984 research outputs found
Practical Challenges in Harvesting Wave Energy
This paper examines the challenges of efficiently harnessing wave energy. A variety of energy conversion device types is reviewed and a generic heaving buoy device selected for detailed examination. A number of modelling and control challenges are detailed and a hierarchical control structure is indicated. Both potable water production and electricity generation are included as possible uses of such devices and each presents separate control challenges
Diagonalisation of a class of multivariable system via an actuator linearisation technique
Many multivariable (systems with many inputs/outputs) industrial processes can, to a
good degree of approximation, be modelled by a transfer function matrix, where all of
the interaction occurs in a matrix of constant coefficients. This reflects the fact that the
dynamics of the section in which the interaction occurs are very fast compared with the
other dynamics in the system. Examples of such systems include steel rolling mills and
boiler systems.
Such multivariable systems are relatively easy to design controllers for, since the
system may be diagonalised by an inverse of the constant gain matrix, followed by
suitable single-loop dynamic compensation. However, this approach depends on the
linearity of the dynamical elements in the system. Such a condition is voilated by
the presence of non-linear actuators, which are a feature of many industrial systems. The
presence of such actuators within a multivariable control system as described above can
cause very significant interaction problems, with associated degradation in performance,
particularly during transients.
This paper describes a straightforward technique, which is effective in linearising
typical non-linear industrial actuators, allowing diagonalisation to be effectively
achieved at all frequencies. The technique relies on a simple describing function analysis
and manifests itself as a time-varying linearising precompensator for each non-linear
actuator. A simple example is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method and it
is then shown in application with multivariable boiler and steel mill models
Electronic engineering education - an Irish perspective
This paper describes the current approach to electronic engineering education in
the School of Electronic Engineering at Dublin City University. Since the first
student intake in 1979, the University has developed a range of programs to suit the
needs of Irish industry, from the B.Eng degree (with single subject certification) to
masters and doctoral programs with research and coursework options. In addition,
the School of Electronic Engineering is committed to providing Continuing
Engineering Education (CEE) which, for the most part, is integrated with the full
time taught courses. Some attention is paid to the industrial training component in
the undergraduate program which has been a controversial issue in Irish
universities. In addition, the position of graduates within the EC is examined
Electronic engineering education - an Irish perspective
This paper describes the current approach to electronic engineering education in
the School of Electronic Engineering at Dublin City University. Since the first
student intake in 1979, the University has developed a range of programs to suit the
needs of Irish industry, from the B.Eng degree (with single subject certification) to
masters and doctoral programs with research and coursework options. In addition,
the School of Electronic Engineering is committed to providing Continuing
Engineering Education (CEE) which, for the most part, is integrated with the full
time taught courses. Some attention is paid to the industrial training component in
the undergraduate program which has been a controversial issue in Irish
universities. In addition, the position of graduates within the EC is examined
Control techniques for ocean energy applications.
Control systems, despite often being `invisibly' incorporated within products,
devices and vehicles, are ubiquitous. They are prevalent within the automotive
and aerospace industries and form part of the vanguard of technologies in in-
creasing performance, improving fuel economy and increasing safety. One of the
most appealing aspects of incorporating control technology in many systems is
that the addition of extra control functionality can usually be achieved merely
through the addition of extra software code though, in many cases, additional
sensors and actuators may be required.
This relatively simple implementation modality masks both the capability
of control systems and the high level of engineering underpinning the devel-
opment of a suitable control algorithm. For example, many high-performance
model-based control design methods require an accurate mathematical model
of the system to be controlled and a significant number of man-hours can be
absorbed in modelling. Nevertheless, there is usually a good case to be made
for the incorporation of control technology to improve the performance (both
technical and economic), reliability and safety of a system. In this chapter, we
will examine the role that control engineering can play in making ocean energy
technology more competitive
Making Lectures Come Alive With a Data Projector
The relatively recent advent of widely available data projectors, coupled with the availability of CAD packages for control systems with graphical input/output facilities provides a mechanism for transforming lectures into shows where students can see control systems come alive. Experiences over a range of control systems courses at Dublin City University (DCU) have been positive, where a data projector has been used over a trial period of eighteen months
Intelligent Forecasting of Electricity Demand
In this paper, a number of approaches to the modelling of electricity demand, on a variety of time-scales, are considered. These approaches fall under the category of 'intelligent' systems engineering, where techniques such as neural networks, fuzzy logic and genetic algorithms are employed. The paper attempts to give some motivation for the
employment of such techniques, while also making some effort to be realistic about the limitations of such methods, in particular a number of important caveats that should be borne in mind when utilising these techniques within the current application domain. In general, the electricity demand data is modelled as a time series, but one application considered involves application of linguistic modelling to capture operator expertise
Making Lectures Come Alive With a Data Projector
The relatively recent advent of widely available data projectors, coupled with the availability of CAD packages for control systems with graphical input/output facilities provides a mechanism for transforming lectures into shows where students can see control systems come alive. Experiences over a range of control systems courses at Dublin City University (DCU) have been positive, where a data projector has been used over a trial period of eighteen months
Ahead of the wave
This paper examines the challenges of efficiently harnessing wave energy. A variety of energy
conversion device types is reviewed and a generic heaving buoy device selected for detailed
examination. A number of modeling and control challenges are detailed and a hierarchical
control structure is indicated. Both potable water production and electricity generation are
included as possible uses of such devices and each presents separate control challenges
The Dynamics of Wave Energy
This paper examines the challenges of efficiently harnessing
wave energy. A variety of energy conversion device types
is reviewed and a generic heaving buoy device selected for detailed
examination. A number of modelling and control challenges are detailed
and a hierarchical control structure is indicated. Both potable
water production and electricity generation are included as possible
uses of such devices and each presents separate control challenges
- …