Motor Drive Feedforward Control for Cyclic Disturbance Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Motor drives experience tracking errors due to external disturbances and load variations, leading to undesirable performance and potential faults in controlled machines or processes.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that monitors motor operation during cycles, adaptively tracks disturbances, and uses a look-up table to store and update disturbance values, providing feedforward compensation to reduce tracking errors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If motor drive operates at maximum capacity to follow commanded trajectory, then acceleration capability is improved, but tracking error increases due to disturbances and load variations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveacceleration capabilityVSAvoidtrajectory accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary observation of the cycle position and disturbance characteristics before executing the control action. By storing disturbance values in a look-up table based on cycle position, the system prepares compensation data in advance, allowing it to counteract disturbances proactively rather than reactively, thus maintaining trajectory accuracy during high-speed operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously observes the cycle position and compares actual motor performance against commanded trajectory to detect tracking errors. This feedback mechanism allows the system to identify disturbances and update compensation strategies in real-time, correcting trajectory deviations while maintaining high acceleration capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Manufacturing precision

If motor drive operates at maximum current to resolve tracking error, then trajectory following is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetrajectory followingVSAvoidenergy consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The disturbance observer and look-up table act as intermediaries between the commanded trajectory and actual motor execution. By processing disturbance information through this intermediary system, the controller can generate optimized current commands that achieve trajectory following with reduced energy expenditure, avoiding unnecessary maximum current operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts control parameters including current commands and acceleration profiles based on observed disturbance characteristics and cycle position. These parameter changes enable the motor drive to maintain trajectory accuracy while operating at lower energy consumption levels by avoiding sustained maximum current operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If traditional control methods are used without disturbance compensation, then device complexity is reduced, but tracking error increases under cyclic disturbances

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol system complexityVSAvoidtracking error
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The control system is segmented into distinct functional modules: a disturbance observer that detects disturbances, a cycle position detector that tracks operational phase, and a look-up table that stores pre-computed compensation values. This modular segmentation manages complexity by dividing the disturbance compensation function into manageable, independent components that can be implemented and maintained separately

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a copy of disturbance characteristics in the look-up table based on observed cycle positions. By storing and reusing these disturbance patterns, the system avoids complex real-time calculation while maintaining accurate tracking, effectively copying disturbance information for compensation purposes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP4216426B1System and method for determining a cyclic disturbance in an industrial control system
Publication Date: 2025.09.03 ROCKWELL AUTOMATION TECH INC
  • EP4216426B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4216426B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4216426B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A motor drive monitors operation of a motor and adaptively track disturbances experienced by the motor. The motor drive receives a command signal and a cycle position signal. An estimated disturbance observed throughout a cycle of operation is stored in a look up table, and the motor drive uses the stored values as a feedforward value into a control module. The motor drive adaptively monitors operation of the motor and generates a new estimated disturbance value throughout each subsequent cycle of operation. The values of the estimated disturbance are updated within the look up table as a function of the new estimated disturbance values and of the previously stored values. The stored disturbance values adaptively track cyclic disturbances in the controlled machine or process and to reduce the effects of these cyclic disturbances on tracking error in the controlled machine or process.