Energy Conservative Limit Cycle Oscillations

This paper shows how globally attractive limit cycle oscillations can be induced in a system with a nonlinear feedback element. Based on the same principle as the Van der Pol oscillator, the feedback behaves as a negative damping for low velocities but as an ordinary damper for high velocities. This nonlinear damper can be physically implemented with a continuous variable transmission and a spring, storing energy in the spring when the damping is positive and reusing it when the damping is negative. The resulting mechanism has a natural limit cycle oscillation that is energy conservative and can be used for the development of robust, dynamic walking robots

Model based control strategies for a class of nonlinear mechanical sub-systems

This paper presents a comparison between various control strategies for a class of mechanical actuators common in heavy-duty industry. Typical actuator components are hydraulic or pneumatic elements with static non-linearities, which are commonly referred to as Hammerstein systems. Such static non-linearities may vary in time as a function of the load and hence classical inverse-model based control strategies may deliver sub-optimal performance. This paper investigates the ability of advanced model based control strategies to satisfy a tolerance interval for position error values, overshoot and settling time specifications. Due to the presence of static non-linearity requiring changing direction of movement, control effort is also evaluated in terms of zero crossing frequency (up-down or left-right movement). Simulation and experimental data from a lab setup suggest that sliding mode control is able to improve global performance parameters

Qualitative stability and synchronicity analysis of power network models in port-Hamiltonian form

This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in Chaos 28, 101102 (2018) and may be found at https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5054850.In view of highly decentralized and diversified power generation concepts, in particular with renewable energies, the analysis and control of the stability and the synchronization of power networks is an important topic that requires different levels of modeling detail for different tasks. A frequently used qualitative approach relies on simplified nonlinear network models like the Kuramoto model with inertia. The usual formulation in the form of a system of coupled ordinary differential equations is not always adequate. We present a new energy-based formulation of the Kuramoto model with inertia as a polynomial port-Hamiltonian system of differential-algebraic equations, with a quadratic Hamiltonian function including a generalized order parameter. This leads to a robust representation of the system with respect to disturbances: it encodes the underlying physics, such as the dissipation inequality or the deviation from synchronicity, directly in the structure of the equations, and it explicitly displays all possible constraints and allows for robust simulation methods. The model is immersed into a system of model hierarchies that will be helpful for applying adaptive simulations in future works. We illustrate the advantages of the modified modeling approach with analytics and numerical results. To reach the goal of temperature reduction to limit the climate change, as stipulated at the Paris Conference in 2015, it is necessary to integrate renewable energy sources into the existing power networks. Wind and solar power are the most promising ones, but the integration into the electric power grid remains an enormous challenge due to their variability that requires storage facilities, back-up plants, and accurate control processing. The current approach to describe the dynamics of power grids in terms of simplified nonlinear models, like the Kuramoto model with inertia, may not be appropriate when different control and optimization tasks are needed to be addressed. Under this aspect, we present a new energy-based formulation of the Kuramoto model with inertia that allows for an easy extension if further effects have to be included and higher fidelity is required for qualitative analysis. We illustrate the new modeling approach with analytic results and numerical simulations carried out for a semi-realistic model of the Italian grid and indicate how this approach can be generalized to models of finer granularity.DFG, 163436311, SFB 910: Kontrolle selbstorganisierender nichtlinearer Systeme: Theoretische Methoden und Anwendungskonzept

State space model of a hydraulic power take off unit for wave energy conversion employing bondgraphs

In this work, the modeling of a Power Take- Off (PTO) unit for a point absorber wave energy converter is described. The PTO influences the energy conversion performance by its efficiency and by the damping force exerted, which affects the motion of the body. The state space model presented gives a description of the damping force and of the internal dynamics of the PTO. The aim of this work is to develop a model for the PTO as a part of a complete wave-to-wire model of a wave energy converter as in Figure 1, used for the design control techniques. Figure 1: Wave-to-wire model structure A bondgraph is employed to model the physical system that provides transparent and methodical means of formulating state space equations and of visualizing energy transfer throughout the system. Bondgraphs have already been shown to be a very useful tool for the modeling of PTO for wave energy converters (2). The dynamic of the mathematical model is then analyzed respect to the variation of parameters; in particular, the non-linear system obtained is linearized and its eigenvalues are calculated as function of the accumulator size and pre-charge pressur

An alternative for human gait modelling using the Bond Graph Technique

The systematic analysis of the human gait with a skeletal or neuromuscular disorder is a valuable clinical instrument to determine the nature and severity of the disease. At present, there are many institutions that have developed a series of numerical models that simulate and analyze biomechanics systems such as the human gait. Many of these models require diverse and segmented programming to incorporate various effects of the dynamics of the body such as the performance of the muscles and tendons, the passive and active resistance to movement, and other physiological effects. One of the alternatives to simulate biomechanical systems is the use of the Bond Graph modeling technique. The modular modeling with multi-domains, a feature of the Bond Graph technique, is one of its potential advantages compare to other methods. The equations generated with the use of this technique are equivalent to those techniques developed with more traditional methods, but the modules can be easier and more comfortable to use in conjunction with models of neuromuscular control functions, models that incorporate the elasticity properties in the bones and tendons, etc. The proposed model, comprised of seven segments, is developed to estimate the torque and the power in the joints. This model is simulated and validated using the processed experimental data of a normal gait in GCD (Gait Cycle Data) format file

State space model of a hydraulic power take off unit for wave energy conversion employing bondgraphs

In this work, the modeling of a Power Take- Off (PTO) unit for a point absorber wave energy converter is described. The PTO influences the energy conversion performance by its efficiency and by the damping force exerted, which affects the motion of the body. The state space model presented gives a description of the damping force and of the internal dynamics of the PTO. The aim of this work is to develop a model for the PTO as a part of a complete wave-to-wire model of a wave energy converter as in Figure 1, used for the design control techniques. Figure 1: Wave-to-wire model structure A bondgraph is employed to model the physical system that provides transparent and methodical means of formulating state space equations and of visualizing energy transfer throughout the system. Bondgraphs have already been shown to be a very useful tool for the modeling of PTO for wave energy converters (2). The dynamic of the mathematical model is then analyzed respect to the variation of parameters; in particular, the non-linear system obtained is linearized and its eigenvalues are calculated as function of the accumulator size and pre-charge pressur

A structuring mechanism for embedded control systems using co-modelling and co-simulation

In most embedded control system (ECS) designs, multiple engineering disciplines and various domain-specific models are involved, such as embedded software models in discrete-event (DE) domain and dynamic plant model in continuous-time (CT) domain. In this paper, we advocate collaborative modelling and co-simulation to verify different aspects of the system as a whole before implementation. This paper proposes a development approach and structuring mechanism for CT-intensive ECS designs using co-modelling and co-simulation techniques. Based on this approach, an integrated co-model can be developed and refined using different domain-specific languages and tools. Influences from one domain to the other can be simulated via co-simulation and analysed in both perspectives. Our structuring and development process has been applied to a mobile robot using this co-simulation technique. We have experienced that structuring the co-modelling process allows us to produce co-models an co-simulations effectively. Future work is on checking for model inconsistencies during collaboration, and provide approaches to deal with this

On model-driven design of robot software using co-simulation

Abstract. In this paper we show that using co-simulation for robot software design will be more efficient than without co-simulation. We will show an example of the plotter how the co-simulation is helping with the design process. We believe that a collaborative methodology based on model-driven design will improve the chances of closing the design loop early, improving cross-discipline design dialog, and reduce errors, saving cost and time