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At least 505 records · Page 28

Redundant manipulators for momentum compensation in a micro-gravity environment

This paper is concerned with the implementation and assessment of joint motion management strategies for kinematically redundant robotic manipulators operating in the micro-gravity environment of Space Station. These robots must be capable of conducting experiments and manufacturing processes without disturbing the micro-gravity environment through base reactions/motions. The redundant degrees of freedom of the manipulator permit the inverse kinematic problem to be solved simultaneously with the minimization of a cost function. The cost function in this case is the weighted sum of the squares of the base forces and moments and is minimized over discrete time segments. The Generalized Inverse Method and Rayleigh Ritz technique are used to solve the combined optimization/inverse kinematics problem. Numerical examples include various robotic configurations and degrees of manipulator redundancy.

Quinn, R. D.↗

Essentially non-oscillatory shock capturing methods applied to turbulence amplification in shock wave calculations

ENO (essentially non-oscillatory) schemes can provide uniformly high order accuracy right up to discontinuities while keeping sharp, essentially non-oscillatory shock transitions. Recently, an efficient implementation of ENO schemes was obtained based on fluxes and TVD Runge-Kutta time discretizations. The resulting code is very simple to program for multi-dimensions. ENO schemes are especially suitable for computing problems with both discontinuities and fine structures in smooth regions, such as shock interaction with turbulence, for which results for 1-D and 2-D Euler equations are presented. Much better resolution is observed by using third order ENO schemes than by using second order TVD schemes for such problems.

Osher, Stanley↗

Integrated communication and control systems. I - Analysis

The paper presents the results of an ICCS analysis focusing on discrete-time control systems subject to time-varying delays. The present analytical technique is applicable to integrated dynamic systems such as those encountered in advanced aircraft, spacecraft, and the real-time control of robots and machine tools via a high-speed network within an autonomous manufacturing environment. The significance of data latency and missynchronization between individual system components in ICCS networks is discussed in view of the time-varying delays.

Halevi, Yoram↗

Averaging analysis of adaptive control algorithms

The method of averaging is used to analyze discrete-time indirect adaptive control. The analysis focuses on various prediction-error-driven identification algorithms coupled with a general linear control law. The plant is not required to be in the model set of the identifier, which accounts for systems with unmodeled plant dynamics. Exogenous input signals including known command signals and unknown disturbances are also included. Both gradient and Newton-based algorithms are considered.

Phillips, Stephen M.↗

Second order accurate finite difference approximations for the transonic small disturbance equation and the full potential equation

New shock-capturing finite difference approximations for solving two scalar conservation law nonlinear partial differential equations describing inviscid, isentropic, compressible flows of aerodynamics at transonic speeds are presented. A global linear stability theorem is applied to these schemes in order to derive a necessary and sufficient condition for the finite element method. A technique is proposed to render the described approximations total variation-stable by applying the flux limiters to the nonlinear terms of the difference equation dimension by dimension. An entropy theorem applying to the approximations is proved, and an implicit, forward Euler-type time discretization of the approximation is presented. Results of some numerical experiments using the approximations are reported.

Mostrel, M. M.↗

Efficient implementation of essentially non-oscillatory shock-capturing schemes. II

The present elaboration of essentially nonoscillatory (ENO) shock-capturing schemes proceeds with a novel, simplified expression for the ENO construction procedure having its basis in numerical fluxes rather than cell-averages. The ENO-local Lax-Friedrichs and ENO-Roe schemes introduced yield sharper shock transitions and greater overall accuracy than previous ENO-scheme implementations. Numerical fluxes and TVD Runge-Kutta time discretizations are used to apply Harten's subcell-resolution concept (1986) and Yang's artificial compression method to the current ENO schemes, in the interest of sharper contact discontinuities.

Shu, Chi-Wang↗

Performances Of Fixed-Lag Phase-Smoothing Algorithms

Report discusses performances of fixed-lag nonlinear smoothing algorithms applied to estimation of phase and frequency of sinusoidal carrier signal with process phase noise and additive observation phase noise. Algorithm of type considered functions as suboptimal filter operating on received signal. Algorithm developed for system in which signal sampled at discrete times. Process noise assumed to be Gaussian with zero mean and independent of observation noise. Nonlinear smoothing equations derived in customary matrix-and-vector forms.

Kumar, Rajendra↗

The application of TSIM software to act design and analysis on flexible aircraft

The TSIM software is described. This is a package which uses an interactive FORTRAN-like simulation language for the simulation on nonlinear dynamic systems and offers facilities which include: mixed continuous and discrete time systems, time response calculations, numerical optimization, automatic trimming of nonlinear aircraft systems, and linearization of nonlinear equations for eigenvalues, frequency responses and power spectral response evaluation. Details are given of the application of TSIM to the analysis of aeroelastic systems under the RAE Farborough extension FLEX-SIM. The aerodynamic and structural data for the equations of motion of a flexible aircraft are prepared by a preprocessor program for incorporation in TSIM simulations. Within the simulation, the flexible aircraft model may then be selected interactively for different flight conditions and modal reduction techniques applied. The use of FLEX-SIM is demonstrated by an example of the flutter prediction for a simple aeroelastic model. By utilizing the numerical optimization facility of TSIM, it is possible to undertake identification of required parameters in the TSIM model within the simulation.

Kaynes, Ian W.↗

COBE nonspinning attitude propagation

The Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) spacecraft will exhibit complex attitude motion consisting of a spin rate of approximately -0.8 revolution per minute (rpm) about the x-axis and simultaneous precession of the spin axis at a rate of one revolution per orbit (rpo) about the nearly perpendicular spacecraft-to-Sun vector. The effect of the combined spinning and precession is to make accurate attitude propagation difficult and the 1-degree (3 sigma) solution accuracy goal problematic. To improve this situation, an intermediate reference frame is introduced, and the angular velocity divided into two parts. The nonspinning part is that which would be observed if there were no rotation about the X-axis. The spinning part is simply the X-axis component of the angular velocity. The two are propagated independently and combined whenever the complete attitude is needed. This approach is better than the usual one-step method because each of the two angular velocities look nearly constant in their respective reference frames. Since the angular velocities are almost constant, the approximations made in discrete time propagation are more nearly true. To demonstrate the advantages of this nonspinning method, attitude is propagated as outlined above and is then compared with the results of the one-step method. Over the 100-minute COBE orbit, the one-step error grows to several degrees while the nonspinning error remains negligible.

Chu, D.↗

Extensions of output variance constrained controllers to hard constraints

Covariance Controllers assign specified matrix values to the state covariance. A number of robustness results are directly related to the covariance matrix. The conservatism in known upperbounds on the H infinity, L infinity, and L (sub 2) norms for stability and disturbance robustness of linear uncertain systems using covariance controllers is illustrated with examples. These results are illustrated for continuous and discrete time systems. **** ONLY 2 BLOCK MARKERS FOUND -- RETRY *****

Skelton, R.↗

Kinematics, controls, and path planning results for a redundant manipulator

The inverse kinematics solution, a modal position control algorithm, and path planning results for a 7 degree of freedom manipulator are presented. The redundant arm consists of two links with shoulder and elbow joints and a spherical wrist. The inverse kinematics problem for tip position is solved and the redundant joint is identified. It is also shown that a locus of tip positions exists in which there are kinematic limitations on self-motion. A computationally simple modal position control algorithm has been developed which guarantees a nearly constant closed-loop dynamic response throughout the workspace. If all closed-loop poles are assigned to the same location, the algorithm can be implemented with very little computation. To further reduce the required computation, the modal gains are updated only at discrete time intervals. Criteria are developed for the frequency of these updates. For commanding manipulator movements, a 5th-order spline which minimizes jerk provides a smooth tip-space path. Schemes for deriving a corresponding joint-space trajectory are discussed. Modifying the trajectory to avoid joint torque saturation when a tip payload is added is also considered. Simulation results are presented.

Gretz, Bruce↗

Numerical simulation of flow through biofluid devices

The results of a numerical simulation of flow through an artificial heart and through an artificial tilting-disk heart valve are presented. The simulation involves solving the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations; the solution process is described. The details and difficulties of modeling these particular geometries are discussed. The artificial heart geometry uses a single moving grid, and the valve computation uses an overlaid-grid approach with one moving grid and one stationary grid. The equations must be solved iteratively for each discrete time step of the computations, requiring a significant amount of computing time. It is particularly difficult to analyze and present the fluid physics represented by these calculations because of the time-varying nature of the flow, and because the flows are internal. Three-dimensional graphics and scientific visualization techniques have become instrumental in solving these problems.

Rogers, Stuart E.↗

Convergence of infinite dimensional sampled LQR problems - Theory and numerical results

A theory is developed for the convergence of the closed-loop solution to infinite-dimensional discrete-time linear-quadratic regulator (LQR) problems on the infinite time interval to the solution of a corresponding continuous-time LQR problem as the length of the sampling interval tends toward zero. Convergence of solutions to the operator algebraic Riccati equation and corresponding optimal feedback control gains is guaranteed under appropriate uniform stabilizability and detectability conditions and consistent sampling. Also presented are numerical results involving the optimal LQ control of a heat or diffusion equation, a hereditary or delay differential equation, and a hybrid system of ordinary and partial differential equations describing the transverse vibration of a cantilevered Voigt-Kelvin viscoelastic beam with tip mass.

Rosen, I. G.↗

Recent progress on essentially non-oscillatory shock capturing schemes

An account is given of the construction of efficient implementations of 'essentially nonoscillatory' (ENO) schemes that approximate systems of hyperbolic conservation laws. ENO schemes use a local adaptive stencil to automatically obtain information from regions of smoothness when the solution develops discontinuities. Approximations employing ENOs can thereby obtain uniformly high accuracy to the very onset of discontinuities, while retaining a sharp and essentially nonoscillatory shock transition. For ease of implementation, ENO schemes applying the adaptive stencil concept to the numerical fluxes and employing a TVD Runge-Kutta-type time discretization are constructed.

Osher, Stanley↗

Space Station Freedom Disturbance Simulation and Management Tool

The design and functions of the Disturbance Simulation and Management Tool, (DMST), a software package developed to evaluate the effects of design changes and disturbance inputs on the Space Station dynamic environment, are described. DMST is a menu-driven interactive package, written in the PRO-MATLAB, which incorporates methods such as FEM model reduction, mode synthesis, and discrete-time numerical simulation. Particular attention is given to the main-menu options, including building a payload and payload-pointing-system (PPS) configuration, selecting disturbance inputs, running PPS and lab-module microgravity-environment (MGE) simulations, calculating limits to meet PPS and MGE requirements, and performing MGE spectral analyses using power-spectral density or shock spectra. Typical numerical results are presented in graphs.

Lisman, Sima S.↗

Integrated Communication and Control Systems. III - Nonidentical sensor and controller sampling

Networking in Integrated Communication and Control Systems (ICCS) introduces randomly varying delays which degrade the system dynamic performance and are a source of potential instability. In Part I of this sequence of papers, a discrete-time, finite-dimensional model of the delayed control system for analysis and design of ICCS was developed where the sensor and controller have identical sampling rates. In Part II, two alternate approaches for ICCS design, namely, identical and nonidentical sampling rates for sensor and controller were proposed. This Part III presents extended modeling of ICCS for nonidentical sensor and controller sampling rates. This model is also suitable for analyzing tracking problems, i.e., control systems with time-dependent reference inputs.

Liou, Luen-Woei↗

A station-keeping method for libration point trajectories

Three-dimensional orbits in the vicinity of the interior libration point of the sun-earth/moon barycenter system are currently being considered for use with a number of missions planned for the 1990s. Since such libration-point trajectories are generally unstable, spacecraft moving on these paths must use some form of trajectory control to remain close to their nominal orbit. The primary goal of this effort is the development of a stationkeeping strategy applicable to such trajectories. A method is presented that uses maneuvers executed impulsively at discrete time intervals. The analysis includes some investigation of a number of the problem parameters that affect the overall maneuver costs. Simulations are designed to provide representative stationkeeping costs for a spacecraft moving in a libration-point trajectory, and preliminary results are summarized.

Howell, K. C.↗

Control and dynamics of a flexible spacecraft during stationkeeping maneuvers

A case study of a spacecraft having flexible solar arrays is presented. A stationkeeping attitude control mode using both earth and rate gyro reference signals and a flexible vehicle dynamics modeling and implementation is discussed. The control system is designed to achieve both pointing accuracy and structural mode stability during stationkeeping maneuvers. Reduction of structural mode interactions over the entire mode duration is presented. The control mode using a discrete time observer structure is described to show the convergence of the spacecraft attitude transients during Delta-V thrusting maneuvers without preloading thrusting bias to the onboard control processor. The simulation performance using the three axis, body stabilized nonlinear dynamics is provided. The details of a five body dynamics model are discussed. The spacecraft is modeled as a central rigid body having cantilevered flexible antennas, a pair of flexible articulated solar arrays, and to gimballed momentum wheels. The vehicle is free to undergo unrestricted rotations and translations relative to inertial space. A direct implementation of the equations of motion is compared to an indirect implementation that uses a symbolic manipulation software to generate rigid body equations.

Liu, D.↗