Electromechanical Actuator Voltage Limiting for Fast Overload Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for controlling electromechanical actuators fail to efficiently adapt the supply voltage to the actuator's environment and characteristics, leading to potential damage or malfunction during overloads, and require computing resources that can cause latency.
Innovation Solution
A method that monitors the current flowing through the electric motor and adjusts the motor voltage based on a maximum permissible threshold, using a motor control module with an angular speed corrector to maintain the angular speed setpoint, and incorporates a power limiting device to clamp the voltage to prevent excessive power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the angular speed setpoint is reduced to limit power consumption below the maximum threshold, then the power consumption is kept within limits, but the actuator responds slowly to commands and requires multiple iterations to adapt
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing a lookup table of angular speed setpoints corresponding to different motor voltages and current conditions before operation. This allows the controller to immediately retrieve the appropriate speed setpoint without iterative reduction, achieving both power limits and fast response from the first command execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical iterative learning process with an electronic lookup table system. Instead of gradually reducing speed through multiple trial iterations, the system substitutes this with direct electronic retrieval of pre-computed optimal speed values based on real-time voltage and current measurements, eliminating latency while maintaining power limits.
2Reliability
If learning and computing resources are used to adapt the angular speed setpoint, then the power consumption is optimized, but latency is introduced in applications and power limitation function
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates computational latency by performing all power optimization calculations in advance and storing the results in a lookup table. During operation, the system only needs to retrieve pre-computed values based on current voltage and current measurements, rather than performing real-time iterative learning and computation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified copy of the complex power optimization problem by pre-computing the relationship between motor voltage, current, and optimal angular speed setpoints. This copied relationship is stored in the lookup table, allowing the controller to bypass complex real-time calculations and directly apply optimized speed values.
3Reliability
If the maximum power threshold is configured with a prohibited operating margin below the disconnect threshold, then the actuator operates safely within power limits, but the efficiency of the electromechanical actuator is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the maximum permissible motor voltage adaptive rather than fixed. The system dynamically adjusts the voltage limit based on real-time measurements of motor current and bus voltage, allowing the actuator to operate as close as safely possible to the power source disconnect threshold without requiring a fixed prohibited margin, thereby maximizing efficiency while ensuring safety.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method efficiently adjusts the motor voltage to prevent overloads, protecting the actuator and power source without latency, ensuring stable operation and compliance with power limits.
Implementation Method 1
An electromechanical actuator generally comprises a DC electric motor... The electric motor is driven in response to a command by a motor voltage
Implementation Method 2
The angular speed corrector delivers, at the output, a corrected value of the motor voltage, so as to maintain an angular speed setpoint of the electric motor
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for controlling the operation of an electromechanical actuator comprising an electric motor driven in response to a command (Cmd) by a motor voltage (Vmot), as a function of a bus voltage value (Vbus). The method comprises the following steps: monitoring (E10) the amplitude of a current (Imot) flowing through the motor; determining (E20) a maximum permissible motor voltage threshold value (Vmot_max) for the motor as a function of the amplitude of the current (Imot) flowing through it and of a predetermined maximum power threshold value (Pmax); limiting (E40) the motor voltage value to the maximum motor voltage threshold value if the motor voltage value reaches or exceeds the maximum motor voltage threshold value (Vmot_max) and maintaining the motor voltage value at the corrected motor voltage value (Vmot_cor) if the motor voltage value is lower than the maximum motor voltage threshold value.