Power and precision: a quantum leap in servo system technology

The early 20th century laid the foundation for feedback control systems, which led to the development of servo systems. Initially used in industries like mechanical manufacturing and metallurgy, servo systems expanded their applications due to the demand for high-performance military equipment. Based on these challenges, there is a need for continuous innovation in servo system technology to meet the requirements of modern high-end applications.

A research team from the School of Electrical Engineering at Southeast University published a comprehensive review (DOI:10.23919/CJEE.2023.000048) in the Chinese Journal of Electrical Engineering, on March 31, 2024.The study explores advanced motor topologies and control strategies in servo systems, aiming to enhance performance in various high-end applications.

The study provides an in-depth analysis of various motor topologies used in servo systems, including traditional brushed Direct Current (DC) motors (BDCM), stepper motors (SM), and induction motors (IM), as well as advanced brushless DC motors (BLDCM) and permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSM). Emerging motors such as the vernier Permanent Magnet (PM) motor (VPMM), flux-switching PM motor (FSPMM), and flux-reversal PM motor (FRPMM) are also discussed for their high power density and low torque ripple. In terms of control strategies, the study emphasizes field-oriented control (FOC), direct torque control (DTC), model predictive control (MPC), and fault-tolerance control (FTC). These advanced strategies are crucial for achieving faster response times, higher precision, and improved stability in servo systems. The integration of these control methods with modern servo motors provides significant enhancements in performance, making them suitable for high-precision applications in industries such as aerospace, medical equipment, industrial robotics, and semiconductor devices.

Professor Ming Cheng, an expert in electrical engineering, commented, “This study offers a thorough analysis of servo system technologies, particularly in high-performance motors and advanced control strategies. It provides valuable insights and guidance for the future development of servo systems.”

The findings of this study have significant implications for high-end applications in fields like aerospace, medical equipment, industrial robotics, and semiconductor devices. By adopting advanced motor topologies and control strategies, servo systems can achieve higher precision, faster response times, and greater robustness, thereby meeting the complex demands of various applications.

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References

DOI

10.23919/CJEE.2023.000048

Original Source URL

https://doi.org/10.23919/CJEE.2023.000048

Funding information

10.13039/501100001809-National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Number: 51991380)

About Chinese Journal of Electrical Engineering

Chinese Journal of Electrical Engineering (CJEE) is an international quarterly journal in English, which is sponsored by China Machinery Industry Information Institute and technically co-sponsored by IEEE Power Electronics Society (IEEE PELS). The CJEE will be published in IEEE Xplore and be indexed in Ei Compendex, Scopus, INSPEC, DOAJ and CSCD.