Engineering Researh Equipment: Experiments in Control of Constrained Nonsmooth Mechanical Systems

该REG奖为购买与约束非光滑机械系统控制实验相关的研究设备提供资金。该设备包括两轴直接驱动运动装置、数字示波器、力传感器、去毛刺工具、数据采集卡、电源和放大器，以及用于模拟和实时控制的计算机。研究将非光滑微分方程理论的结果应用于以非线性微分-代数方程为特征的约束机械系统的建模和控制，并经常出现库仑摩擦、饱和死区和间隙等现象。该设备将利用为此类操作开发的独特方法，促进表面加工操作自动化的实验，并将确定非光滑机械系统控制应用领域的新研究方向。此外，它将被用作自动去毛刺，磨削和其他边缘精加工操作的试验台，其行为可以通过非光滑机械系统动力学精确描述。从试验台上提出的实验中开发的知识库将为解决行业中复杂的自动化表面处理操作相关的一些问题提供重要的见解。除了提高控制理论及其应用的基础知识外，在拟议设备上进行的实验还将为学生的工业就业做好准备，并增加机电一体化方面的培训，即系统动力学，控制理论，过程动力学和实时控制实现的集成。

This REG award provides funds for the purchase of research equipment related to experiments in control of constrained non smooth mechanical systems. The equipment comprises of a two axis direct drive motion setup, digital oscilloscope, force sensor, deburring tools, data acquisition cards, power supplies and amplifiers, and computers for simulations and real time control. The research addresses applications of the results from the theory of non-smooth differential equations to the modeling and control of constrained mechanical systems, which are characterized by nonlinear differential-algebraic equations and often such phenomena as Coulomb friction,saturation dead zones and backlash. The equipment will facilitate experiments in automation of surface finishing operations,utilizing the unique methodology developed for such operations, and will identify new research directions in the area of control applications of non smooth mechanical systems. In addition, it will be used as a testbed for automated deburring, grinding, and other edge finishing operations, the behavior of which can be accurately described by non-smooth mechanical system dynamics. The knowledge base developed from the proposed experiments on the test-bed will provide significant insight towards solving some of the problems associated with complex real-world automated surface finishing operations in the industry. Besides advancing the fundamental knowledge in control theory and its applications, experiments conducted on the proposed equipment will also prepare students for industrial employment with added training in mechatronics, i.e., integration of system dynamics, control theory, process dynamics and real-time control implementation.