Robert J. Veillette

Bio: Robert J. Veillette is an academic researcher from University of Akron. The author has contributed to research in topics: Control system & Control theory. The author has an hindex of 18, co-authored 70 publications receiving 1983 citations. Previous affiliations of Robert J. Veillette include University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.

Design of reliable control systems

Abstract: A methodology for the design of reliable centralized and decentralized control systems is developed. The resulting control systems are reliable in that they provide guaranteed stability and H/sub infinity / performance not only when all control components are operational, but also for sensor or actuator outages in the centralized case, or for control-channel outages in the decentralized case. Reliability is guaranteed provided these outages occur only within a prespecified subset of control components. Strongly stabilizing designs are also developed, for both centralized and decentralized systems. >

A charge controller for linear operation of a piezoelectric stack actuator

Abstract: This paper examines the position control problem of piezoelectric stack actuators and presents a method for overcoming the hysteresis nonlinearity between the applied voltage and the actuator displacement. An inverting charge control circuit is implemented to linearize the stack actuator movement by taking advantage of the linear relationship between charge and displacement. The charge control feedback loop is analyzed in detail. It incorporates an operational amplifier to provide high loop gain, a high-voltage amplifier (HVA) to drive the stack actuator, and a lead compensator to ensure stability. Experiments were conducted to compare the responses of the stack actuator under voltage and charge control. The experimental data show that the charge control provides linear actuator operation from 1 Hz-10 Hz over approximately 35% of the actuator operating range, and from 1 Hz-20 Hz over approximately 19% of the operating range.

Real-Time Monitoring of Wear Debris in Lubrication Oil Using a Microfluidic Inductive Coulter Counting Device

Abstract: A microfluidic device based on an inductive Coulter counting principle to detect metal wear particles in lubrication oil is presented. The device detects the passage of ferrous and nonferrous particles by monitoring the inductance change of an embedded coil. The device was tested using iron and copper particles ranging in size from 50 to 125 μm. The testing results have demonstrated that the device is capable of detecting and distinguishing ferrous and nonferrous metal particles in lubrication oil; such particles can be indicative of potential machine faults in rotating and reciprocating machinery.

Design and performance analysis of sliding-mode observers for sensorless operation of switched reluctance motors

Abstract: This paper presents an analytical and experimental evaluation of the sliding-mode observer (SMO) for eliminating position and speed sensors in switched reluctance motor (SRM) drives. Design guidelines are derived for the SMO to guarantee an upper bound on the observer error for all time. An analysis is presented to demonstrate that the SMO also possesses an automatic adaptation property with respect to the intensity of the measurement noise. The SMO approach is shown, in simulations and in experiments, to provide accurate position and speed estimates under various operating conditions. The resolution and reliability of the scheme are shown to be superior to those obtained using standard state observers. The results demonstrate the applicability of the SMO-based sensorless controllers for SRM drives.

I and i

Abstract: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality. Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

FPGA Design Methodology for Industrial Control Systems—A Review

Abstract: This paper reviews the state of the art of field- programmable gate array (FPGA) design methodologies with a focus on industrial control system applications. This paper starts with an overview of FPGA technology development, followed by a presentation of design methodologies, development tools and relevant CAD environments, including the use of portable hardware description languages and system level programming/design tools. They enable a holistic functional approach with the major advantage of setting up a unique modeling and evaluation environment for complete industrial electronics systems. Three main design rules are then presented. These are algorithm refinement, modularity, and systematic search for the best compromise between the control performance and the architectural constraints. An overview of contributions and limits of FPGAs is also given, followed by a short survey of FPGA-based intelligent controllers for modern industrial systems. Finally, two complete and timely case studies are presented to illustrate the benefits of an FPGA implementation when using the proposed system modeling and design methodology. These consist of the direct torque control for induction motor drives and the control of a diesel-driven synchronous stand-alone generator with the help of fuzzy logic.

Design of reliable control systems

Abstract: A methodology for the design of reliable centralized and decentralized control systems is developed. The resulting control systems are reliable in that they provide guaranteed stability and H/sub infinity / performance not only when all control components are operational, but also for sensor or actuator outages in the centralized case, or for control-channel outages in the decentralized case. Reliability is guaranteed provided these outages occur only within a prespecified subset of control components. Strongly stabilizing designs are also developed, for both centralized and decentralized systems. >