Modelling and characterisation of Wavedrives' novel 'magnetic screw' actuation technology

Wavedrives 新型“磁螺杆”驱动技术的建模和表征

• 批准号: 106022
• 金额: $ 3.31万
• 依托单位: WAVEDRIVES LTD
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Collaborative R&D
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=106022
• 关键词: Modelling; characterisation; Wavedrives; novel; magnetic

Efficiency and convenience are driving a global and widespread move from hydraulic and pneumatic to electric actuation. Requirements for more sustainable solutions, safer automated environments, wearable bionic devices, service robots and other human-proximal and off-grid applications are reinforcing this trend and building demand for new types of electric actuation to overcome the limitations of existing technologies. Typical problems are inefficiency, complexity, bulk and cost introduced by gearing and a narrow range of speeds where peak efficiency is achievable.WaveDrives disruptive electric actuation technology responds to this demand, drawing on insights from our deep experience building prosthetic and robotic devices for commercial exploitation.A first linear actuator (SILA) using this technology was launched in 2019. SILA works like a magnetic screw and has integral non-contact transmission, is ultra-efficient, highly scalable, quiet, frictionless, compact, precise with no backlash, ingress-protectable, back-driveable off-power, intrinsically non-jamming, needs little/no maintenance, and is straightforward to manufacture. These and other novel characteristics offer step-change motion-control performance and SILA is already being evaluated for diverse applications in aerospace, prosthetics, construction, defence, logistics and manufacturing. As well as solving motion-control problems in multiple sectors, SILA's ultra-efficient use of energy indicates its potential as a tool to help counter climate change, once in mass production.WaveDrives has developed a spreadsheet that provides guidance on scaling SILA to deliver customer specified levels of thrust. However, prediction issues persist despite extensive effort to reconcile theory with practice and each estimate requires time-consuming experimental confirmation. A more complete, analytical understanding of the magnetic materials and fields utilised in SILA is urgently needed so Wavedrives can confidently specify product versions that will meet customer needs and plan a product range to address the extensive application space.In this project WaveDrives will collaborate with international experts from the National Physical Laboratory(NPL) to develop an analytically derived and validated spreadsheet model and understanding to solve this problem. A reliable and robust description of the forces in the SILA actuator will be produced using an innovative combination of magnetic characterisation, force measurement, and analytical and numerical models, using NPL and WaveDrives' unique facilities and expertise.SILA competes with mature, well-established actuation technologies and actuation is often critical to equipment design. Industry decisions to invest in a disruptive new actuation technology represent a significant commitment . This project will help WaveDrives secure such decisions, improving SILA's competitive position and de-risking WaveDrives technology commercialisation.

效率和便利性正在推动全球范围内从液压和气动向电动驱动的广泛转变。对更可持续的解决方案、更安全的自动化环境、可穿戴仿生设备、服务机器人和其他接近人类和离网应用的需求正在强化这一趋势，并建立对新型电动驱动的需求，以克服现有技术的局限性。典型的问题是传动装置带来的效率低下、复杂性、体积大和成本高，以及可实现峰值效率的速度范围窄。WaveDrives 颠覆性电动驱动技术响应了这一需求，借鉴了我​​们在构建用于商业开发的假肢和机器人设备的丰富经验中的见解.第一个采用该技术的线性执行器（SILA）于2019年推出。SILA的工作原理类似于磁性螺杆，具有整体非接触式传输，超高效、高度可扩展、安静、无摩擦、紧凑、精确无间隙、可进入保护、可在断电情况下反向驱动、本质上无干扰、需要很少/不需要维护，并且易于制造。这些和其他新颖的特性提供了阶跃变化的运动控制性能，并且 SILA 已经在航空航天、假肢、建筑、国防、物流和制造等领域的各种应用中进行了评估。除了解决多个领域的运动控制问题外，SILA 对能源的超高效利用表明，一旦投入量产，其作为帮助应对气候变化的工具的潜力。WaveDrives 开发了一个电子表格，为扩展 SILA 提供指导，以向客户提供服务指定的推力水平。然而，尽管付出了大量努力来协调理论与实践，但预测问题仍然存在，并且每个估计都需要耗时的实验确认。迫切需要对 SILA 中使用的磁性材料和磁场进行更全面的分析了解，以便 Wavedrives 能够自信地指定满足客户需求的产品版本，并规划产品系列来满足广泛的应用空间。在该项目中，WaveDrives 将与国际合作来自国家物理实验室 (NPL) 的专家开发了一个经过分析得出并经过验证的电子表格模型和理解来解决这个问题。将利用磁特性、力测量以及分析和数值模型的创新组合，利用 NPL 和 WaveDrives 独特的设施和专业知识，对 SILA 执行器中的力进行可靠而稳健的描述。SILA 与成熟、完善的竞争驱动技术和驱动对于设备设计通常至关重要。投资颠覆性新驱动技术的行业决定代表着一项重大承诺。该项目将帮助 WaveDrives 确保此类决策，提高 SILA 的竞争地位并降低 WaveDrives 技术商业化的风险。