Drive-train testing system

• US 9,207,149 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2012
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meidensha Corporation
• Original Assignee: Meidensha Corporation
• Inventors: Kanke, Masayasu, Akiyama, Takao
• Primary Examiner(s): MCCALL, ERIC SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US14/371,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20150013443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 731/150.1, 731/150.5, 731/150.7, 731/160.5, 731/180.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/025 Test-benches with rotational drive means and loading means; Load or drive simulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 17/007 Wheeled or endless-tracked vehicles G01M17/08 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a drive-train testing system that is capable of generating a large drive torque without increasing the size of a motor that simulates an engine. The drive-train testing system inputs a drive torque, which is generated according to a torque command which contains an alternating-current component having an excitation frequency, to an input shaft of a workpiece in order to evaluate the performance of said workpiece. This system is equipped with a first motor, a second motor, a torque meter for detecting a torque which acts upon the shaft between the workpiece and the second motor, and a resonance suppression circuit that divides the torque command into a first torque command and a second torque command so as to suppress torsional resonance on the basis of a value detected by the torque meter.

Claims

1. A drive-train testing system for evaluating a characteristic of a workpiece by inputting a driving torque, which is generated in accordance with a torque command including an alternating-current component of an excitation frequency, into an input shaft of the workpiece configuring a part of a drive train, the drive-train testing system comprising:

a first motor;

a second motor, one end side of a drive shaft thereof being connected to a drive shaft of the first motor, and the other end side of the drive shaft thereof being connected to an input shaft of the workpiece;

a shaft torque meter for detecting a torque that acts on a shaft between the workpiece and the second motor; and

a resonance suppression circuit for dividing the torque command into a first torque command for the first motor and a second torque command for the second motor, based on a detected value of the shaft torque meter, so as to suppress torsion resonance of an axis that connects the first motor, the second motor, and the workpiece.

2. The drive-train testing system according to claim 1,

wherein a generalized plant is defined, in which a nominal plant is a mechanical system model of a three-inertia system having transfer functions characterized by:

a moment of inertia of the first motor;

a moment of inertia of the second motor;

a moment of inertia of the workpiece;

a spring constant of a torsional axis connecting the first motor and the second motor; and

a spring constant of a torsional axis connecting the second motor and the workpiece, and

wherein the resonance suppression circuit is designed by applying a control system design method, which is referred to as an H ∞

control or μ

synthesis, to the generalized plant.

3. The drive-train testing system according to claim 2, further comprising:

a first inverter for supplying electric power to the first motor, in accordance with the first torque command calculated by the resonance suppression circuit; and

a second inverter for supplying electric power to the second motor, in accordance with the second torque command calculated by the resonance suppression circuit,

wherein the generalized plant includes a control error of the first inverter, a control error of the second inverter, and a detected error of the shaft torque meter, as disturbances, and

wherein the generalized plant includes a result of weighting a difference between a weighted torque command and a total of the first torque command and the second torque command, and a result of weighting an output of the transfer functions having a characteristic, of the shaft torque meter, as controlled variables.

4. The drive-train testing system according to claim 3,

wherein the generalized plant includes a result of weighting a shaft torque between the first motor and the second motor, which is output from the nominal plant, as a controlled variable.

5. The drive-train testing system according to claim 2,

wherein the torque command is defined as a shaft torque command for a shaft torque between the workpiece and the second motor, and

wherein the resonance suppression circuit determines the first and second torque commands, such that a detected value of the shaft torque meter serves as the shaft torque command.

6. The drive-train testing system according to claim 5,

wherein a generalized plant is defined, in which a nominal plant is a mechanical system model of a three-inertia system having transfer functions characterized by:

a moment of inertia of the first motor;

a moment of inertia of the second motor;

a moment of inertia of the workpiece;

a spring constant of a torsional axis connecting the first motor and the second motor; and

a spring constant of a torsional axis connecting the second motor and the workpiece, and wherein the resonance suppression circuit is designed by applying a control system design method, which is referred to as an H ∞

control or μ

synthesis, to the generalized plant.

7. The drive-train testing system according to claim 6, further comprising:

a first inverter for supplying electric power to the first motor, in accordance with the first torque command calculated by the resonance suppression circuit; and

a second inverter for supplying electric power to the second motor, in accordance with the second torque command calculated by the resonance suppression circuit,

wherein the generalized plant includes a control error of the first inverter, a control error of the second inverter, the shaft torque command, and a detected error of the shaft torque meter, as disturbances, and

wherein the generalized plant includes a deviation between a weighted shaft torque command and a result of weighting an output of the transfer functions having a characteristic of the shaft torque meter, as an observable to be input into a controller.

8. The drive-train testing system according to claim 7,

wherein the generalized plant includes a result of weighting a shaft torque between the first motor and the second motor, which is output from the nominal plant, as a controlled variable.