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At least 397 records · Page 22

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NASA NTRS1990

Simulated dynamic response of a servovalve controlled hydraulic actuator

A general purpose math model of a servovalve controlled hydraulic actuator system is derived. The system consists of a linear actuator with unequal piston areas, a single stage servovalve, a gas charged hydraulic accumulator, and the interconnecting piping. The state equations are integrated using the Advanced Continuous Simulation Language (ACSL) for determining the system's dynamic response characteristics. Using this generalized hydraulic actuator system model, response characteristics were determined for various servovalve commands.

Babcock, Dale A.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Liquid Rocket Booster (LRB) for the Space Transportation System (STS) systems study. Appendix C: Battery report for the liquid rocket booster TVC actuators

The actuators for control of engine valves and gimbals for a booster require 165 kW or more peak power at 270 volts direct current (VDC) during the 2 or 3 minutes of first stage ascent; other booster devices require much less power at 28 VDC. It is desired that a booster supply its own electrical power and satisfy redundancy requirements of the Solid Rocket Booster Shuttle, when applicable. The power of a Liquid Rocket Booster is therefore provided by two subsystems: Actuator Battery Power (270 VDC) Subsystem for the engine actuators, and Electrical Power and Distribution (28 VDC) Subsystem, to power everything else. Boosters will receive no electrical power from Orbiter, only commands and data, according to current plans. It was concluded that nine 30 volt silver-zinc batteries-in-series be used to provide the 270 volt, 37 kW average (165 kW peak).

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1989

Coordination in a hierarchical multi-actuator controller

A hierarchical multi-actuator controller is represented as a multi-resolutional information (knowledge) system utilizing a number of intelligent modules with decision making capabilities. The laws of multi-resolutional information (knowledge) organization and processing are presumed to be satisfied including the rules of dealing with redundant knowledge. A general case is considered in which a process to be controlled by a multiplicity of actuators is a distributed one and the condition of distribution can be formulated analytically. Operation of a lumped multi-actuator process is a particular case which has a broad practical application.

Meystel, Alex↗

NASA NTRS1990

Analysis and application of a velocity command motor as a reaction mass actuator

A commercially available linear stepper motor is applied as a reaction mass (RM) actuator. With the actuator operating in the (RM) relative-velocity command mode, open-loop and closed-loop testing is performed to determine operational limits. With the actuator mounted on a simple beam structure, root strain, RM acceleration, or beam acceleration is used in the feedback loop to augment the structural damping. The RM relative position is also used as feedback to ensure that the RM remains centered.

Sulla, Jeffrey L.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Optimal placement of actuators and sensors in control augmented structural optimization

A control-augmented structural synthesis methodology is presented in which actuator and sensor placement is treated in terms of (0,1) variables. Structural member sizes and control variables are treated simultaneously as design variables. A multiobjective utopian approach is used to obtain a compromise solution for inherently conflicting objective functions such as strucutal mass control effort and number of actuators. Constraints are imposed on transient displacements, natural frequencies, actuator forces and dynamic stability as well as controllability and observability of the system. The combinatorial aspects of the mixed - (0,1) continuous variable design optimization problem are made tractable by combining approximation concepts with branch and bound techniques. Some numerical results for example problems are presented to illustrate the efficacy of the design procedure set forth.

Sepulveda, A. E.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Electromechanical propellant control system actuator

New control mechanism technologies are currently being sought to provide alternatives to hydraulic actuation systems. The Propulsion Laboratory at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is involved in the development of electromechanical actuators (EMA's) for this purpose. Through this effort, an in-house designed electromechanical propellant valve actuator has been assembled and is presently being evaluated. This evaluation will allow performance comparisons between EMA and hydraulics systems. The in-house design consists of the following hardware: a three-phase brushless motor, a harmonic drive, and an output spline which will mate with current Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) propellant control valves. A resolver and associated electronics supply position feedback for the EMA. System control is provided by a solid-state electronic controller and power supply. Frequency response testing has been performed with further testing planned as hardware and test facilities become available.

Myers, W. Neill↗

NASA NTRS1989

Actuator design for rotor control

Active control of dynamical behavior of rotor systems involves the following modeling of the rotor system including active elements as a control process, positioning of actuators and sensors, implementation of problem-adapted control concepts. The key to attaining the desired influence on the dynamic behavior of rotor systems lies in the presence of suitable actuators. Some types of actuators (magnetic, electrohydraulic and piezoelectric) will be discussed and their respective drawbacks indicated. Their design will be outlined and functional correlations will be presented. Theoretical and experimental results demonstrate that an improvement of the system dynamics by the use of control forces is always possible.

Ulbrich, H.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Optimization of actuator and sensor placement for on-orbit identification in large flexible spacecraft

There has been considerable research on choosing actuator and sensor locations in large flexible spacecraft in order to optimize the controllability and observability of the system, or to maximize some objective function of control system performance. Future large flexible spacecraft may require on-orbit identification of the structure to tune the control system, because such tests cannot be performed in a one-g environment before launch. This indicates that the choice of actuator and sensor locations must serve a dual purpose, for control and for identification. This paper develops concepts for a degree of identifiability and studies placement of actuators and sensors on a free-free beam to optimize such objective functions. The results in this simple situation suggest that in free-free spacecraft structures in orbit, placement for control and placement for identification may often be consistent objectives rather than conflicting objectives.

Bergmann, Martin↗

NASA NTRS1991

Permanent magnet flux-biased magnetic actuator with flux feedback

The invention is a permanent magnet flux-biased magnetic actuator with flux feedback for adjustably suspending an element on a single axis. The magnetic actuator includes a pair of opposing electromagnets and provides bi-directional forces along the single axis to the suspended element. Permanent magnets in flux feedback loops from the opposing electromagnets establish a reference permanent magnet flux-bias to linearize the force characteristics of the electromagnets to extend the linear range of the actuator without the need for continuous bias currents in the electromagnets.

Groom, Nelson J.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Active control of interior noise in model aircraft fuselages using piezoceramic actuators

Active control of interior noise in model aircraft fuselages using piezoceramic actuators is experimentally studied. The actuators are bonded directly to the structure and error information is taken from up to two microphones located in the interior acoustic field. The results demonstrate that global attenuation of the order of 10 to 15 dB of interior noise can be achieved with piezoceramic actuators, irrespective of whether the shell system is vibrating at an acoustic or structural resonant frequency. The work also proves that active control using vibration (moment) inputs works well when a floor simulating that of an aircraft is installed in the model. This result suggests that the technique will be successful in controlling interior noise in realistic aircraft structures.

Fuller, C. R.↗

NASA NTRS1990

A unified motion planning approach for redundant and non-redundant manipulators with actuator constraints

The term trajectory planning has been used to refer to the process of determining the time history of joint trajectory of each joint variable corresponding to a specified trajectory of the end effector. The trajectory planning problem was solved as a purely kinematic problem. The drawback is that there is no guarantee that the actuators can deliver the effort necessary to track the planned trajectory. To overcome this limitation, a motion planning approach which addresses the kinematics, dynamics, and feedback control of a manipulator in a unified framework was developed. Actuator constraints are taken into account explicitly and a priori in the synthesis of the feedback control law. Therefore the result of applying the motion planning approach described is not only the determination of the entire set of joint trajectories but also a complete specification of the feedback control strategy which would yield these joint trajectories without violating actuator constraints. The effectiveness of the unified motion planning approach is demonstrated on two problems which are of practical interest in manipulator robotics.

Chung, Ching-Luan↗

NASA NTRS1991

Hydraulic Actuator System for Rotor Control

In the last ten years, several different types of actuators were developed and fabricated for active control of rotors. A special hydraulic actuator system capable of generating high forces to rotating shafts via conventional bearings is addressed. The actively controlled hydraulic force actuator features an electrohydraulic servo valve which can produce amplitudes and forces at high frequencies necessary for influencing rotor vibrations. The mathematical description will be given in detail. The experimental results verify the theoretical model. Simulations already indicate the usefulness of this compact device for application to a real rotor system.

Ulbrich, Heinz↗

NASA NTRS1992

Optimal actuator placement in adaptive precision trusses

Actuator placement in adaptive truss structures is to cater to two needs: displacement control of precision points and preloading the elements to overcome joint slackness. Due to technological and financial considerations, the number of actuators available is much less than the degrees of freedom of precision points to be controlled and the degree of redundancy of the structure. An approach for optimal actuator location is outlined. Test cases to demonstrate the effectiveness of the scheme are applied to the Precision Segmented Reflector Truss.

Baycan, C. M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Self-sensing piezoelectric actuation - Analysis and application to controlled structures

Issues related to modeling and implementation of a self-sensing piezoelectric actuator are investigated. The necessary formulation for modeling the simultaneous sensing and actuation phenomenon is provided. Open and closed loop experiments performed on a cantilevered beam test specimen are described. The sensitivity of the results to representative errors introduced in the implementation of the transducer is demonstrated analytically and experimentally. The self-sensing actuator is also implemented using an active piezoelectric strut in a truss structure.

Anderson, Eric H.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Implementation of a model based fault detection and diagnosis for actuation faults of the Space Shuttle main engine

In a previous study, Guo, Merrill and Duyar, 1990, reported a conceptual development of a fault detection and diagnosis system for actuation faults of the space shuttle main engine. This study, which is a continuation of the previous work, implements the developed fault detection and diagnosis scheme for the real time actuation fault diagnosis of the space shuttle main engine. The scheme will be used as an integral part of an intelligent control system demonstration experiment at NASA Lewis. The diagnosis system utilizes a model based method with real time identification and hypothesis testing for actuation, sensor, and performance degradation faults.

Duyar, A.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Magnetic Actuators and Suspension for Space Vibration Control

The research on microgravity vibration isolation performed at the University of Virginia is summarized. This research on microgravity vibration isolation was focused in three areas: (1) the development of new actuators for use in microgravity isolation; (2) the design of controllers for multiple-degree-of-freedom active isolation; and (3) the construction of a single-degree-of-freedom test rig with umbilicals. Described are the design and testing of a large stroke linear actuator; the conceptual design and analysis of a redundant coarse-fine six-degree-of-freedom actuator; an investigation of the control issues of active microgravity isolation; a methodology for the design of multiple-degree-of-freedom isolation control systems using modern control theory; and the design and testing of a single-degree-of-freedom test rig with umbilicals.

Knospe, Carl R.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Attitude stabilization of a rigid spacecraft using two momentum wheel actuators

It is well known that three momentum wheel actuators can be used to control the attitude of a rigid spacecraft and that arbitrary reorientation maneuvers of the spacecraft can be accomplished using smooth feedback. If failure of one of the momentum wheel actuators occurs, it is demonstrated that two momentum wheel actuators can be used to control the attitude of a rigid spacecraft and that arbitrary reorientation maneuvers of the spacecraft can be accomplished. Although the complete spacecraft equations are not controllable, the spacecraft equations are small time locally controllable in a reduced nonlinear sense. The reduced spacecraft dynamics cannot be asymptotically stabilized to any equilibrium attitude using a time-variant continuous feedback control law, but discontinuous feedback control strategies are constructed which stabilize any equilibrium attitude of the spacecraft in finite time. Consequently, reorientation of the spacecraft can be accomplished using discontinuous feedback control.

Krishnan, Hariharan↗

NASA NTRS1993

Planar reorientation of a free-free beam in space using embedded electromechanical actuators

It is demonstrated that the planar reorientation of a free-free beam in zero gravity space can be accomplished by periodically changing the shape of the beam using embedded electromechanical actuators. The dynamics which determine the shape of the free-free beam is assumed to be characterized by the Euler-Bernoulli equation, including material damping, with appropriate boundary conditions. The coupling between the rigid body motion and the flexible motion is explained using the angular momentum expression which includes rotatory inertia and kinematically exact effects. A control scheme is proposed where the embedded actuators excite the flexible motion of the beam so that it rotates in the desired sense with respect to a fixed inertial reference. Relations are derived which relate the average rotation rate to the amplitudes and the frequencies of the periodic actuation signal and the properties of the beam. These reorientation maneuvers can be implemented by using feedback control.

Kolmanovsky, Ilya V.↗