Coupling-Weighted Speed Control for Two-Mass Electric Drives

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing control arrangements for electric drives acting on loads via elastically damped couplings face limitations in achieving optimal dynamics and accuracy due to mechanical properties, particularly in two-mass oscillators, where the ratio of masses and moments of inertia restrict achievable controller behavior.

Innovation Solution

A control arrangement where a current controller is subordinate to a speed controller, with the manipulated variable of the speed controller being a current setpoint, and an actual current value, and a difference between the positions of the electric drive and load being supplied to the current controller as a pilot signal, allowing for optimization of control loops by automatically determining or specifying weighting factors to maintain a constant speed ratio, independent of mass ratios.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If filtering is applied to speed measurements, then measurement precision is improved, but the constant speed ratio condition between drive and load is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespeed measurement precisionVSAvoidconstant speed ratio between drive and load
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameters of speed determination by using differentiated position values instead of directly filtered speed measurements. This allows maintaining the constant speed ratio condition while achieving filtering effects through the coupling model-based calculation, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and ratio stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Stability of the object's composition

If high proportional gain is used to improve damping, then the natural frequency reduces, but the system remains poorly damped due to fixed pole positions

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovedampingVSAvoidnatural frequency
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces feedback of the determined speeds (or their derivatives) into the control loop. This feedback mechanism allows dynamic adjustment of damping characteristics without being constrained by fixed pole positions, enabling improved damping while maintaining appropriate natural frequency characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the control parameters by using the coupling model to determine speeds that reflect the actual mechanical state. This allows the controller to operate with optimized gain settings that achieve both damping and frequency performance, overcoming the limitation of fixed pole positions in traditional control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Stability of the object's composition

If the control arrangement uses traditional speed filtering, then speed measurements are smoothed, but the dynamics and accuracy are limited by mechanical properties and mass ratios

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespeed measurement smoothnessVSAvoidsystem dynamics and accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical filtering approaches with a model-based calculation method. By using the coupling model to determine speeds from position measurements, the system achieves smoothing without being constrained by mechanical properties and mass ratios, thereby improving both stability and dynamics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent fundamentally changes the parameter determination approach from direct speed measurement/filtering to model-based calculation. This allows the system to achieve optimal dynamics and accuracy independent of mechanical constraints while maintaining smooth speed profiles through the inherent filtering effect of the coupling model.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2843489B1Regulating assembly with coupling-optimised determination of a resulting velocity
Publication Date: 2021.03.31 SIEMENS AG
  • EP2843489B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2843489B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2843489B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

An electric drive (2) acts on a load (4) via an elastically damped coupling (3). To control the speed (vA) of the electric drive (2), a speed (vA) of the electric drive (2) and a speed (vL) of the load (4) are first determined based on measured values ​​(xA, xL). By linking the two speeds (vA, vL), a resulting speed (v) is determined, which is fed to a speed controller (16) as the actual speed value. A desired speed value (v*) is fed to the speed controller (16) as a further input variable. A manipulated variable (I*) for the electric drive (2) is output by the speed controller (16). The speeds (vA, vL) of drive (2) and load (4) are determined in such a way that these two speeds (vA, vL) would always be in a constant ratio if the coupling (3) were absolutely rigid. The resulting speed (v) is determined by weighting the determined speeds (vA, vL) with a respective weighting factor (wA, wL) and subsequent addition of the weighted speeds.