Modeling, optimization, and control of magnetostrictive high force to mass ratio reaction mass actuators

A magnetostrictive reaction mass actuator possessing a large force to weight ratio has recently been developed at SatCon Technology Corporation. Achieving such high performance requires adequate modeling of this multidisciplinary device. The developed models allow performance optimization to be accomplished through parameter selection and control design. At the 1996 smart materials conference, the modeling and design issues associated with this actuator were discussed. Since that time, additional experiments and optimization have been performed that validate the proposed modeling. These experiments include validation of the thermal modeling and dynamic model validation through control experimentation. In addition to these results, a discussion of the trade-offs in terms of eddy current, controller, and thermal requirements, will be presented.