Modelling and performance of an active heave compensator for offshore operations

The development of offshore oil and gas fields require the placement of different equipment on the sea floor. This is done by deploying the equipment from vessels operating in dynamic positioning on the surface. The deployment operation has different phases, and in higher sea states, it may require wave-load synchronization, when the load is going through the splash zone, and heave compensation when the load is close to the sea floor. In this paper, we analyse the performance of a particular type of hardware operating in a heave compensation mode. We derive a comprehensive model, analyse limits of performance and evaluate a control strategy.

有缆水下机器人主动升沉补偿控制研究

针对母船的升沉运动影响有缆水下机器人的释放与回收的工程实际需求,提出了利用液压绞车降低中继器的升沉速度来实现水下机器人主动升沉补偿控制的方法,来提高水下机器人释放与回收的安全性能。建立液压绞车的数学模型并设计主动升沉补偿前馈控制器。水下机器人主动升沉补偿实验表明液压系统的非线性降低了液压绞车主动升沉补偿前馈控制的升沉补偿效率。针对液压绞车的非线性特性,设计了液压绞车主动升沉补偿预测控制算法,仿真实验表明基于液压系统参数辨识的液压绞车主动升沉补偿预测控制可以得到较高的升沉补偿效率。

有缆水下机器人主动升沉补偿系统的控制研究

在深海区域，海面的海况条件相对比较恶劣，支持母船受风、浪、涌、流影响而产生较大幅度的升沉运动对有缆水下机器人正常作业和收放操作有较大的影响，水下机器人中继器的升沉运动甚至可以造成系缆的损害而使机器人本体丢失。如何提高水下机器人在相对恶劣海况条件下的安全性能、特别是水下机器人与中继器安全的释放与回收成为当前深海有缆水下机器人开发所需要面临的一个重要问题。有缆水下机器人主动升沉补偿技术的研究，对于提高水下机器人在相对恶劣海况条件下的安全作业和收放具有重要的意义，对提高水下机器人抵御恶劣海况的能力具有重要的作用。 本文主要研究以液压绞车为执行机构的主动升沉补偿系统的控制。 研究了使用Kalman滤波方法根据测量得到的升沉加速度估计升沉运动加速度、速度和位移的滤波算法；建立了升沉补偿系统的模型，分析了升沉补偿系统的负载，以及升沉补偿对于液压系统功率、流量、压力的要求。 对电液比例阀的死区进行了补偿；设计了前馈控制算法，前馈控制简单实用，易于工程应用，能提高升沉补偿效率；但是其对参数敏感，需要实时调节控制预值，这些都会影响控制效果；为了得到更好的控制效果，设计了速度闭环的控制算法，结合升沉补偿系统可能功率不足的特点，需要估算其最大速度能力，先设置速度限制，将得到的升沉速度限制在速度能力范围内进行补偿，闭环控制具有抗干扰的能力，不需要实时调节控制预值，并且将正反方向的速度限制设为相同值时，补偿后的升沉位移不会漂移；针对系统功率有限和参数时变的特性，提出了智能预测控制算法，先是模型辨识，系统功率足够和功率不够时，模型结构不一样，需要在辨识时能识别处于哪种工况，并采用不同的控制策略，研究了功率足够时的自校正预测控制算法，使用智能预测控制算法，能够克服系统功率有限和参数时变给控制带来的困难。 建立了升沉补偿系统的matlab/simulink仿真模型和Amesim仿真模型，对功率足够和欠功率的情况进行了仿真，以验证控制的效果。 利用主动升沉补偿模拟液压绞车分析了控制预值实时调整的主动升沉补偿开环前馈控制的补偿效率。并利用作业型ROV收放系统的液压绞车进行了主动升沉补偿实验，实验表明分段死区补偿、前馈控制算法是有效的。

基于模型差分析的旋翼飞行机器人航向与垂向预测控制方法

本文针对旋翼飞行机器人全包线机动飞行中的驱动器滞后以及动力学模型时变的问题,提出了应对不确定性动力学模型的基于模型差分析的增量平稳预测控制方法。该方法首先通过建立增量平稳预测过程模型来应对驱动器输出滞后与稳态模型以及系统工作点的不确定性,并提升控制系统鲁棒性。然后通过自适应集员滤波器在线估计系统瞬态动力学与名义模型的偏差来补偿全包线飞行中时变模型对于名义控制器跟踪性能的影响。最后,通过实际的飞行试验验证了此方法能够有效的解决全包线飞行中航向与垂向的驱动器滞后与动力学时变问题,并且可以实用于旋翼机器人航向与垂向的全包线自主飞行控制。

水下机器人主动升沉补偿系统研究

介绍一种基于水下机器人常规液压收放绞车的主动升沉补偿系统,利用加速度传感器获得母船的升沉运动信号,控制绞车的运转来降低母船的升沉运动对水下机器人的影响。通过理论计算建立主动升沉补偿系统的数学模型,仿真分析绞车运动对水下机器人升沉运动的补偿效果,并利用主动升沉补偿系统实验台验证基于常规液压收放绞车的主动升沉补偿方案的可行性。

有缆水下机器人主动升沉补偿技术研究

随着水下机器人技术的不断进步，水下机器人的作业范围和作业深度不断增加，深海水下机器人在深海领域有着其他手段无法比拟的优势。在深海区域，海面的海况条件相对比较恶劣，支持母船受风、浪、涌、流影响而产生较大幅度的升沉运动对有缆水下机器人正常作业和收放操作有较大的影响，水下机器人中继器的升沉运动甚至可以造成系缆的损坏而使机器人本体丢失。如何提高水下机器人在相对恶劣海况条件下的安全性能、特别是水下机器人与中继器安全的释放与回收成为当前深海有缆水下机器人开发所需要面临的一个重要问题。有缆水下机器人主动升沉补偿技术的研究，对于提高水下机器人在相对恶劣海况条件下的安全作业和收放具有重要的意义，对提高水下机器人抵御恶劣海况的能力具有重要的作用。 本文结合中国科学院沈阳自动化研究所研制的作业型遥控潜水器（ROV）在4级海况条件下安全作业和收放的实际需求以及“十五”期间国家863计划专题项目“基于母船升沉预测的深海装备主动升沉补偿测控单元的研究开发”的要求，开展有缆水下机器人主动升沉补偿技术研究，降低相对恶劣海况条件下母船升沉运动对水下机器人中继器的干扰，保证水下机器人与中继器安全的释放与回收。重点研究母船升沉运动的测量方法；研究以液压绞车为动力机构的主动升沉补偿控制方法；研究母船与水下机器人中继器升沉运动预报方法；研究母船、铠缆、水下机器人及中继器系统的有限元建模与运动分析方法。本文的主要研究内容如下： （1）研究海况条件、船舶尺寸与母船升沉运动之间的关系，分析在4级海况条件下作业型ROV母船升沉运动幅值和频率的分布范围和规律。利用惯性测量传感器测量母船升沉运动加速度值，通过积分和数字高通滤波处理得到母船升沉速度或位移信号。研究升沉运动测量误差来源，设计升沉运动自适应滤波器。 （2）以有缆水下机器人液压收放绞车为动力机构，开展基于常规液压收放绞车的主动升沉补偿控制方法研究。针对液压收放绞车的功率无法满足主动升沉补偿闭环控制的要求，研究在欠功率条件下液压绞车主动升沉补偿前馈控制策略，利用控制预值消除不对称负载作用时出现的液压绞车运动偏移。控制算法简单可靠，便于工程实现。 （3）针对液压绞车大负载、大惯量且系统参数时变、非线性等特征，研究液压绞车主动升沉补偿预测控制策略，通过水下机器人主动升沉补偿预测控制仿真实验分析液压绞车主动升沉补偿预测控制的补偿效率。 （4）研究母船与水下机器人中继器升沉运动预报方法。利用AR模型以及母船升沉运动历史数据，实现对母船未来极短时间内的运动预报，为液压绞车预测控制算法的应用提供参考轨迹。研究基于ARMA模型以及母船和水下机器人中继器升沉运动历史数据的水下机器人中继器升沉运动预报方法。 （5）通过升沉运动测量实验分析升沉运动测量模块的可靠性和测量精度的影响因素。利用模拟液压绞车主动升沉补偿实验验证常规液压绞车主动升沉补偿前馈控制的效率。并利用作业型ROV收放系统的实际液压绞车进行主动升沉补偿实验。结合模拟液压绞车与作业型ROV液压绞车主动升沉补偿实验的实验结果，分析4级海况条件下液压绞车主动升沉补偿控制效率。 （6）利用有限元理论建立母船、铠缆、水下机器人及中继器的有限元集中质量模型，通过数值方法求解有限元方程，得到母船与水下机器人中继器之间的运动耦合关系，仿真分析在液压绞车主动升沉补偿控制状态下水下机器人中继器升沉运动规律及铠缆张力变化规律。

Dimensionamento de Sistemas de Compensação do Fator de Potência com Filtragem Passiva de Harmónicos

A eficiência energética tem um papel de importância crescente devido a questões ambientais e ao aumento dos custos energéticos. Recentemente foram tomadas medidas para regular o consumo e o fornecimento de energia reativa em Portugal, que tornaram mais rigorosas as condições de faturação. O custo crescente da energia e a implementação das smart grids apontam para um futuro de maior rigor sobre a utilização da energia reativa. Não será de estranhar que as regras de faturação sejam mais severas daqui a uns anos. O desenvolvimento tecnológico nas áreas da análise da energia e nas formas de controlo da compensação de energia reativa permitem resultados muito mais eficazes que aqueles apresentados pelos vulgares sistemas a contactores que constituem a maioria dos cenários. Apesar de terem um custo inicial superior, os sistemas de compensação do fator de potência com filtragem passiva de harmónicos, desde que projetados corretamente, trazem vantagens evidentes na sua exploração a longo prazo. Com este trabalho pretende-se promover a sensibilização para o uso de sistemas mais eficientes na compensação de energia reativa e para que estes sejam projetados mais à medida das necessidades de cada local. Também se demonstra a extrema importância da adequação destes sistemas à qualidade de energia do local, principalmente em termos de conteúdo harmónico. Desta forma, os sistemas serão mais flexíveis em termos de utilização e possibilitam a sua adaptação às necessidades mesmo que as regras de faturação de energia reativa se tornem mais rigorosas.

Analysis of transient eddy currents in MRI using a cylindrical FDTD method

Most magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) spatial encoding techniques employ low-frequency pulsed magnetic field gradients that undesirably induce multiexponentially decaying eddy currents in nearby conducting structures of the MRI system. The eddy currents degrade the switching performance of the gradient system, distort the MRI image, and introduce thermal loads in the cryostat vessel and superconducting MRI components. Heating of superconducting magnets due to induced eddy currents is particularly problematic as it offsets the superconducting operating point, which can cause a system quench. A numerical characterization of transient eddy current effects is vital for their compensation/control and further advancement of the MRI technology as a whole. However, transient eddy current calculations are particularly computationally intensive. In large-scale problems, such as gradient switching in MRI, conventional finite-element method (FEM)-based routines impose very large computational loads during generation/solving of the system equations. Therefore, other computational alternatives need to be explored. This paper outlines a three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method in cylindrical coordinates for the modeling of low-frequency transient eddy currents in MRI, as an extension to the recently proposed time-harmonic scheme. The weakly coupled Maxwell's equations are adapted to the low-frequency regime by downscaling the speed of light constant, which permits the use of larger FDTD time steps while maintaining the validity of the Courant-Friedrich-Levy stability condition. The principal hypothesis of this work is that the modified FDTD routine can be employed to analyze pulsed-gradient-induced, transient eddy currents in superconducting MRI system models. The hypothesis is supported through a verification of the numerical scheme on a canonical problem and by analyzing undesired temporal eddy current effects such as the B-0-shift caused by actively shielded symmetric/asymmetric transverse x-gradient head and unshielded z-gradient whole-body coils operating in proximity to a superconducting MRI magnet.

Predictive compensation for variable network delays and packet losses in networked control systems

Networked control systems (NCSs) offer many advantages over conventional control; however, they also demonstrate challenging problems such as network-induced delay and packet losses. This paper proposes an approach of predictive compensation for simultaneous network-induced delays and packet losses. Different from the majority of existing NCS control methods, the proposed approach addresses co-design of both network and controller. It also alleviates the requirements of precise process models and full understanding of NCS network dynamics. For a series of possible sensor-to-actuator delays, the controller computes a series of corresponding redundant control values. Then, it sends out those control values in a single packet to the actuator. Once receiving the control packet, the actuator measures the actual sensor-to-actuator delay and computes the control signals from the control packet. When packet dropout occurs, the actuator utilizes past control packets to generate an appropriate control signal. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated through examples.

The moderating effects of job control and selection, optimization, and compensation strategies on the age-work ability relationship

Work ability describes employees' capability to carry out their work with respect to physical and psychological job demands. This study investigated direct and interactive effects of age, job control, and the use of successful aging strategies called selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) in predicting work ability. We assessed SOC strategies and job control by using employee self-reports, and we measured employees' work ability using supervisor ratings. Data collected from 173 health-care employees showed that job control was positively associated with work ability. Additionally, we found a three-way interaction effect of age, job control, and use of SOC strategies on work ability. Specifically, the negative relationship between age and work ability was weakest for employees with high job control and high use of SOC strategies. These results suggest that the use of successful aging strategies and enhanced control at work are conducive to maintaining the work ability of aging employees. We discuss theoretical and practical implications regarding the beneficial role of the use of SOC strategies utilized by older employees and enhanced contextual resources at work for aging employees.

Control technique for non-linear and unbalance compensation of an integrated magnetics-based three-phase series-shunt-compensated uninterruptible power supply

Handling unbalanced and non-linear loads in a three-phase AC power supply has always been a difficult issue. This has been addressed in the literature by either using fast controllers in the fundamental rotating reference frame or using separate controllers in reference frames specific to the harmonics. In the former case, the controller needs to be fast and in the latter case, besides the need for many controllers, negative-sequence components need to be extracted from the measured signal. This study proposes a control scheme for harmonic and unbalance compensation of a three-phase uninterruptible power supply wherein the problems mentioned above are addressed. The control takes place in the fundamental positive-sequence reference frame using only a set of feedback and feed-forward compensators. The harmonic components are extracted by a process of frame transformations and used as feed-forward compensation terms in the positive-sequence fundamental reference frame. This study uses a method wherein the measured signal itself is used for fundamental negative-sequence compensation. As the feed-forward compensator handles the high-bandwidth components, the feedback compensator can be a simple low-bandwidth one. This control algorithm is explained and validated experimentally.

Control technique for non-linear and unbalance compensation of an integrated magnetics-based three-phase series-shunt-compensated uninterruptible power supply

Handling unbalanced and non-linear loads in a three-phase AC power supply has always been a difficult issue. This has been addressed in the literature by either using fast controllers in the fundamental rotating reference frame or using separate controllers in reference frames specific to the harmonics. In the former case, the controller needs to be fast and in the latter case, besides the need for many controllers, negative-sequence components need to be extracted from the measured signal. This study proposes a control scheme for harmonic and unbalance compensation of a three-phase uninterruptible power supply wherein the problems mentioned above are addressed. The control takes place in the fundamental positive-sequence reference frame using only a set of feedback and feed-forward compensators. The harmonic components are extracted by a process of frame transformations and used as feed-forward compensation terms in the positive-sequence fundamental reference frame. This study uses a method wherein the measured signal itself is used for fundamental negative-sequence compensation. As the feed-forward compensator handles the high-bandwidth components, the feedback compensator can be a simple low-bandwidth one. This control algorithm is explained and validated experimentally.

Control technique for non-linear and unbalance compensation of an integrated magnetics-based three-phase series-shunt-compensated uninterruptible power supply

Handling unbalanced and non-linear loads in a three-phase AC power supply has always been a difficult issue. This has been addressed in the literature by either using fast controllers in the fundamental rotating reference frame or using separate controllers in reference frames specific to the harmonics. In the former case, the controller needs to be fast and in the lattercase, besides the need for many controllers, negative-sequence components need to be extracted from the measured signal.This study proposes a control scheme for harmonic and unbalance compensation of a three-phase uninterruptible power supply wherein the problems mentioned above are addressed. The control takes place in the fundamental positive-sequence reference frame using only a set of feedback and feed-forward compensators. The harmonic components are extracted by process of frame transformations and used as feed-forward compensation terms in the positive-sequence fundamental reference frame. This study uses a method wherein the measured signal itself is used for fundamental negative-sequence compensation. As the feed-forward compensator handles the high-bandwidth components, the feedback compensator can be a simple low-bandwidth one. This control algorithm is explained and validated experimentally.