Mechatronics at the

University of Calgary:
Concepts and Applications

Jeff Pieper
Outline
 Mechatronics
 Past and Present Research Results
 Undergraduate Program
 Directions for the Future
 Summary
What is Mechatronics?
 Synergistic combination of mechanics,
electronics, microprocessors and control
engineering
 Like concurrent engineering
 Does not take advantage of inherent uniqueness
available
 Control of complex electro-mechanical
systems
 Rethinking of machine component design by use
of mechanics, electronics and computation
 Allows more reconfigurablility
What is Mechatronics
 Design example: timing belt in
automobile
 Timing belt mechanically synchronizes
and supervises operation
 Mechatronics: replace timing belt with
software
 Allows reconfigurability online
What is Mechatronics
 Second example: Active suspension
 Design of suspension to achieve
different characteristics under different
operating environments
 Demonstrates fundamental trade-offs
What is Mechatronics
 Low tech, low cost, low performance: pure
mechanical elements: spring shock absorber
 Can use dynamic systems to find coefficients via
time or frequency domain
 mid tech, cost, performance: electronics: op amps,
RLC circuits, hydraulic actuators
 Typically achieve two operating regimes, e.g.
highway vs off-road
 High tech, cost , performance: microprocessor-based
online adjustment of parameters
 Infinitely adjustable performance

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Research Projects
 Discrete Sliding Mode Control with Applications
 Helicopter Flight Control
 OHS Aircraft Flight Control
 Magnetic Bearings in Papermaking Systems
 Robust Control for Marginally stable systems
 Process Control and System ID
 Controller Architecture

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Theme of research
 Control of
 Uncertain
 Nonlinear
 Time-varying
 Industrially relevant
 Electro-mechanical systems

 This is control applications side of

mechatronics
 Involves sensor, actuator, controller design
What is control?
 Nominal performance
 Servo tracking
 Disturbance rejection
 Low sensitivity
 Minimal effects of unknown aspects
 Non-time-varying
Feedback Control *
Discrete Time Sliding Mode
Control
 Comprehensive evaluation of theoretical
methodology
 Optimization, maximum robustness
 Applications:
 Web tension system
 Gantry crane
Web Tension System
Gantry Crane *
Helicopter Flight Control
 Experimental Model Validation
 Model-following control design
 Experimental Flight Control
 Multivariable
 Start-up and safety
Helicopter Flight Control
Helicopter Flight Control
 Model-following vs. stability
 Conflicting Multi-objective
 Controller Optimization
 Order reduction
 System validation
Helicopter Flight Control *
OHS Aircraft Flight Control
 Outboard Horizontal Stabilizer
 Non-intuitive to fly
 Developed sensors and actuators
 Model identification and validation
 Gain-scheduled adaptive control
 Reconfigurable controller based upon
feedback available
OHS Aircraft *
4
25

20
15
20 m/s
15

Angle of Attack (deg)

2 10
Airspeed (m/s)

0 0
-5

-2 -10

-15
-4 -20

-25
0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4

30
100

20 75

50

Pitch Rate (deg/s)

10
Pitch (deg)

25
0 0

-10 -25

-50
-20
-75

-30 -100
0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4

2.0 10

1.5 8
Elevator Deflection (deg)

6
1.0
4
0.5
Altitude (m)

0.0 0

-0.5 -2

-4
-1.0
-6
-1.5 -8

-2.0 -10
0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4

Time (s) Time (s)

Magnetic Bearings in
Papermaking Systems
 System identification for magnetic
bearings
 Nonlinear, unstable system
 Closed loop modeling
 Control Design using Sliding Mode
methods and state estimators
 Servo-Control of shaft position
Magnetic Bearings
Frequency (Hz) Frequency (Hz)
20 50 100 200 500 1000 2500 20 50 100 200 500 1000 2500
2 1.5
-50 -50

1 0 0
1
50 50
)ged( e sahP

)ged( e sahP
0
U hl

100 100

Yhl
0.5
-1 150 150

200 200 0
-2
250 250

-3 -0.5
0 5 10 15 20 25 0 5 10 15 20 25

Frequency (Hz) Frequency (Hz)

20 50 100 200 500 1000 2500 20 50 100 200 500 1000 2500
-60 -60
2 1
-50 -50

-40 -40
1
0.5
-30 -30
)Bd( edu tingaM

)Bd( edu tingaM

0 -20 -20
U hr

Yhr
0
-10 -10
-1
0 0

10 10 -0.5
-2
20 20
Yhl/U hl Yhr/U hl
-3 -1
0 5 10 15 20 25 0 5 10 15 20 25
Time (mS) Time (mS)
Magnetic Bearings in
Papermaking Systems
 Papermaking system modeling
 Use of mag bearings for tension control
actuation and model development
 Control Design and implementation
issues
 Compare performance with standard
roller torque control
 Papermaking Tension Control
The H-infinity norm of different order apprx system The H-infinity norm of transfer function of PID controller by changing velocity
1.4 2.6
2nd order approx
1.35 4th order approx 2.4
6th order approx
1.3 10th order approx

The H-infinity norm of transfer function

2.2
H-infinith norm of transfer function

1.25
2
1.2
1.8
1.15
1.6
1.1
1.4
1.05

1.2
1

0.95 1

0.9 0.8
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5
Cross-sectional Area of web material 2
Cross-sectional Area of web material(in. )

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 Robust Control
via Q-parameterization
x

 Ball and beam application

 Stability margin optimization: Nevanlinna-Pick
interpolation
Experimental Results
 Large lag
 Non-minimum phase
behaviour
 Friction, hard limits
Robust Stability Margin *
Delay Nominal Optimal
0 -0.27 -0.30
0.1 -0.26 -0.28
0.2 -0.19 -0.22
0.3 -0.07 -0.11
0.4 0.06 0.01
0.5 0.17 0.10
0.6 0.26 0.18
0.7 0.34 0.24
0.8 0.39 0.29
0.9 0.44 0.33
1 0.48 0.37
1.1 0.51 0.40
1.2 0.54 0.42
1.3 0.56 0.44
1.4 0.58 0.46
1.5 0.60 0.47
Process Control and System ID:
Quadruple-tank Process Diagram
Out2 Out1 Out2 Out1

Tank1 Tank3
G11 G21 L3
L1

Tank4
Tank2
G12 G22
L4
L2

PUMP1 PUMP2
System ID: Model Fitting

Tank4 process model

with input u1

Tank2 process model

with input u1
Control Techniques
 Classic PI control
 Internal Model Control (IMC)
 Model Predictive Control (MPC)
 Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR)
Optimal Control
 MPC Control Results

Different set points changes to test MPC

controller performance

Tank2 response Tank4 response

 Performance Comparison *

Controllers
Parameters
PI IMC MPC LQR
MP(%) 4 20 5 32
ts (sec) 31 99 50 210
ss e(%) 1.5 0 0 0
||e||2 2.7 0.8 0.45 0.3
||e|| 0.2 0.08 0.05 0.05
trc(sec) 34 102 47 76
Controller Architecture
 Given conflicting and redundant
information
 Design controller with best practical
behaviour
 Good nominal performance
 Robust stability
 Implementable
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Undergraduate Program:
Mechatronics Lab with Applications
 Developed lab environment for teaching and research
 Two courses: - linear systems, - prototyping
 Hands-on work in:
 modeling
 system identification
 Sampled-data systems
 Optical encoding
 State estimation
 Control design
Mechatronics Lab with Applications
 Multivariable fluid flow control system
 Two-input-two-outputs
 Variable dynamics
 Model Predictive Control
 Chemical Process Emulation
Fluid Flow Control

Quanser Product
Mechatronics Lab with Applications
 Ball and Beam system
 Hierarchical control system
 Motor position servo
 Ball position
 Solve via Q-parameterization
 Robust stability and optimal nominal
performance
Ball and Beam System

Quanser Product
Mechatronics Lab with Applications
 Heat Flow Apparatus
 Unique design
 Varying deadtime for challenging control
 Demonstrate industrial control schemes
 PID controllers
 Deadtime compensators
Heat Flow Apparatus *

Quanser product
Directions for the Future
 Robust Performance
 robust stability and nominal performance
simultaneously guaranteed
 Multiobjective Control Design
 Systems that meet conflicting, and disparate
objectives
 Performance evaluation for soft measures
 Fuzzy systems

 Bottom line: Mechatronics *

Summary
 Control applications in electro-
mechanical systems
 Emphasis on usability
 Complex problems from simple systems
 Undergraduate program: hands-on
learning and dealing with systems form
user to end-effector