Publications
Work in progress
Papers that have not yet been peer-reviewed or are currently under review
A Hybrid Algorithm for Iterative Adaptation of Feedforward Controllers: an Application on Electromechanical Switches
Electromechanical switching devices such as relays, solenoid valves, and contactors offer several technical and economic advantages that make them widely used in industry. However, uncontrolled operations result in undesirable impact-related phenomena at the end of the stroke. As a solution, different soft-landing controls have been proposed. Among them, feedforward control with iterative techniques that adapt its parameters is a solution when real-time feedback is not available. However, these techniques typically require a large number of operations to converge or are computationally intensive, which limits a real implementation. In this paper, we present a new algorithm for the iterative adaptation that is able to eventually adapt the search coordinate system and to reduce the search dimensional size in order to accelerate convergence. Moreover, it automatically toggles between a derivative-free and a gradient-based method to balance exploration and exploitation. To demonstrate the high potential of the proposal, each novel part of the algorithm is compared with a state-of-the-art approach via simulation.
Preprint:
Journal papers
ROM-Based Stochastic Optimization for a Continuous Manufacturing Process
ISA Transactions, vol. 154, pp. 242-249, Nov. 2024.
DOI: 10.1016/j.isatra.2024.08.010
This paper proposes a model-based optimization method for the production of automotive seals in an extrusion process. The high production throughput, coupled with quality constraints and the inherent uncertainty of the process, encourages the search for operating conditions that minimize nonconformities. The main uncertainties arise from the process variability and from the raw material itself. The proposed method, which is based on Bayesian optimization, takes these factors into account and obtains a robust set of process parameters. Due to the high computational cost and complexity of performing detailed simulations, a reduced order model is used to address the optimization. The proposal has been evaluated in a virtual environment, where it has been verified that it is able to minimize the impact of process uncertainties. In particular, it would significantly improve the quality of the product without incurring additional costs, achieving a 50% tighter dimensional tolerance compared to a solution obtained by a deterministic optimization algorithm.
Author version:
|
Final published version (Open Access):
|
Also available in
On the Stability of Electromechanical Switching Devices
IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, in press.
DOI: 10.1109/TMECH.2024.3417240
Electromagnetic relays and solenoid actuators are commonly used for their bistable behavior, which allows for switching between two states in electrical, pneumatic, or hydraulic circuits, among other applications. Although there has been extensive research on modeling, estimation, and control of these electromechanical systems, a gap remains in the analysis area. This article addresses this gap by presenting an equilibrium and stability analysis to gain deeper insight into their bistability. This analysis leverages a hybrid dynamical model to obtain analytical expressions that relate the physical parameters to the switching conditions. These expressions are useful, e.g., for fundamental understanding, quick analyses, or design optimization. The results are discussed in depth and potential practical applications are explored. Finally, the analysis is validated with experimental results from a real device.
Author version:
|
Final published version (Open Access):
A decade of experiences teaching electronics and control with a magnetic levitator
[Una década de experiencias enseñando electrónica y control con un levitador magnético]
Revista Iberoamericana de Automática e Informática industrial, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 318-327, Sep. 2024.
Magnetic levitation systems have been used in the teaching of specific concepts of electronics and automatic control. Thesedevices are clearly attractive to students, and they allow to illustrate the effects of the nonlinearities present in reality, both thosedue to the physics of the problem and those associated with the use of electronic hardware. At the University of Zaragoza weuse one of these systems in a multidisciplinary master’s degree course, in which professors from the Electronic Technology andSystems and Automation Engineering areas work together. Although the magnetic levitator has proved to be a very useful tool in thestudents’ learning process, its use as the central element of a course presents many challenges, especially in terms of workload andthe evaluation system. In this article we report our experiences after a decade, describing in detail the system and its components,the dynamic model that we use in the course, the problems encountered in its use as a teaching tool, the solutions that we haveadopted, and the lessons learned.
Author version (in Spanish):
|
Final published version (Open Access, in Spanish):
|
Also available in
Dynamic modeling and predictive control of a microfluidic system
[Modelado dinámico y control predictivo de un sistema microfluídico]
Revista Iberoamericana de Automática e Informática industrial, vol. 21, no. 3, pp. 231-242, Jun. 2024.
Microfluidics, a discipline that studies the behavior of fluids in microscopic channels, has led to important advances in fields asdiverse as microelectronics, biotechnology and chemistry. Microfluidic research is mainly based on the use of microfluidic chips,low-cost devices that can be used to perform laboratory experiments using small amounts of fluid. These systems, however, requireadvanced control mechanisms in order to accurately achieve the flow rates and pressures required in the experiments. In this paperwe present the design of a model predictive controller intended to regulate the fluid flows in one of these systems. The resultsobtained, both through simulations and real experiments performed on the device, demonstrate that predictive control is an idealtechnique to control these systems, especially taking into account all the existing constraints.
Author version (in Spanish):
|
Final published version (Open Access, in Spanish):
|
Also available in
Author-approved English translation:
Structural identifiability analysis of a heat transfer system
[Análisis de identificabilidad estructural de un sistema de transferencia de calor]
Revista Iberoamericana de Automática e Informática industrial, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 412-420, Sep. 2023.
Excessive energy consumption is currently a big deal for society. Part of the solution to this problem is to improve the efficiency of extensive use systems, particularly thermal systems. One way to address this is through the building of energy improvement oriented models. These models depend on a priori unknown parameters that must be estimated. In this sense, identifiability is an essential property to be analyzed in any parametric estimation process. In this paper, we present a lumped-parameter model of a thermal system. Then, we analyze its identifiability using the local isomorphism theorem. Finally, we discuss two scenarios depending on the measured variables. In the first one we have measurements of the complete state and we show that the model is identifiable, while in the second one we have partial measurements and the model turns out to be non-identiafiable. Finally, we propose an additional analysis in which we determine the minimum set of variables to be measured for the model to be identifiable.
Author version (in Spanish):
|
Final published version (Open Access, in Spanish):
|
Also available in
An Audio-Based Iterative Controller for Soft Landing of Electromechanical Relays
IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, vol. 70, no. 12, pp. 12730-12738, Dec. 2023.
Electromechanical relays and contactors suffer from strong collisions at the end of the switching operations. This causes several undesirable phenomena, such as clicking, mechanical wear, and contact bounce. Thus, there is great interest in mitigating these switching impacts while keeping the advantageous features of these devices. This article proposes a complete control strategy for soft landing. The control structure includes three main components. The first one is a real-time flux-tracking feedback controller, which presents several advantages over voltage or current control. The second one is a feedforward controller, which computes the flux reference signal based on a proposed dynamical model and the desired position trajectory for the switching operations. Lastly, the third control component is a learning-type run-to-run adaptation law that iteratively adapts the model parameters based on an audio signal. It exploits the repetitive nature of these devices in order to circumvent modeling discrepancies due to unit-to-unit variability or small changes between operations. The effectiveness of the proposed control is demonstrated through various experiments.
Author version:
|
Final published version:
Design of a perfect-tracking soft-landing controller for electromagnetic switching devices
Nonlinear Dynamics, vol. 111, no. 1, pp. 427-438, Jan. 2023.
DOI: 10.1007/s11071-022-07853-1
Electromagnetic switching devices such as electromechanical relays and solenoid valves suffer from impacts and mechanical wear when they are activated using a constant-voltage policy. This paper presents a new control approach that aims at achieving soft landing in these devices, i.e., a movement without neither impacts nor bouncing. The hybrid nonlinear dynamics of the system is firstly described taking into account the limited range of motion that characterizes this class of devices. Then, the nonlinear expression of the control law is derived and a method to design a soft-landing reference trajectory is proposed. It is shown that, when certain conditions are met, the design methodology presented in the paper results in a controller that achieves perfect tracking of the reference trajectory and, hence, soft landing is accomplished. The theoretical analysis is validated by simulation using a dynamical model of a specific switching device.
Author version:
|
Final published version (Open Access):
|
Also available in
Probability-Based Optimal Control Design for Soft Landing of Short-Stroke Actuators
IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, vol. 28, no. 5, pp. 1956-1963, Sep. 2020.
DOI: 10.1109/TCST.2019.2918479
The impact forces during switching operations of short-stroke actuators may cause bouncing, audible noise, and mechanical wear. The application of soft-landing control strategies to these devices aims at minimizing the impact velocities of their moving components to ultimately improve their lifetime and performance. In this brief, a novel approach for soft-landing trajectory planning, including probability functions, is proposed for optimal control of the actuators. The main contribution of the proposal is that it considers the uncertainty in the contact position, and hence, the obtained trajectories are more robust against system uncertainties. The problem is formulated as an optimal control problem and transformed into a two-point boundary value problem for its numerical resolution. Simulated and experimental tests have been performed using a dynamic model and a commercial short-stroke solenoid valve. The results show a significant improvement in the expected velocities and accelerations at contact with respect to past solutions in which the contact position is assumed to be perfectly known.
Author version:
|
Final published version:
Hybrid Dynamical Model for Reluctance Actuators Including Saturation, Hysteresis and Eddy Currents
IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 1396-1406, Jun. 2019.
DOI: 10.1109/TMECH.2019.2906755
A novel hybrid dynamical model for single-coil, short-stroke reluctance actuators is presented in this paper. The model, which is partially based on the principles of magnetic equivalent circuits, includes the magnetic phenomena of hysteresis and saturation by means of the generalized Preisach model. In addition, the eddy currents induced in the iron core are also considered, and the flux fringing effect in the air is incorporated by using results from finite element simulations. An explicit solution of the dynamics without need of inverting the Preisach model is derived, and the hybrid automaton that results from combining the electromagnetic and motion equations is presented and discussed. Finally, an identification method to determine the model parameters is proposed and experimentally illustrated on a real actuator. The results are presented and the advantages of our modeling method are emphasized.
Author version:
|
Final published version:
Real-Time Electromagnetic Estimation for Reluctance Actuators
IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, vol. 66, no. 3, pp. 1952-1961, Mar. 2019.
Several modeling, estimation, and control strategies have been recently presented for simple reluctance devices like solenoid valves and electromagnetic switches. In this paper, we present a new algorithm to online estimate the flux linkage and the electrical time-variant parameters of these devices, namely the resistance and the inductance, only by making use of discrete-time measurements of voltage and current. The algorithm, which is robust against measurement noise, is able to deal with temperature variations of the device and provides accurate estimations during the motion of the armature. Additionally, an integral estimator that uses the start of each operation of the actuator as reset condition has been also implemented for comparative purposes. The performances of both estimation methods are studied and compared by means of simulations and experimental tests, and the benefits of our proposal are emphasized. Possible uses of the estimates and further modeling developments are also described and discussed.
Author version:
|
Final published version:
Reluctance actuator characterization via FEM simulations and experimental tests
Mechatronics, vol. 56, pp. 58-66, Dec. 2018.
DOI: 10.1016/j.mechatronics.2018.10.009
Modeling the reluctance of an electromagnetic actuator is a critical step to analyze its dynamics and design model-based controllers. On the one hand, analytical expressions based on either theoretical or empirical models often lack accuracy due to model inconsistencies. On the other, numerical methods are much more precise but require exact information about the system geometry, materials and winding configuration. In this paper we present a new method that brings together the good properties of the finite element method and of system identification techniques to obtain an accurate description of the reluctance and its derivative. Since the method is designed to identify the unknown parameters of the system, it is particularly well suited for modeling existing commercial devices. An application on a safety valve used in gas lines is included to illustrate the method and a discussion on the results shows the advantages of our proposal.
Author version:
|
Final published version:
A New Run-to-Run Approach for Reducing Contact Bounce in Electromagnetic Switches
IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, vol. 64, no. 1, pp. 535-543, Jan. 2017.
Contact bounce is probably the most undesirable phenomenon of electromagnetic switches. It reduces the performance of relays and contactors and is directly related to some of the processes that result in the destruction of the device. In this paper, a complete formulation of the problem is provided and a new strategy inspired by run-to-run control is presented for reducing contact bounce. The method, which makes use of the repetitive functioning of these systems, is highly versatile and may be applied to different switches under diverse operating conditions. In addition, it is able to deal with changes during the service life of the device, such as plastic deformations or the erosion of the contacts. Several experimental results are included to prove the effectiveness of the method.
Author version:
|
Final published version:
A New Model of Electromechanical Relays for Predicting the Motion and Electromagnetic Dynamics
IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, vol. 52, no. 3, pp. 2545-2553, May/Jun. 2016.
In this paper, a novel multiphysics and nonlinear model for electromechanical relays is presented. The electromagnetic dynamics is analyzed by calculating the total reluctance of the magnetic equivalent circuit (MEC), which is composed of a fixed length iron core and an angular air gap. Magnetic saturation and angular dependency of the reluctance are considered in the analysis. Then, an energy balance over the electromagnetic components of the system is used to obtain the torque which drives the movable armature. A planar mechanism of four rigid bodies, including spring-damping torques that restrict the motion and model the contact bounces that occur in the switchings, is proposed to explain the dynamics of the movable components. Experimental tests show the accuracy of the model in both the electromagnetic and the mechanical parts.
Author version:
|
Final published version:
Dynamic heat and mass transfer model of an electric oven for energy analysis
Applied Thermal Engineering, vol. 93, pp. 683-691, Jan. 2016.
DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2015.10.040
In this paper, a new heat and mass transfer model for an electric oven and the load placed inside is presented. The developed model is based on a linear lumped parameter structure that differentiates the main components of the appliance and the load, therefore reproducing the thermal dynamics of several elements of the system including the heaters or the interior of the product. Besides, an expression to estimate the water evaporation rate of the thermal load has been developed and integrated in the model so that heat and mass transfer phenomena are made interdependent. Simulations and experiments have been carried out for different cooking methods, and the subsequent energy results, including energy and power time-dependent distributions, are presented. The very low computational needs of the model make it ideal for optimization processes involving a high number of simulations. This feature, together with the energy information also provided by the model, will permit the design of new ovens and control algorithms that may outperform the present ones in terms of energy efficiency.
Author version:
|
Final published version:
Conference papers
Faster Run-to-Run Feedforward Control of Electromechanical Switching Devices: a Sensitivity-Based Approach
2024 22nd European Control Conference (ECC), Stockholm, Sweden, Jun. 2024.
DOI: 10.23919/ECC64448.2024.10590829
Electromechanical switching devices, such as solenoid valves, contactors, and relays, suffer from undesirable phenomena like clicking, mechanical wear, and contact bounce. Despite that, they are still widely used in industry due to their various economic and technical advantages. This has encouraged the development of controllers aimed at reducing the collisions that occur at the end of the switching operations. One of the most successful approaches has been the use of iterative techniques. However, these algorithms typically require a large number of operations to converge, which is definitely a clear drawback. This paper presents a strategy to improve the convergence rate of such controllers. Our proposal, which is based on the sensitivity of the control law with respect to the parameters, assumes that the performance of the system is more heavily affected by some parameters than others. Thus, by avoiding movements in the directions that have less impact, the search algorithm is expected to drive the system to near-optimal behaviors using fewer operations. Results obtained by simulation show significant improvement in the convergence rate of a state-of-the-art run-to-run feedforward controller, which demonstrates the high potential of the proposal.
Author version:
|
Final published version:
Presentation:
Cycle-to-Cycle Adaptive Control of Electromechanical Relays
[Control adaptativo ciclo a ciclo de relés electromecánicos]
XLIV Jornadas de Automática, Zaragoza, Spain, Sep. 2023.
DOI: 10.17979/spudc.9788497498609.364
The widespread use of electromechanical relays and contactors is due to their economic and service advantages. However, these devices suffer from strong collisions at the ends of their motion strokes, causing bounce, vibration, premature wear and acoustic noise. Given the need to mitigate these effects, we propose a cycle-by-cycle adaptive control structure with the objetive of achieving soft landing trajectories. The control structure includes a feedforward controller, which translates the desired position trajectory into a current trajectory; a current-tracking controller; and an external loop to reduce modeling errors or disturbances that affect the performance of the feedforward controller. Since it is not technically and economically feasible to feedback the position of the moving element to be controlled and its derivatives, the external loop feedback is based on an audio signal, which is related to the impact velocity. The experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposal.
Author version (in Spanish):
|
Final published version (Open Access, in Spanish):
|
Also available in
Teaching electronic design and advanced control with a magnetic levitator
[Enseñando diseño electrónico y control avanzado con un levitador magnético]
XLIV Jornadas de Automática, Zaragoza, Spain, Sep. 2023.
DOI: 10.17979/spudc.9788497498609.265
Magnetic levitation systems have been used in the teaching of specific concepts of electronics and automatic control. These devices are clearly attractive to students, and they allow to illustrate the effects of the nonlinearities present in reality, both those due to the physics of the problem and those associated with the use of electronic hardware. At the University of Zaragoza we use one of these systems in a multidisciplinary master’s degree course, in which professors from the Electronic Technology and Systems and Automation Engineering areas work together. Although the magnetic levitator has proved to be a very useful tool in the students’ learning process, its use as the central element of a course presents many challenges, especially in terms of workload and the evaluation system. In this article we report our experience after almost a decade, including a description of the system, the problems encountered, the solutions that we have adopted and the lessons learned.
Author version (in Spanish):
|
Final published version (Open Access, in Spanish):
|
Also available in
Poster (in Spanish):
|
Presentation (in Spanish):
Run-to-Run Adaptive Nonlinear Feedforward Control of Electromechanical Switching Devices
22nd IFAC World Congress, Yokohama, Japan, Jul. 2023.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ifacol.2023.10.181
Feedforward control can greatly improve the response time and control accuracy of any mechatronic system. However, in order to compensate for the effects of modeling errors or disturbances, it is imperative that this type of control works in conjunction with some form of feedback. In this paper, we present a new adaptive feedforward control scheme for electromechanical systems in which real-time measurements or estimates of the position and its derivatives are not technically or economically feasible. This is the case, for example, of commercial electromechanical switching devices such as solenoid actuators. Our proposal consists of two blocks: on the one hand, a feedforward controller based on differential flatness theory; on the other, an iterative adaptation law that exploits the repetitive operation of these devices to modify the controller parameters cycle by cycle. As shown, this law can be fed with any available measurement of the system, with the only requirement that it can be processed and converted into an indicator of the performance of any given operation. Simulated and experimental results show that our proposal is effective in dealing with a long-standing control problem in electromechanics: the soft-landing control of electromechanical switching devices.
Author version:
|
Final published version (Open Access):
|
Also available in
Identifiability analysis applied to a heat transfer system
[Análisis de identificabilidad aplicado a un sistema de transferencia de calor]
XLIII Jornadas de Automática, Logroño, Spain, Sep. 2022.
DOI: 10.17979/spudc.9788497498418.0607
Identifiability is an essential property of dynamic models whose study must be addressed before starting any parametric estimation procedure. However, this analysis has generally been ignored in the literature with a few exceptions, such as in the study of biological systems. In this paper, the structural identifiability of a heat transfer system is studied in order to highlight the importance of this analysis and to encourage researchers to take it into account. For this purpose, a concentrated parameter model based on the thermal-electrical analogy is first presented. Then, the identifiability of the model is analyzed using the local isomorphism theorem. Next, the analysis corresponding to two different possible scenarios is presented: in one of them the state is fully measured while in the other only partial measurements are available. In the first scenario it is shown that the proposed parametric structure is identifiable, which allows estimating the system parameters using experimental data. The second scenario corresponds to a non-identifiable situation, and serves as an example of what could happen if this property is not analyzed.
Author version (in Spanish):
|
Final published version (Open Access, in Spanish):
Model-Free Sliding-Mode Controller for Soft Landing of Reluctance Actuators
21th IFAC World Congress, Berlin, Germany, Jul. 2020.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ifacol.2020.12.1738
Some electromagnetic actuators suffer from high velocity impacts during non-controlled switching operations, which cause contact bouncing, mechanical wear, and acoustic noise. Soft-landing control strategies aim at minimizing the impact velocities of these devices to improve their performance. This paper presents a sliding-mode controller for soft landing of single-coil reluctance actuators. It is a switching model-free controller, which results in a very simple implementation. A generalized dynamical hybrid model of an actuator is utilized for deriving the robustness condition, based on the Lyapunov theory. Then, the condition is evaluated for a dynamical model, based on a commercial device, and several reference trajectories. Finally, the controller performance is validated through simulations. The effect of the sampling rate on the resulting impact velocities is also analyzed.
Author version:
|
Final published version (Open Access):
Optimal Open-Loop Control Policies for a Class of Nonlinear Actuators
2019 18th European Control Conference (ECC), Naples, Italy, Jun. 2019.
DOI: 10.23919/ECC.2019.8795785
This paper deals with the design and analysis of open-loop soft-landing control policies for a class of nonlinear actuators. A third-order nonlinear parametric model is firstly presented and the particularities of the systems under study are highlighted. Then, time-optimal and energy-optimal trajectories are analytically derived by means of the Pontryagin principle. Numerical solutions are obtained for a nominal model and the robustness of the obtained open-loop input profiles on perturbed systems is studied via Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that the impact velocities are efficiently reduced with any of the proposed strategies and, consequently, that open-loop control could be a practical and cost-effective approach for improving the performance of these actuators.
Author version:
|
Final published version:
Presentation:
A novel algorithm based on Bayesian optimization for run-to-run control of short-stroke reluctance actuators
2019 18th European Control Conference (ECC), Naples, Italy, Jun. 2019.
DOI: 10.23919/ECC.2019.8795949
There is great interest in minimizing the impact forces and bounces of reluctance actuators during commutations, in order to reduce acoustic noise and mechanical wear. In that regard, a model-free run-to-run control algorithm is presented to decrease the contact velocity, by exploiting the repetitive operations of these devices. The problem is mathematically formulated and the algorithm is expressed in pseudocode. As the main contribution of this paper, a search method is proposed for the run-to-run strategy based on Bayesian optimization. Adjustments are carried out for its application in run-to-run control, e.g. the removal of stored points and the definition of a new acquisition function. For validation, simulations are performed using a dynamic model of a commercial solenoid valve, and defining the input parametrization. The results show the improvement of the proposed method with respect to a state-of-the-art search.
Author version:
|
Final published version:
Nonlinear Bounded State Estimation for Sensorless Control of an Electromagnetic Device
56th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control, Melbourne, Australia, Dec. 2017.
This paper presents a novel nonlinear state observer with discrete-time measurements for estimating the plunger position of linear travel solenoid valves. The observer is an unscented Kalman filter (UKF) for nonlinear systems that iteratively calculates an estimated mean and covariance of the state. It is based on a basic lumped parameter model, which contributes to the computational efficiency of the observer and facilitates its implementation. The magnetic reluctance is modeled taking into account the magnetic saturation and is partly defined by data obtained from finite element analysis (FEA). Boundary constraints are added to the estimated position to prevent it from surpassing its physical limits. Different tests performed with simulated and experimental data show that the estimations are accurate and robust to noise and model inaccuracies. Besides, although the observer has been developed for a specific device, the method can be easily extended to other electromechanical systems in which the position needs to be estimated.
Author version:
|
Final published version:
A new model of electromechanical relays for predicting the motion and electromagnetic dynamics
2015 IEEE Industry Applications Society Annual Meeting, Addison, TX, USA, Oct. 2015.
In this paper, a novel multiphysics and nonlinear model for electromechanical relays is presented. The electromagnetic dynamics is analyzed by calculating the total reluctance of the magnetic equivalent circuit, which is composed of a fixed length iron core and an angular air gap. Magnetic saturation and angular dependency of the reluctance are considered in the calculation. Then, an energy balance applied to the electromagnetic components of the system is used to obtain the torque which acts on the movable armature. A planar mechanism of four rigid bodies, including spring-damping torques that restrict the motion and model the contact bounces that occur in the switchings, is proposed to explain the dynamics of the movable components. Experimental tests show the accuracy of the model both in the electromagnetic and the mechanical parts.
Author version:
|
Final published version:
Presentation:
Thermal modeling, analysis and control using an electrical analogy
22nd Mediterranean Conference on Control and Automation (MED), Palermo, Italy, Jun. 2014.
Modeling and identification of thermal systems is a problem frequently treated in theoretical and application domains. Most of these systems have been modeled using black-box structures whose parameters are identified using temperature measurements. Although black-box models have achieved good results in terms of temperature evolution, they cannot model variables which had not been measured in the identification test. In this article we present a new method to build grey-box thermal models based on electrical equivalent circuits which not only give information about temperatures evolution, but also about heat fluxes and thermal energy stored in the system. The partially unknown parameters of the models are identified using temperature measurements and applying nonlinear optimization techniques. The obtained state space representation can be used to develop a deterministic state space temperature controller that provides better accuracy than classical PID controllers. Our proposal is complemented with various examples of a real application in an electric oven.
Author version:
|
Final published version:
Presentation:
Patents
Authors are listed in alphabetical order
Gas cooking appliance device
For the purpose of providing a gas cooking appliance device with improved characteristics regarding a convenience for a user, it a gas cooking appliance device is proposed comprising: at least one electrically controllable valve; and at least one control unit, the control unit operating the valve, in at least one operating state, for adjusting a gas flow averaging over a time period.
Published as: WO-2019/220247-A1 | EP-3794284-A1 | CN-112424531-A
Priority date: May 5, 2018.
Domestic appliance device
The invention is based on a domestic appliance device, in particular a cooking appliance device, comprising at least one electromechanical switching unit, which has at least one control coil, and at least one evaluation unit which is intended to determine at least one switching state of the electromechanical switching unit. In order to provide a domestic appliance device with improved properties in respect of switching efficiency, the invention proposes that the evaluation unit is intended to determine the switching state by means of at least one inductance parameter of the control coil.
Published as: ES-2714649-A1 | WO-2019/106488-A1 | EP-3718125-A1 | EP-3718125-B1
Priority date: Nov. 29, 2017.
Cooking appliance
The invention relates to a cooking appliance, in particular an oven appliance, having a muffle, which defines at least one cooking chamber, and having at least one heating element for at least partly heating the cooking chamber. In order to improve the supply of power to an appliance of the type in question, according to the invention, the cooking appliance has at least one switching unit for connecting the heating element to at least one first supply voltage in at least one first operating state and to at least one second supply voltage different from the first supply voltage in at least one second operating state.
Published as: ES-2673693-A1 | ES-2673693-B1 | WO-2018/116056-A1 | CN-110073720-A | CN-110073720-B | US-2020/068673-A1 | US-11856656-B2
Priority date: Dec. 23, 2016.
Cooking appliance
The invention relates to a cooking appliance comprising a muffle that at least partially delimits a cooking chamber, and at least one induction heating element that is provided to heat said cooking chamber. In order to provide a generic device that is easier to use, the invention proposes that the cooking appliance comprises at least one control unit that operates the induction heating element in at least one preheating operational state.
Published as: WO-2018/116058-A1 | DE-112017006474-A5
Priority date: Dec. 23, 2016.
Cooking appliance
The aim of the invention is to provide an appliance of the type in question having improved properties with respect to temperature determination. This aim is achieved, according to the invention, by a cooking appliance, in particular an induction cooking appliance, having at least one heating element, which is provided for heating at least one object in at least one heating operation state, and having a control unit, which control unit is provided for determining a temperature of the object heated by the heating element from an impedance of a system comprising the heating element and the object in the heating operation state.
Published as: WO-2018/116057-A1 | EP-3560279-A1 | EP-3560279-B1
Priority date: Dec. 23, 2016.
Cooking appliance
The aim of the invention is to provide an appliance of the type in question having improved properties with respect to ease of operation. This aim is achieved by a cooking appliance, in particular an induction cooking appliance, having: at least one muffle, which has at least one muffle wall and at least partially defines at least one cooking chamber; at least one heating element for heating the muffle wall; and at least one sensor unit for detecting at least one temperature of the muffle wall.
Published as: ES-2673674-A1 | ES-2673674-B1 | WO-2018/116066-A1 | EP-3560281-A1 | EP-3560281-B1 | CN-110115105-A | CN-110115105-B | US-2019/0313485-A1 | US-11617237-B2
Priority date: Dec. 23, 2016.
Cooking appliance apparatus, and method for operating a cooking appliance apparatus
The invention proceeds from a cooking appliance apparatus, in particular an oven apparatus, comprising at least one first heating element, comprising at least one second heating element and comprising a control unit which is provided for jointly operating the first heating element and the second heating element for the purpose of heating a cooking chamber in at least one operating state. In order to increase flexibility, it is proposed that the cooking appliance apparatus comprises at least one power distributor unit which is provided for dividing a total power into at least one first output power and at least one second output power in the operating state and to provide the first output power to the first heating element and to provide the second output power to the second heating element.
Published as: WO-2018/116063-A1 | EP-3560276-A1 | EP-3560276-B1 | CN-110100498-A | CN-110100498-B | US-2020/0068661-A1 | US-11375585-B2
Priority date: Dec. 23, 2016.
Cooking appliance device and a method for operating a cooking appliance device
The invention proceeds from a cooking appliance device having at least one heating unit having at least one heating element which, in at least one heating operating state, is provided for heating a cooking chamber, and having at least one cooking chamber element which at least partially bounds the cooking chamber and has at least one part region whose surface shape changes, in the heating operating state, by thermal expansion of the cooking chamber element. To provide a generic cooking appliance device with improved properties with respect to a more even heat distribution in a cooking chamber, it is proposed that the heating unit has at least one adapting element which is arranged at least in part on the cooking chamber element and is intended, in the heating operating state, to adapt at least one surface, facing the part region, to the surface shape of the part region.
Published as: WO-2018/116061-A1 | EP-3560286-A1 | CN-110073719-A | CN-110073719-B | US-2022/0110192-A1 | US-11503678-B2
Priority date: Dec. 23, 2016.
A home appliance device and a method for operating a home appliance device
The invention relates to a home appliance device, in particular a hob device, comprising a control unit, which is provided to actuate at least one switch and to supply at least one driving signal for completely transferring the switch in at least one first switching process from at least one first switch position to at least one second switch position. In order to improve a switching behaviour, it is proposed that the control unit is provided to modify in at least one operational state the driving signal for completely transferring the switch from the first switch position to the second switch position.
Published as: WO-2017/163114-A1 | EP-3434068-A1 | EP-3434068-B1
Priority date: Mar. 21, 2016.
Sistema de aparato de cocción
La invención hace referencia a un sistema de aparato de cocción con al menos una mufla que delimita al menos un espacio de cocción, y con al menos un soporte de producto de cocción. Con el fin de proporcionar sistemas de aparato de cocción genéricos con una complejidad reducida en los que se prevea un movimiento de elevación de los soportes de producto de cocción en un espacio de cocción, se propone que el sistema de aparato de cocción comprenda una unidad de guía que esté prevista para transformar un movimiento de inserción del soporte de producto de cocción parcialmente o por completo en un movimiento de elevación.
Published as: ES-2603780-A1 | ES-2603780-B1
Priority date: Sep. 1, 2015.
Theses / Dissertations
Modeling and Control of Reluctance Actuators
PhD Thesis,
University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain, Oct. 2019
Links: Manuscript | Presentation | ZAGUAN (University of Zaragoza Repository)
Modeling and control of electromechanical devices
[Modelado y control de dispositivos electromecánicos]
Master's Thesis,
University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain, Sep. 2015
Modeling, analysis, and control of domestic ovens
[Modelado, análisis y control de hornos domésticos]
Engineer's Degree Thesis,
University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain, Mar. 2014
