Simulations and feedback control of nonlinear coupled electromechanical oscillators for energy conversion applications

This thesis discusses the coupling of a mechanical and electrical oscillator, an arrangement that is often encountered in mechatronics actuators and sensors. The dynamics of this coupled system is mathematically modeled and a low pass equivalent model is presented. Numerical simulations are then performed, for various input signals to characterize the nonlinear relationship between the electrical current and the displacement of the mass. Lastly a framework is proposed to estimate the mass position without the use of a position sensor, enabling the sensorless control of the coupled system and additionally providing the ability for the system to act as an actuator or a sensor. This is of value for health monitoring, diagnostics and prognostics, actuation and power transfer of a number of interconnected machines that have more than one electrical system, driving corresponding mechanical subsystems while being driven by the same voltage source and at the same time being spectrally separated and independent.