Search results for "Control Engineering"
showing 10 items of 435 documents
A neural network-based optimizing control system for a seawater-desalination solar-powered membrane distillation unit
2013
Abstract Several schemes have been proposed so far for coupling desalination processes with the use of renewable energy. One of their main drawbacks, however, is the nature of the energy source that requires a discontinuous and non-stationary operation, with some control and optimization problems. In the present work, a solar powered membrane distillation system has been used for developing an optimizing control strategy. A neural network (NN) model of the system has been trained and tested using experimental data purposely collected. Afterwards, the NN model has been used for the analysis of the process performance under various operating conditions, namely distillate production versus fee…
Control of the Biodegradation of Mixed Wastes in a Continuous Bioreactor by a Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Controller
2009
Abstract Type-2 fuzzy logic control is proposed for nonlinear processes characterized by bifurcations. A control simulation study was conducted for a bioreactor with cell recycle containing phenol and glucose as carbon and energy sources in which a pure culture of Pseudomonas putida is carried out. The model developed by Ajbar [Ajbar, A. (2001). Stability analysis of the biodegradation of mixed wastes in a continuous bioreactor with cell recycle. Water Research, 35 (5), 1201–1208] was used for the simulations. The particular dynamics of the bioreactor, characterized by two saddle-node bifurcations, makes its control difficult, since it may become unstable also for small variations of some p…
Nonlinear control of an activated sludge aeration process: use of fuzzy techniques for tuning PID controllers
1999
In this paper, several tuning algorithms, specifically ITAE, IMC and Cohen and Coon, were applied in order to tune an activated sludge aeration PID controller. Performance results of these controllers were compared by simulation with those obtained by using a nonlinear fuzzy PID controller. In order to design this controller, a trial and error procedure was used to determine, as a function of error at current time and at a previous time, sets of parameters (including controller gain, integral time and derivative time) which achieve satisfactory response of a PID controller actuating over the aeration process. Once these sets of data were obtained, neural networks were used to obtain fuzzy m…
Research Toward The Optical Equipment For An Autonomous Robot For TviV Environment
1989
The paper consists of three major parts: basic technical problems in very high power/megavolt environment, signal processing and mechanical equipment for this environment, construction of a sensor equipped robot for this environment. The first part contains mainly metrological confinements and reliability considerations for the optical, optoelectronic and electronic part of a system. The second part contains mechanics and robotics problems. The result of these two parts is a choice of a system to be realized.
Sensor-Assisted Machining
2008
This chapter provides comprehensive knowledge regarding the application of various sensors and monitoring techniques to machining processes, cutting tools and machine tools. A number of monitoring methods used in manufacturing and relevant sensors are characterized. In particular, three most frequently used sensors, i.e., force, acceleration and acoustic emission, are presented and their characteristics and advantages are highlighted. The architectures of multiple-sensor tool-monitoring systems for detection of tool wear and breakage and collision for machine tools, including details of sensor fusion, signal processing and decision-making, are presented. Moreover, the concepts of sensor-bas…
Nonlinear Control of a Pneumatic Muscle Actuator System
2001
Abstract The performance of a Pneumatic Muscle Actuator under three tracking control strategies is compared: robust backstepping, sliding-mode and gain scheduling. Robustness is assured for the three controllers in the presence of model uncertainties and external perturbations. Exponential stability is proved for the sliding-mode tracking controller, ultimate boundedness for the backstepping tracking controller and exponential stability for constant or slowly-varying reference signals for the gain scheduling controller. Computer simulations show a good performance for the tracking of a sine wave by the first two controllers, although the sliding-mode strategy yields a high-frequency switchi…
Robust Control Allocation for Spacecraft Attitude Stabilization under Actuator Faults and Uncertainty
2014
A robust control allocation scheme is developed for rigid spacecraft attitude stabilization in the presence of actuator partial loss fault, actuator failure, and actuator misalignment. First, a neural network fault detection scheme is proposed, Second, an adaptive attitude tracking strategy is employed which can realize fault tolerance control under the actuator partial loss and actuator failure withinλmin=0.5. The attitude tracking and faults detection are always here during the procedure. Once the fault occurred which could not guaranteed the attitude stable for 30 s, the robust control allocation strategy is generated automatically. The robust control allocation compensates the control …
Interior permanent magnet synchronous motors: Impact of the variability of the parameters on their efficiency
2016
In the scientific literature, various authors presented different control strategies aimed to increase the efficiency of the interior permanent magnet synchronous motors. These strategies, starting from a well-known mathematical model of the dynamic behaviour of the motor, are able to reduce the power losses acting on the magnetizing component of the stator current. However, none of the proposed approaches takes into account that, varying the working conditions of the motor, also the values of the parameters, which have an impact on the power losses, can vary. In this paper, therefore, starting from an accurate measurement of the motor characteristics for various values of speed and load, w…
Experimental study of the evolution of a bar breakage process in a commercial induction machine
2008
This paper analyzes the results of a destructive test developed on a commercial induction motor. The test is designed to reproduce in the laboratory the cage degradation process of an induction motor subjected to a high amount of working cycles, which include heavy startups. During each cycle, the main magnitudes related to the motor condition monitoring are registered, at steady state as well as at transient regime. From these magnitudes, some fault indicators described in the literature are calculated, and so, it is possible to follow their evolution. This analysis assesses the use of such small commercial machines in a test bed as a way of developing a failure that can be used to compare…
Design of a power conditioning unit for a Stirling generator in space applications
2012
The Free-Piston Stirling Generator (FPSG) is a thermal to electrical energy conversion system, based upon the thermal engine of the same name. Intensive research concerning the feasibility of the engine for its application in deep space and planetary missions has been conducted, primarily due to the potential increase in efficiency (−30%) over the currently used Radio-isotope Generators (RTGs). On the other hand, less attention has been paid to the power conditioning requirements and alternatives. The present work has investigated on the dynamics governing the FPSGs in order to assess the design requirements for the subsequent power-conditioning unit (PCU). Thereafter, two alternatives of A…