Dragan Pršić

A nature inspired optimal control of pneumatic-driven parallel robot platform

Woodworking industry is increasingly characterized by processing complex spatial forms with high accuracy and high speeds. The use of parallel robot platforms with six degrees of freedom gains more significance. Due to stricter requirements regarding energy consumption, easy maintenance and environmental safety, parallel platforms with pneumatic drives become more and more interesting. However, the high precision tracking control of such systems represents a serious challenge for designers. The reason is found in complex dynamics of the mechanical system and strong nonlinearity of the pneumatic system. This paper presents an optimal control design for a pneumatically driven parallel robot platform. The Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) algorithm with feedback linearization is used for control. The parameter search method is based on a firefly algorithm due to the empirical evidence of its superiority in solving various nonconvex problems. The simulation results show that the proposed optimal tuned cascade control is effective and efficient. These results clearly demonstrate that the proposed control techniques exhibit significant performance improvement over classical and widely used control techniques.

Design of PI Controllers for Hydraulic Control Systems

The paper proposes a procedure for design of PI controllers for hydraulic systems with long transmission lines which are described by models of high order. Design is based on the combination of the IE criterion and engineering specifications (settling time and relative stability) as well as on the application of D-decomposition. In comparison with some known results, the method is of graphical character, and it is very simple (solving nonlinear algebraic equations is eliminated). The paper presents the algorithm of software procedure for design of the controller. The method is compared with other methods at the level of simulation, and its superiority is shown. By applying the Nyquist criterion, it is shown that the method possesses robustness in relation to non modelled dynamics.

Simulation of hydraulic check valve for forestry equipment

Modelling and simulating complex systems, such as forestry equipment, are often the only way for their full analysis and design. This problem may lead to a stiff set of equations that are followed by numerical problems. In this paper two alternative approaches are investigated. The first one refers to the use of a variable step of integration by continuous models adjusted to the fastest processes. The second one refers to the approximation of fast transitions by ideal instantaneous mode-transitions and hybrid models. These two approaches are analysed in the framework of bond graph. The classical bond graph is adopted for description of the continuous models, and the switched bond graph is preferred for description of the hybrid models. The model of check valve is used as a working example for illustration of results. Matlab/Simulink tools are used for modelling and simulation.

Different modeling technologies of hydraulic load simulator for thrust vector control actuator

Original scientific paper Hydraulic simulators are extremely important in the flight control actuator system’s verification process. Flexible nozzle has a number of specifics, comparing to other flight controls, because the load cannot be described, classically, by the hinge moment. Additionally, classical hydraulic simulator, in which the cylinder simulates the load, is not sufficient for performing a complete simulation of the real load. Building a mechanical pendulum, to which a hydraulic cylinder acts, and that rests on two elastic supports, enables simulation of additional phenomena that exist in flexible nozzle, but not in other control surfaces. Force from impulse that exists in reality, and which is impossible to be generated by standard hydraulic simulator, can be realized through the pendulum. This paper demonstrates that a simulator can be designed through modelling of the elastic load using bond graph, without a precise elaboration of direction of forces in elastic structure, just by observing, on energy level, the input of force in flexible structure over the point in which actuator force acts. Simulator with hydraulic cylinder is convenient to be used when there is a need for considering the risk of self-oscillation of flexible joint and nozzle, i.e. for defining the so-called notch filter. Then, the hydraulic cylinder of load simulator can generate the oscillation, frequency and amplitude that match this dynamic case of flexible nozzle actuator’s load that is being reduced to its piston rod, without a risk of damaging the flexible structure that exists in the construction of a simulator with pendulum.

Multilinear Model of Heat Exchanger with Hammerstein Structure

The multilinear model control design approach is based on the approximation of the nonlinear model of the system by a set of linear models. The paper presents the method of creation of a bank of linear models of the two-pass shell and tube heat exchanger. The nonlinear model is assumed to have a Hammerstein structure. The set of linear models is formed by decomposition of the nonlinear steady-state characteristic by using the modified Included Angle Dividing method. Two modifications of this method are proposed. The first one refers to the addition to the algorithm for decomposition, which reduces the number of linear segments. The second one refers to determination of the threshold value. The dependence between decomposition of the nonlinear characteristic and the linear dynamics of the closed-loop system is established. The decoupling process is more formal and it can be easily implemented by using software tools. Due to its simplicity, the method is particularly suitable in complex systems, such as heat exchanger networks.

Time Variable Speed Control of Pump Controlled Hydraulic Motor Using Natural Tracking Control

Abstract A pump controlled hydraulic motor meets problems with speed and accuracy. These problems become very significant with time varying motion. One way to overcome these problems is to develop some kind of control algorithm. Having in mind the task of these systems, a control algorithm based on the trackability concept seems logical. The special kind of control algorithm based on this concept has been investigated on time variable speed control of pump controlled hydraulic motor. Experimental and simulation results are shown.