Applications of embedded sensors in loader crane positioning and rotor RPM measurement

Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Technology

Sundsvall 2011

Applications of Embedded Sensors in Loader Crane Positioning and Rotor RPM Measurement

Peng Cheng

Supervisors: Professor Bengt Oelmann Professor Mattias O’Nils

Electronics Design Division, in the

Department of Information Technology and Media Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden

ISSN 1652-893X

Mid Sweden University Doctoral Thesis 114

ISBN 978-91-86694-56-2

Akademisk avhandling som med tillstånd av Mittuniversitetet i Sundsvall framläggs till offentlig granskning för avläggande av teknologie doktors examen i elektronik, Mittuniversitetet Sundsvall. Seminariet kommer att hållas på engelska.

Applications of Embedded Sensors in Loader Crane Positioning and Rotor RPM Measurement

Peng Cheng

© Peng Cheng, 2011

Electronics Design Division, in the

Department of Information Technology and Media Mid Sweden University, SE-851 70 Sundsvall Sweden

Telephone: +46 (0)60 148495

Printed by Kopieringen Mittuniversitetet, Sundsvall, Sweden, 2011

In this thesis, two novel applications involving embedded sensors are studied, one dealing with loader crane positioning and the other involving rotor Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) measurement. The thesis presents a general introduction to the embedded sensor, its architecture and its use in mechanical industry, and provides the reader with an overview of conventional sensor technologies within the fields of angle sensors and angular speed sensors, covering their working principles, features, advantages and disadvantages and typical applications. The particular problems associated with the use of conventional sensors in both loader crane positioning and rotor RPM measurement are described and these problems provided the motivation for the designs of the embedded sensor systems developed in this thesis.

In the case of the loader crane positioning, the origins of the project and the special requirements of the application are described in detail. In addition, a preliminary study is conducted in relation to the idea of a contactless joint angular sensor using MEMS inertial sensors in which four different methods, namely, the Common-Mode-Rejection with Gyro Integration (CMRGI), Common-Mode- Rejection (CMR), Common-Mode-Rejection with Gyro Differentiation (CMRGD) and Distributed Common-Mode-Rejection (DCMR), are conceived, modeled and tested on a custom-designed prototype experimental setup. The results gathered from these four methods are compared and analyzed in order to identify the differences in their performances. The methods, which proved to be suitable, are then further tested using the prototype sensor setup on a loader crane and the performance results are analyzed in order to make a decision in relation to the two most suitable methods for the application of the loader crane positioning. The results suggested that the two most suitable were the CMRGD and the DCMR. The practical design issues relating to this sensor system are highlighted and suggestions are made in the study. Additionally, possible future work for this project is also covered.

In the first case for the rotor RPM measurement, the thesis presents the modeling and simulation of the stator-free RPM sensor idea using the Monte Carlo method, which demonstrated the special features and performance of this sensor.

The design aspects of the prototype sensor are described in detail and the prototype is tested on an experimental setup. The conclusions for the stator-free RPM sensor are then made from the analysis of the experimental results and future work in relation to this sensor is also proposed.

In the second case of the rotor RPM measurement, the thesis presents

another idea involving the laser mouse RPM sensor and the main focus of the

study is on the performance characterization of the laser mouse sensor and the

verification of the RPM sensor idea. Experiments are conducted using the test

setup and results are gathered and analyzed and conclusions are drawn.

Possibilities in relation to future work for this laser mouse RPM sensor are also provided.

The summary and the conclusion form the final chapter of the thesis and

several important aspects of the designs relating to both the loader crane

positioning project and the rotor RPM measurement project are discussed.

I denna avhandling har två nya applikationer med inbyggda sensorer studeras, den ena arbetar med positionering av kranar och den andra med varvtalsmätning. I avhandlingen ges först en allmän introduktion till inbyggda sensorer, dess arkitektur och dess användning inom industriella tillämpningar för att ge en översikt av konventionell sensorteknik inom områdena vinkelsensorer och vinkelhastighetssensorer. Detta inbegriper arbetsprinciper, funktioner, fördelar och nackdelar och typiska användningsområden. De särskilda problem i samband med användning av konventionella sensorer i både positionering av kranar och varvtalssensorer beskrivs och dessa problem har motiverat utvecklingen av de inbyggda sensorsystem som den har avhandlingen behandlar.

I fallet med positionering av kranar är ursprunget till projektet och de särskilda kraven för tillämpningen beskrivna i detalj. Dessutom beskrivs en förstudie av metoder för kontaktlös vinkelmätning baserat på konfigurationer av MEMS accelerometrar och gyroskop. Fyra olika metoder har studerats, nämligen Common-Mode-Rejection with Gyro Integration (CMRGI), Common-Mode-Rejection (CMR), Common-Mode-Rejection with Gyro Differentiation (CMRGD) och Distributed Common-Mode-Rejection (DCMR). Dessa är utformade, modellerade och testade med en specialkonstruerad prototyp för experimenten. Resultaten som samlats in från dessa fyra metoder jämförs och analyseras för att identifiera skillnaderna i prestanda. De metoder som visat sig vara mest lämpliga för den aktuella tillämpningen, positionering av kranar, har ytterligare utvärderats med ett komplett sensorsystem för positionering av kran. Resultaten analyseras och utgör grunden för att kunna bestämma vilken metod som är mest lämplig för positionering av kranar. Resultaten tyder på att de två mest lämpliga metoderna är CMRGD och DCMR. De praktiska konstruktionsfrågorna som rör detta sensorsystem diskuteras och riktlinjer för ges. I tillägg pekas riktningen ut för fortsatta studier inom detta område.

När det gäller varvtalsmätning så presenterar avhandlingen först modellering och simulering, baserat på Monte-Carlo metoden, av den föreslagna Stator-free varvtalssensor. Simuleringarna visar på prestandan och de speciella egenskaperna hos sensorn. Aspekter som rör konstruktion och utformning av sensorn beskrivs därefter i detalj. En prototyp har konstruerats och de experimentella resultaten jämförs men simuleringarna. Analysen som följer pekar ut riktningen för framtida studier.

Ytterligare en varvtalssensor, som baserar sig på lasermus-sensor, föreslås.

Studien av denna fokuserar på karakterisering av dess prestanda och verifierar

idén för kontaktlös varvtalsmätning baserad på lasermus-sensor. Detta görs

baserat på experimentella resultat.

Sammanfattning och slutsats utgör det sista kapitlet i avhandlingen där flera

viktiga aspekter av de mönster som framkommit i studierna avseende på inbyggda

sensorer för både positionering av kran och varvtalsmätning diskuteras.

First of all I would like to offer my great appreciation to my supervisor Prof.

Bengt Oelmann who provided me with this precious opportunity to pursue my PhD studies and for all his help and guidance in my academic studies and daily research work throughout all of these years.

I would also like to thank all my colleagues at the Electronics Design Division at Mid Sweden University for all the joy, all the discussions and talks, and all the interesting things that have happened, which has made our department such a great workplace. Special thanks go to my project partner Fredrik Linnarsson for all the interesting discussions we have had and for all of his help during the project work, and to Sebastian Bader, my great and helpful office roommate for all these years. Also to Najeem Lawal (I put your name first now so you can’t complain -), Stefan Haller, David Krapohl, Mohamed Sobh, Mattias Krämer, Reza Mossavi, Cao Cao, Tao Feng, Niklas Lepistö, Fanny Burman, Lotta Söderström, Mattias O’Nils, Krister Aldén, Göran Thungström, Börje Norlin, Johan Sidén, Clas Mattsson, Kent Bertilsson, Benny Thörnberg, Jan Thim, Krister Hammarling, Magnus Engholm, Henrik Andersson, Anatoliy Manuilskiy, Kannan Thiyagarajan, Mazhar Hussain, Amir Yousaf, Alam Anzar, Radhika Ambatipudi, Hari Babu Kotte, thank you for all the help!

I would also like to express my gratitude to Mid Sweden University, and the Swedish KK foundation for their financial support.

Finally, I would like to thank my wife Xiaomiao and my parents, for their endless love, care, and support during all these years that have made my work on my PhD possible.

Sundsvall, August 2011

Peng Cheng