A differential state-space approach to simultaneous emulation of uncertainties and disturbances in voltage-controlled brushless motors

A method that allows emulation of parameter uncertainties and external disturbances without any mechanical and electrical parts supplementary to the electric drive is proposed. The emulating signal reflecting the desired changes is created in software and added to the nominal controller output, forcing the unperturbed motor output to resemble the output of a motor with actual uncertainties and disturbances. The proposed method allows simultaneous emulation of any combination of parameter variations and unpredicted disturbances. The method can be related to a class of advanced hardware-in-the-loop simulations, where the nominal hardware is present in the test bed in addition to the controller. The technique can be used to thoroughly test the performance of advanced control algorithms before mass production or for didactic purposes in an educational laboratory using motion control kits found on the market. Simulation and experimental results are reported to prove the feasibility of the proposed approach.