critical analysis of the proposed technology and the perspectives come to conclude this work.

Cascade Drives specializes in high-performance electromechanical linear actuators (EMA). The company has developed a range of linear rack and pinion actuators based on a patented load distribution technique that allows multiple pinions to interact with a single gear rack. A project where one of their EMAs is to be implemented into an excavator boom is about to be initiated. It is suspected that extreme shock loads are present in such applications. The shock loads could potentially cause problems for the structural integrity of the gear train. This master thesis focused on defining requirements for an overload protection mechanism and identifying and evaluating possible solutions that could be implemented into the EMA to protect it from damage. At the start of the thesis, a pre-study had already been conducted. The author found that the forces present during shock loading warrant some protection strategy to be researched and implemented into the EMA. A comprehensive multibody dynamics model (MBD) of the EMA was developed in MSC Adams (View) to validate the result from the pre-study. The MBD model was later expanded to include a torsional stiffness model derived from physical tests and the flexibility of the excavator boom itself, which was extracted from flexible body simulations of the excavator boom assembly in Adams. The expanded MBD model simulations revealed that a protection mechanism was needed in the thought application. Three protection mechanisms/strategies were simulated and evaluated in the MBD environment. A slipping solution in the form of a friction clutch, a disconnecting solution in the form of an electromagnetic clutch, and an active solution in which the electric motor was controlled to produce maximum torque in the opposite direction of motion at the point of impact to dampen the loads through the gear train. Running the motor in reverse at impact proved to be an insufficient strategy. Even for an idealized motor that combined the maximum torque from the strongest motor and the rotational inertia from the lightest motor available for the EMA, simulations resulted in loads above the static load limit through the gear train. The friction clutch was shown to be plausible but inefficient. The slipping torque of a friction clutch had to be detuned way below the static load limit due to the delays in peak torque throughout the gear train, which meant that the overall actuating force of the actuator was severely hampered. The electromechanical disconnecting clutch was proved to be the most promising alternative. The disconnecting clutch completely disengages the upstream components from the downstream components in the drive train, meaning that the overall system performance remained unchanged. The response times needed depended on where the clutch was installed, from around 16ms if only the motor was disengaged up to 17ms if both the motor and the brake were disengaged. Further analysis of triggering strategies and response times has to be conducted to definitely decide if an electromagnetic clutch is a viable option. Still, the result from this thesis shows that it is a promising path. / Cascade Drives är specialiserade på högpresterande elektromekaniska linjära ställdon. Företaget har utvecklat en rad linjära ställdon av kuggstångskonfiguration som bygger på en patenterad lastfördelningsteknik som möjliggör för flera pinjonger att interagera med en enda kuggstång. Ett projekt där ett av deras ställdon ska implementeras i en grävmaskinsbom är på väg att inledas och man misstänker att det i en sådan applikation kan uppstå extrema chocklaster, vilka potentiellt kan orsaka stora skador på ställdonets drivlina. Detta examensarbete fokuserade på att kravställa och analysera ett överbelastningsskydd och att identifiera och utvärdera olika möjliga lösningar som kan implementeras i ställdonet för att skydda det från skador. En förstudie kring problemet har redan genomförts där författaren fann att de krafter som uppstår vid chocklaster motiverar att någon form av skyddsstrategi undersöks och implementeras i ställdonet. En omfattande multibody dynamics (MBD) modell av ställdonet utvecklades i MSC Adams (View) för att validera resultatet från förstudien. MBD-modellen utvidgades senare till att innefatta en torsionsflexmodell härledd från fysiska tester och även flexibiliteten hos själva grävmaskinbommen som extraherades från flexible body-simuleringar av grävmaskinens bomaggregat i Adams. Resultat från de utökade MBD-modellsimuleringarna visade att en skyddsmekanism behövs för att skydda drivlinan i ställdonet mot överlast i den tänkta grävmaskinsapplikationen. Tre olika skyddsmekanismer/strategier simulerades och utvärderades i MBD-miljön. En glidande lösning i form av en friktionskoppling, en frånkopplande lösning i form av en elektromagnetisk koppling, och en aktiv lösning där elmotorn reglerades till att producera maximalt vridmoment bakåt vid tidpunkten för kollisionen för att minska belastningarna i drivlinan. Att köra motorn bakåt vid kollision visade sig vara otillräckligt. Även för en idealiserad motor som kombinerade det maximala vridmomentet från den starkaste motorn som simulerades med rotationströgheten från den lättaste motorn som simulerades resulterade simuleringar i krafter genom drivlinan överstigande den statiska maxbelastningen. Friktionskopplingen visade sig vara en möjlig men ineffektiv lösning. Friktionskopplingens utlösningsmoment måste trimmas ner långt under den statiska maxbelastningen på grund av tiden det tar för maxbelastningen att propagera genom drivlinan. Detta innebar att ställdonets totala prestanda minskade rejält. Den frånkopplande elektromekaniska lösningen visade sig vara det mest lovande alternativet. Det faktum att den frånkopplande kopplingen helt kopplar bort komponenterna uppströms från komponenterna nedströms i drivlinan innebar att systemets prestanda förblev oförändrad. Svarstiderna som krävdes berodde på var kopplingen var installerad, från cirka 16ms om bara motorn skulle kopplas ur och upp till 17ms om både motorn och bromsen kopplades ur. Ytterligare analyser av utlösningsstrategier och svarstider måste genomföras för att definitivt avgöra om en elektrisk frånkopplande koppling är ett bra alternativ, men resultaten från denna avhandling visar att det är en lovande väg.