Position estimation in electro-magnetic actuators using a modified discrete time class A/B model reference approach

In this paper, the use of a discrete time model reference adaptive approach is proposed for estimating the armature position of electro-magnetic actuators. It is assumed that current and voltage measurements are available, only. It is shown that by identification of the parameters of the electrical subsystem, a unique and accurate estimate for the armature position can be obtained. To this end two discrete time MRAS methods are combined in order to take advantage of complementary properties. It is shown in practical experiments that with this approach robust and fast estimation of the electrical parameters is achieved and the position estimation can thus be solved in real world environments.