This paper discusses the design and implementation of a high performance, custom control solution for series elastic actuators (SEA) in a parallel or serial configuration. In many modern robotics applications, controlling actuator output force accurately and with high bandwidth is extremely important. The series elastic actuator has become popular in applications which require precise force control, however currently not many commercial options exist. Commonly, these actuators are custom designed and use electric motors, however most off-the-shelf electric motor drives are not designed for this specific application. In this paper, the hardware and software architecture of a control device designed specifically for force controlled series elastic actuators is described, along with test results on a novel SEA design. / Master of Science

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The use of brushless motors has increased in recent years due to superior performance characteristics compared with alternatives. The operation of a brushless motor is dependent upon a separate controller which is often in the form of a printed circuit board. As such, the size and performance capability of the controller can restrict the performance of the overall motor control system so advancements of these controllers further the potential use of BLDC motors. This project outlines the design of a PCB based, sensorless motor controller for operation of a three-phase BLDC motor powered by a 24 V, high current external supply. Components used were selected to withstand an ambient temperature environment of 125 degrees C. The design for this PCB based motor control system was completed but fabrication and testing of the system was prevented by COVID-19 related restrictions that prohibited the use of necessary facilities and equipment. The detailed design including component selection, board layout, and software development is included in addition to a plan for fabrication and fundamental functional testing. Although no results are available for analysis to bring about any conclusions, a variety of design strategies and corresponding learnings hold the potential to be a source of valuable reference to the further study and development of future designs.

The master thesis deals with the design of device used for gun prototypes testing purposes. It aims at electrical part of the design which controls a stepper motor which through mechanical gear initiates trigger of tested prototype periodically. The core of design consists of the DRV8711 integrated circuit which controls a stepper motor. The integrated circuit is using the microstepping driving technique. The main logic of designed device is controlled by PIC32 microcontroller unit which also communicates with PC through USB bus.

In order to provide the means to set up a control theory lab experiment involving position control of a brushed DC motor with current feedback, a pulse-width modulated motor controller was designed. The output voltage is controlled by an analog reference signal and the magnitude of the output current and voltage are measured and output. These inputs and outputs are connected to a DAQ I/O-unit such that the lab experiment can be implemented digitally. In addition, defining equations for the whole system were derived. Comparison between measurements and model showed it possible to use the current as feedback if low-pass filtered and the angular displacement controlled over a small angular interval.

This study presents the design and optimization of a test rig tailored for upcoming wind turbine design applications. Initial decisions were made regarding component selection, focusing on a gearbox, electric motor, and motor controller. Requirements included continuous power output of 300 kW from the electric motor and the gearbox's ability to handle specified torque and reduce input speed to match the structural limitations. Key challenges revolved around gearbox design and performance, necessitating a right-angle configuration for converting horizontal to vertical torque efficiently. To meet the rotational speed requirements, a 30 to 1 ratio gearbox was selected, ensuring compatibility with the maximum structural rotational speed of 50 revolutions per minute. The electric motor, pivotal in the drivetrain, was chosen based on a balance between economic viability and rotational speed, resulting in a four-pole motor configuration. Coupling mechanisms were employed to connect the motor and gearbox, facilitating energy transfer between shafts. A motor controller was integrated to regulate current flow, voltage application, and frequency modulation, enhancing operational control and adaptability to specific requirements. Radial ball bearings were selected to minimize energy expenditure during rotation, particularly due to downward compressive forces. The test rig setup, situated indoors on a concrete floor, mandated a metal plate foundation to ease component attachment without drilling into the floor. Data simulations were conducted to determine bolt specifications capable of withstanding motor-induced forces. Furthermore, collaboration with industry experts facilitated component selection and quotation analysis, ensuring an optimized drivetrain solution meeting both technical and economic criteria. This research contributes to the advancement of wind turbine design testing methodologies, providing insights into component selection, integration, and optimization for enhanced performance and reliability.

The design and manufacture of lightweight electric vehicles is becoming increasingly important with the rising cost of petrol, and the effects emissions from petrol powered vehicles are having on our environment. The University of Waikato and HybridAuto's Ultracommuter electric vehicle was designed, manufactured, and tested. The vehicle has been driven over 1800km with only a small reliability issue, indicating that the Ultracommuter was well designed and could potentially be manufactured as a solution to ongoing transportation issues. The use of titanium aluminide components in the automotive industry was researched. While it only has half the density of alloy steel, titanium aluminides have the same strength and stiffness as steel, along with good corrosion resistance, making them suitable as a lightweight replacement for steel components. Automotive applications identified that could benefit from the use of TiAl include brake callipers, brake rotors and electric motor components.

Railway safety is an issue that is closely related to people. Hazards such as a collision between two trains can result in severe casualties, necessitating the utmost level of safety measures. Linear actuators control the direction of the train and are critical devices in train operation. Therefore, the safety requirements for linear actuators are high; several internationally accepted standards can help regulate the design of railways and specify safety standards. EN 50129 and EN 50126 are critical standards to follow. This thesis presents two motor controller designs that can be used in linear actuators with high safety quality. This thesis contains two designs, a basic design and an advanced design. The first part of the thesis is the basic design. The basic design is based on the full bridge structure and combines two out of two logic. After integrating metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors, gate drivers, and DC-DC converter, the basic design is presented following the safety integrated level 4 requirements of EN 50129. A fault tree analysis and a common cause failure analysis are added. The failure rate after fault tree analysis is 2E −14 . The second part of the thesis presents an advanced design based on the basic design and introduces an Automotive Safety Integrated Level D-compliant gate driver according to ISO 26262. It improves the previous design of the DC full bridge to have about 50 percent fewer components. Meanwhile, the advanced design also gives a supplement and refinement of the basic design to advance the possibility of practical application. Failure tree analysis failure mode effects, criticality analysis analysis, and availability argument are then carried out with the advanced design. According to fault tree analysis, the failure rate of the advanced design is 2E−14. / Järnvägssäkerhet är en fråga som är nära relaterad till människor. Faror som en kollision mellan två tåg kan resultera i allvarliga olyckor, vilket kräver högsta möjliga säkerhetsåtgärder. Linjära ställdon styr tågets riktning och är kritiska enheter i tågdrift. Därför är säkerhetskraven för linjära ställdon höga; flera internationellt accepterade standarder kan hjälpa till att reglera utformningen av järnvägar och specificera säkerhetsstandarder. EN 50129 och EN 50126 är kritiska standarder att följa. Denna avhandling presenterar två motorstyrningskonstruktioner som kan användas i linjära ställdon med hög säkerhetskvalitet. Detta examensarbete innehåller två designs, en grundläggande design och en avancerad design. Den första delen av examensarbetet är den grundläggande designen. Den grundläggande designen är baserad på hela brostrukturen och kombinerar två av två logik. Efter att ha integrerat metall-oxid-halvledarfälteffekttransistorer, gate-drivrutiner och DC-DC-omvandlare presenteras den grundläggande designen enligt de säkerhetsintegrerade nivå 4-kraven i EN 50129. En felträdsanalys och en analys av vanlig orsaksfel läggs till. Felfrekvensen efter felträdsanalys är 2E−14. Den andra delen av avhandlingen presenterar en avancerad design baserad på den grundläggande designen och introducerar en Automotive Safety Integrated Level D-kompatibel grinddrivare enligt ISO 26262. Den förbättrar den tidigare designen av DC-fullbryggan för att ha cirka 50 procent färre komponenter. Samtidigt ger den avancerade designen också ett komplement och förfining av den grundläggande designen för att främja möjligheten till praktisk tillämpning. Felträdanalys fellägeseffekter, analys av kritikalitet och tillgänglighetsargument utförs sedan med den avancerade designen. Enligt felträdsanalys är felfrekvensen för den avancerade designen 2E−14.

This thesis deals with DC motor control. Main goal was design and realization of DC motor controler module with feedback. The first part dwells on methods for DC motor control and HW design of control module. The second part describes development of software for the module, testing and sums up results.

The main task of this master’s thesis is to design circuits for feedback control of the main drives Minidarpa robot. It contains the description of power-driven mobile robot control theory and the DC motor. The second part deals with the design options of the control module and its mechanical design. The last part of the proposal made cascade speed control with current loop by using optimal module and the symmetric optimum methods.