Abstract:
A controlling and computing device performs the steps of: differentiating a slider position represented by a position detection signal fed from a position sensor, and calculating the velocity of the slider, differentiating the calculated velocity so as to calculate an acceleration: using a slider target position, the slider position, the velocity and the acceleration to calculate position instruction values to be fed to two servo amplifiers; performing a computation on the respectively calculated position instruction values, so as to compensate for a pressure change which has occurred in each of pressure chambers due to a change in the position of a pressure receiving plate in a cylinder chamber; and producing the respectively compensated position instruction values to the two servo amplifiers.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a gas pressure actuator, particularly to an air pressure actuator and a method for controlling the air pressure actuator.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    As an air pressure actuator, there has been one which was suggested by the inventors of the present invention and is shown In FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, such an air pressure actuator comprises a guide shaft  14  extending in one axial direction with both ends thereof fixed on a pair of support members  18 , and a slider  13  movable along the guide shaft  14 . In fact, the slider  13  is a cylindrical hollow body which is so formed that it can cover up part of the guide shaft  13 . In this way, a cylinder space is formed between the inner surface of the slider  13  and the outer periphery surface of the guide shaft  14 . Practically, such a cylinder space is used as a pressure chamber. In more detail, the cylinder space has been divided (in its axial direction) into two pressure chambers  16 A and  16 B by virtue of a pressure receiving plate (partition wall)  17  fixed on the internal wall of the slider  13 . Accordingly, both the pressure receiving plate  17  and the slider  13  are slidable along the guide shaft  14 .  
           [0005]    On both sides of the guide shaft  14  are provided a plurality of static pressure air bearings  12  arranged to be separated from one another at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction. Practically, these static pressure air bearings  12  are connected with an air pressure source  10  through a regulator  11 A. For this purpose, a plurality of air passages are formed in the guide shaft  14  and communicated with the static pressure air bearings  12 . However, since each of the static pressure air bearings is a well-known bearing in the art, a detailed explanation as to the structure thereof will be omitted in this specification.  
           [0006]    On both sides of the guide shaft  14  and with the two pressure chambers  16 A,  16 B are connected intake/exhaust systems for introducing a compressed air into the pressure chambers or for discharging the same therefrom. To ensure such an air instruction and discharge, a plurality of air passages, which are independent from the above air passages for use with the static pressure air bearings, are formed in the guide shaft  14 , extending from both ends of the guide shaft to the pressure chambers  16 A and  16 B The intake/exhaust systems are respectively equipped with servo valves  22 A and  22 B so as to form a desired servo control. These servo valves  22 A and  22 B are all connected to the air pressure source  10  through a regulator  11 B.  
           [0007]    In this way, an air which is supplied from the air pressure source  10  and whose pressure has been properly regulated by the regulator  11 A can be supplied to the static pressure air bearings  12 . By virtue of the compressed air blown out of the static pressure air bearings  12 , the slider  13  will float from the guide shaft  14 , enabling the slider  13  to move with respect to the guide shaft  14  without touching it. For this reason, there would be no sliding resistance during the movement of the slider  13 . Further, a position sensor  15  based on a linear scale or the like is used to detect the position of the slider  13 , and to produce an electric signal representing the slider&#39;s position. The detected position signal fed from the position sensor  15  is then fed to a controlling and computing device  20 .  
           [0008]    The controlling and computing device  20  performs control and computation based on the inputted position information and outputs position instruction signals to servo amplifiers  21 A and  21 B. At this time, the instruction values to be fed to the servo amplifiers  21 A and  21 B are those having the same absolute values but opposite signs.  
           [0009]    The servo valves  22 A and  22 B receive the supply of a compressed air which has been regulated by the regulator  11 B to an appropriate pressure, while the flow rate of an air flowing through each of these valves can be changed depending on the position of a spool within each of the servo valves  22 A and  22 B. Air flows which have passed through the servo valves  22 A and  22 B are supplied to the pressure chambers  16 A and  16 B formed within slider  13 . As a result, a pressure difference occurs between the pressure chamber  16 A and the pressure chamber  16 B, and such a pressure difference acts on the pressure receiving plate  17  provided on the internal wall of the slider  13 , causing the slider  13  to move in one of the two directions.  
           [0010]    Since the air pressure actuator described above can control a large amount of output with a compact structure, it has been expected to be used as an actuator for performing a positioning between any two points. However, when performing a continuous positioning, such an air pressure actuator has been found to be difficult in performing a stabilized control, because a dynamic characteristic change and the like based on the position of the pressure receiving plate are non-linear. Consequently, it is difficult to obtain an effective long stroke with respect to a mechanical stroke of the slider. This is because whenever the position of the pressure receiving plate is changed within the pressure chambers, the pressures within the pressure chambers will also change, hence bringing about an undesired influence to a stabilized control.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved gas pressure actuator based on a gas pressure actuator whose slider is driven by a gas pressure using two servo valves, which is characterized in that its dynamic characteristic change depending on the position of the slider can be compensated, so as to effect a stabilized control of the slider within the stroke thereof. Further, it is another object of the invention to provide an improved method for controlling the gas pressure actuator described above.  
           [0012]    A control method according to the present invention can be suitably applied to a gas pressure actuator described hereunder. The gas pressure actuator includes a guide shaft and a slider movable along the guide shaft, and a pressure receiving plate provided on one of the guide shaft and the slider to form a cylinder chamber between the outer surface of the guide shaft and the internal surface of the slider and to define the cylinder chamber into two pressure chambers arranged side by side in the slider moving direction. The gas pressure actuator is constructed in a manner such that a compressed gas is introduced into or discharged from the two respective pressure chambers by way of servo valves, so as to use a pressure difference between the two pressure chambers to drive the slider. Further, the gas pressure actuator includes a position sensor for detecting the position of the slider, two servo amplifiers for controlling the servo valves, and a controlling and computing device for receiving a position detection signal fed from the position sensor and for producing position instruction values to the two servo amplifiers.  
           [0013]    According to an aspect of the present invention, the method comprises the steps of: performing a computation on each of the position instruction values to be fed to the two servo amplifiers, so as to compensate for a pressure change which has occurred in each of the pressure chambers due to a change in the position of the pressure receiving plate in the cylinder chamber; and producing position instruction values to the two servo amplifiers.  
           [0014]    A gas pressure actuator according to the present invention is characterized by incorporating an improved controlling and computing device which performs the following steps. Namely, the controlling and computing device performs the steps of: differentiating a slider position represented by a detected position signal, and calculating the velocity of the slider, meanwhile differentiating the calculated velocity so as to calculate an acceleration; using a slider target position, said slider position, said velocity and said acceleration to calculate position instruction values to be fed to the two servo amplifiers; performing a computation on the respectively calculated position instruction values, so as to compensate for a pressure change which has occurred in each of the pressure chambers due to a change in the position of the pressure receiving plate in the cylinder chamber; and producing the respectively compensated position instruction values to the two servo amplifiers. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the constitution of an air pressure actuator previously suggested by the inventors of the present invention; and  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is an explanatory view schematically showing the constitution of an improved air pressure actuator according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]    In the following, with reference to FIG. 2, description will be given to explain an air pressure actuator according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view formed by simplifying an air pressure actuator shown in FIG. 1, so that elements or members which are the same as those shown In FIG. 1 are represented by the same reference numerals. Although in the present embodiment, a pressure receiving plate  17 ′ Is fixed on the guide shaft  14 , its operational principle is the same as the above-discussed actuator previously suggested by the inventors of the present invention. Here, when an entire internal space of the slider  13  is used as one cylinder space, a pressure difference between the pressure chambers  16 A and  16 B can cause the slider  13  to move in one of the two directions, so as to cause a change in the position of the pressure receiving plate  17 ′ within the slider  13 . This means that the air pressure actuator of the present invention can be applied to any optional condition in which the pressure receiving plate is fixed on either the guide shaft  14  or the slider  13 . Further, although the static pressure air bearings supporting the slider  13  without touching it are not shown in the drawing, the slider  13  is supported by the static pressure air bearings without touching in the same manner as shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0018]    The symbols used in the following are a pressure P, a volume V, a temperature θ, a gas constant R, a pressure receiving area A, with a suffix  1  attached to each of the parameters representing the conditions in an area belong or close to the pressure chamber  16 A, and with a suffix  2  attached to each of the parameters representing the conditions in an area belong or close to the pressure chamber  16 B. In various equations listed in the following, one symbol with one dot (.) on it represents a time differentiation of only once, while one symbol with two dots (..) on it represents a time differentiation of twice. On the other hand, a symbol with a bar (-) on it is used to represent an average value.  
         [0019]    As describe above, the air pressure actuator employs two servo valves  22 A and  22 B, two servo amplifiers  21 A and  21 B, as well as a controlling and computing device  20 , so as to control the flow rate of a compressed air flowing to the pressure chambers  16 A and  16 B, thereby driving the slider  13  by virtue of a pressure difference existing between the two pressure chambers  16 A and  16 B.  
         [0020]    When a state change of a gas within the pressure chambers is assumed to be an adiabatic change (adiabatic coefficient k), such a state change can be represented by the following equation (1).  
                 P   .     1     =         -       κ                   AP   1         V   1              x   .       +         κ                 R                   θ   1         V   1            G   1                 (   1   )                               
 
         [0021]    In the above equation (1), G 1  represents a mass flow rate of a gas supplied from the servo valve  22 A.  
         [0022]    Since the state equation (1) is non-linear, once the volumes of the pressure chambers are changed, some related characteristics will also change correspondingly.  
         [0023]    If a state (pressure: “{overscore (P)}”; volume: “{overscore (V)}”: temperature: “{overscore (θ)}”) in which the slider  13  is stopped (with the pressure receiving plate  17  positioned in the vicinity of the center of the slider  13 ) is used as a standard state, the above equation can be represented by the following equation (2).  
                 P   .     1     =         -       κ                 A                   P   _         V   _              x   .       +         κ                 R                   θ   _         V   _            G   1                 (   2   )                               
 
         [0024]    At this time, a temperature change is assumed to be extremely small and θ 1 =“{overscore (θ)}” is assumed. In fact, the above equation (2) is established with the center of the slider  13  serving as a standard state, and with the volume being “{overscore (V)}”=constant, so that there is no characteristic change.  
         [0025]    Then, an input G 1  of the above equation (1) is assumed to be G 1 ′ so as to form the flowing equation (3), and It is allowed to consider an input such as that shown in the following equation (4).  
                 P   .     1     =         -       κ                   AP   1         V   1              x   .       +         κ                 R                   θ   1         V   1            G   1   ′                 (   3   )                 G   1   ′     =           AV   1       R                   θ   1              (       -       P   _       V   _         +       P   1       V   1         )          x   .       +           V   1          θ   _           V   _                     θ   1              G   1                 (   4   )                               
 
         [0026]    If we substitute the above equation (4) for a corresponding factor in the above equation (3), a non-linear equation which is the above equation (1) will become equal to the above equation (2) which is a linear equation.  
         [0027]    Further, an equation formed by linearizing a flow rate equation of a fluid passing through the servo valve  22 A (at this time, the servo valve  22 A is assumed to be in an intake state, while the servo valve  22 B is assumed to be in an exhaust state) can be represented by the following equation (5).  
               G   1     =       K   f          K   se        δ          P   _         R                   θ   _                u   1               (   5   )                               
 
         [0028]    Here, K f  and δ are coefficients depending upon the shapes of the servo valves and an air supply pressure, K se  is a gain of a servo valve opening degree and an Instruction to be fed to a servo amplifier, u 1  is a position instruction value to be fed to the servo amplifier  21 A.  
         [0029]    In the above equation (5), if a new input to the servo amplifier  21 A is assumed to be u 1 ′, and if the following equation (6) is established based on the above equation (4) and the above equation (5),  
               u   1   ′     =             AV   1            R                   θ   _               K   f          K   se        δ                   P   _                   R                   θ   1              (       -       P   _       V   _         +       P   1       V   1         )          x   .       +           V   1          θ   _           V   _                     θ   1              u   1                 (   6   )                               
 
         [0030]    It is possible to convert a compensation (an equation of a mass flow rate) of the above equation (4) into an equation of an instruction value to be fed to the servo amplifier  21 A. Since this equation is established using as an input or an output an instruction fed from the controlling and computing device  20  to the servo amplifier  21 A, the computing of the above equation (6) is performed by the controlling and computing device  20 , thereby producing a new input u 1 ′ to the servo amplifier  21 A.  
         [0031]    As to the pressure chamber  16 B, since it is assumed that the servo valve  22 B is used on the exhaust side, a flow rate equation of a fluid passing through the servo valve  22 B can be represented by the following equation (7).  
               G   2     =       K   f          K   se            P   _         R                   θ   _                u   2               (   7   )                               
 
         [0032]    Similarly, as to the pressure chamber  16 B, if an equation corresponding to the above equation (6) is deduced, it is possible to obtain the following equation (8).  
               u   2   ′     =             AV   2            R                   θ   _               K   f          K   se                     P   _                   R                   θ   2              (         P   _       V   _       -       P   2       V   2         )          x   .       +           V   2          θ   _           V   _                     θ   2              u   2                 (   8   )                               
 
         [0033]    If a compensation such as the above equations (6) and (8) is incorporated into the controlling and computing performed in the controlling and computing device  20 , it is possible to eliminate a dynamic characteristic change caused by a change in the position of the slider  13 , i.e. the position of the pressure receiving plate  17 ′ within the slider  13 , thereby enabling the dynamic characteristic to be coincident with a characteristic of a condition in which the pressure receiving plate is in the center of the slider  13 , irrespective of the position of the pressure receiving plate  17 ′ within the slider  13 .  
         [0034]    Next, description will be given to explain an operation of the controlling and computing device  20 , in accordance with the following predetermined procedure.  
         [0035]    (a) The position of the slider  13  is detected by the position sensor  15 , thereby obtaining an electric signal representing a position information. The detected position signal fed from the position sensor  15  is then inputted to the controlling and computing device  20 , so that the controlling and computing device  20  starts to perform the following computations (b) to (f).  
         [0036]    (b) A slider position x fed from the position censor  15  is differentiated so as to calculate a velocity “{dot over (x)}”, and is further differentiated so as to calculate an acceleration “{umlaut over (x)}”.  
         [0037]    (c) Using a slider target position X ref , a slider position x, a velocity “{dot over (x)}” and an acceleration “{umlaut over (x)}” a position instructing value u is calculated in accordance with the following equation (9).  
           u=K   p ( x   ref   −x )− K   v   {dot over (x)}−K   a   {umlaut over (x)}   (9)  
         [0038]    In the above equation, K p , K v  and K a  are respectively a proportional gain, a velocity gain and an acceleration gain.  
         [0039]    (d) Position instruction values u 1  and u 2  to be fed to the servo amplifiers  21 A and  21 B are calculated in the following manners.  
         u 1 =u  
         u 2 =−u  
         [0040]    (e) A new position instruction value u 1  to be fed to the servo amplifier  21 A is calculated by using the above equation (6) and in accordance with the following equation (10).  
               u   1   ′     =           AV   1         K   f          K   se                   δ                   P   _                       R                   θ   a                  (       -       P   _       V   _         +       P   _       V   1         )          x   .       +         V   1         V   _                         u   1                 (   10   )                               
 
         [0041]    Here, a pressure P 1  in the above equation (6) is assumed to be an equilibrium pressure “{overscore (P)}“(measured in advance) when the slider is stopped, while a temperature θ 1  is assumed to be an equilibrium temperature “{overscore (θ)}”=an atmospheric temperature θ a . Further, A position instruction value u 2 ′ to be fed to the servo amplifier  21 B is calculated by using the above equation (8) and in accordance with the following equation (11).  
               u   2   ′     =           AV   2         K   f          K   se                     P   _                       R                   θ   a                  (         P   _       V   _       -       P   _       V   2         )          x   .       +         V   2         V   _                         u   2                 (   11   )                               
 
         [0042]    Similarly, a pressure P 2  in the above equation (8) is assumed to be an equilibrium pressure “{overscore (P)}” when the silder is stopped, while a temperature θ 2  is assumed to be an equilibrium temperature ”{overscore (θ)}”=an atmospheric temperature θ a .  
         [0043]    However, in the above equations (10) and (11), the servo valve  22 A is assumed to be on the air supply side, while the servo valve  22 B is assumed to be on the air discharge side.  
         [0044]    In the case where the air supply side and the air discharge side are changed to each other, the following equation (12) and the following equation (13) are employed.  
               u   1   ′     =           AV   1         K   f          K   se          P   _            R                   θ   a                  (       -       P   _       V   _         +       P   _       V   1         )          x   .       +         V   1       V   _            u   1                 (   12   )                 u   2   ′     =           AV   2         K   f          K   se        δ        P   _            R                   θ   a                  (         P   _       V   _       -       P   _       V   2         )          x   .       +         V   2       V   _            u   2                 (   13   )                               
 
         [0045]    Since V 1  and V 2  are already known because the cross sectional area within the slider  13  is a constant in the axial direction, the position of the slider  13  can also be made known through calculation.  
         [0046]    (f) The position instructing value u 1 ′ is fed to the servo amplifier  21 A, while the position instruction value u 2 ′ is fed to the servo amplifier  21 B.  
         [0047]    (g) Then, the servo amplifiers  21 A and  21 B operate to control the positions of the spools within the respective servo valves  22 A and  22 B in accordance with the position instruction values. At this time, a compressed air having an appropriately regulated pressure is supplied to the servo valve  22 A as well as to the servo valve  22 B, while the flow rate of the compressed air passing therethrough will vary depending upon the positions of the spools within the respective servo valves  22 A and  22 B.  
         [0048]    (h) The compressed air flows which have passed through the servo valves  22 A and  22 B are then supplied to the two pressure chambers  16 A and  16 B within the slider  13 . Subsequently, a pressure difference between the pressure chambers  16 A and  16 B will act on the slider  13  so as to drive the slider  13 .  
         [0049]    (i) The above steps from (a) to (h) are repeated so as to have the slider  13  controlled at a desired position X ref .  
         [0050]    As can be understood from the above description, the present invention provides an improved double acting air pressure actuator capable of controlling, by virtue of the two servo valves, the two compressed air flows flowing to the two pressure chambers, thereby effectively controlling the position of the slider. Particularly, in order to make an effective stroke longer so as to ensure a stabilized positioning control, the positioning control is a control formed by incorporating into the control process a compensation for a dynamic characteristic change caused by a change in the position of the slider.  
         [0051]    In fact, the above equation (6) and the above equation (8) are obtained based on an assumption that the state change of the above air flow is an adiabatic change. However, even if an adiabatic coefficient k is replaced by a politropic index n, it is still possible to obtain the same equations. Therefore, the present invention can also be applied to other types of state change (such as an isothermal change and the like). In the following, description will be given to explain such a situation.  
         [0052]    A state equation for each of the pressure chambers can be represented by the following equation (14), based on an assumption that the state change of the air flows is a politropic change.  
                 P   .     1     =         -         -   n                   A                   P   1         V   1              x   .       +         n                 R                   θ   1         V   1            G   1   ′                 (   14   )                               
 
         [0053]    On the other hand, a state equation of a linearized model can be represented by the following equation (15).  
                 P   .     1     =         -         -   n                   A        P   _         V   _              x   .       +         n                 R                   θ   a         V   _            G   1                 (   15   )                               
 
         [0054]    Here, n is a politropic index.  
         [0055]    Further, since there is a pressure change based on the servo valve flow rate determined with respect to a linear model equation of the above equation (15), the volume V, the pressure P and the temperature θ will change, causing a difference a between a linear model and a non-linear model. If a flow rate value determined by the linear model is to be made the same as a pressure response based on the non-linear model of the above equation (14), we can use the following equation (16) and the following equation (17).  
               G   1   ′     =           AV   1       R                   θ   1              (       -       P   _       V   _         +       P   1       V   1         )          x   .       +         θ   a       θ   1              V   1       V   _            G   1                 (   16   )                 G   2   ′     =         -       AV   2       R                   θ   2                (       -       P   _       V   _         +       P   2       V   2         )          x   .       +         θ   a       θ   2              V   2       V   _            G   2                 (   17   )                               
 
         [0056]    Here, a compensation is made only for dealing with an influence caused by a volume change. On the other hand, if a pressure change and a temperature change are neglected, since P 1 =P 2 =P“{overscore (P)}”, θ 1 =θ 2 =θ a , it is allowed to obtain the following equation (18) and the following equation (19).  
               G   1   ′     =           A        P   _         R                   θ   a              (       -       V   1       V   _         +   1     )          x   .       +         V   1       V   _            G   1                 (   18   )                 G   2   ′     =         -       A        P   _         R                   θ   a                (       -       V   2       V   _         +   1     )          x   .       +         V   2       V   _            G   2                 (   19   )                               
 
         [0057]    Here, G 1  and G 2  can be represented by the following equation (20) and the following equation (21).  
               G   1     =         K   f        δ                   S   e1          P   _           R                   θ   a                   (   20   )                 G   2     =         K   f          S   e2          P   _           R                   θ   a                   (   21   )                               
 
         [0058]    However, S e1  and S e2  are respectively effective cross sectional areas of the flowing passages passing through the servo valves  22 A and  22 B, and if they are represented by effective cross sectional areas, it is possible to obtain the following equations (22) and (23).  
               S   e1   ′     =         A       K   f        δ                     R                   θ   a                  (       -       V   1       V   _         +   1     )          x   .       +         V   1       V   _            S   e1                 (   22   )                 S   e2   ′     =         -     A       K   f            R                   θ   a                    (       -       V   2       V   _         +   1     )          x   .       +         V   2       V   _            S   e2                 (   23   )                               
 
         [0059]    Further, based on the following equations:  
         
       S 
       e1 
       =K 
       se 
       U 
       1  
     
         
       S 
       e2 
       =K 
       se 
       U 
       2  
     
         [0060]    if the above parameters are represented by position instruction values (voltages), it is allowed to obtain the following equations (24) and (25).  
               u   1   ′     =         A       K   f        δ                   K   se            R                   θ   a                  (       -       V   1       V   _         -   1     )          x   .       +         V   1       V   _            u   1                 (   24   )                 u   2   ′     =         -     A       K   f          K   se            R                   θ   a                    (       -       V   2       V   _         +   1     )          x   .       +         V   2       V   _            u   2                 (   25   )                               
 
         [0061]    In this way, similar to a situation in which a gas state change is an adiabatic change, it is possible to perform a positioning control which includes a compensation for a dynamic characteristic change caused due to a change in the position of the slider.  
         [0062]    Upon making a comparison between the present invention and a conventional actuator, it is easy to understand the following facts. Namely, in a conventional actuator where two servo valves were used to perform a position control of the slider, it was difficult to perform a stabilized control because of a non-linear property of the dynamic characteristic change based on the slider position, hence rendering it difficult to obtain a long and effective stroke with respect to a mechanical stroke of the slider.  
         [0063]    In contrast to the above conventional actuator, according to the present invention, with the use of the controlling and computing device described above, it is possible to perform a compensation for a non-linear change of the dynamic characteristics based on the slider position, thereby realizing an enlargement of an effective stroke as well as a stabilized control of the same.  
         [0064]    In addition, other gases, such as a nitrogen gas, may be used in place of the air.