Session: MSNDC-12-01: Computational Methods and Software Tools in Multibody Systems and Nonlinear Dynamics

Paper Number: 148064

148064 - Assessment of Sources of Error in a Cyber-Physical Test Bench for Electric Motors 

Model-Based System Testing (MBST) consists in the combination of computer simulation and physical experimentation in the assessment of component behavior. Cyber-physical test benches (CPTBs) are one of the most challenging applications of this approach, in which physical system components are tested through their real-time interaction with a virtual environment that replicates their real-life operating conditions. CPTBs enable the evaluation of component behavior before a full system-level prototype is available, reducing the costs associated with testing procedures and shortening the product development cycle. In order to deliver useful results, CPTBs need to achieve real-time performance and to be able to represent the system under study up to a reasonable level of accuracy. A number of sources of error, however, can decrease this accuracy, introducing divergences between the desired simulation conditions and practical ones. These include communication issues between the simulation and the physical components, modelling errors, and sensor and actuator limitations. Besides, CPTBs can be considered a particular case of real-time co-simulation environments, and they are subjected to the numerical issues that are inherent to explicit co-simulation setups. In the present work, a test bench for electric motors was used to identify and quantify the impact of different error sources in cyber-physical experiments. The effects of these errors were measured and compared against reference data obtained from experimental tests in which the motors used in the bench were assessed through the motion of physical inertias.

Presenting Author: Francisco González Universidade da Coruña

Presenting Author Biography: Francisco González received the degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Navarra, Spain, in 2004, and the Ph.D. degree from the University of A Coruña, Spain, in 2010. He subsequently held postdoctoral positions at McGill University, Canada, and the University of A Coruña, working on simulation and analysis methods for robotics and mechanical systems. He is currently an associate Professor at the Laboratory of Mechanical Engineering, University of A Coruña. His research interests include real-time simulation methodologies and co-simulation techniques for multiphysics applications.

Authors:

Antonio J. Rodríguez Universidade da Coruña
Pablo A. Díaz Universidade da Coruña
Óscar López Universidade da Coruña
Francisco González Universidade da Coruña