System and method for controlling semi-active actuators

An elevator system, comprising:

• an elevator car arranged in the elevator system for moving along an elevator shaft during an operation of the elevator system;
• a sensor for measuring a parameter representing a vibration of the elevator car during the operation, the sensor produces a measured signal;
• a set of semi-active actuators for compensating the vibration of the elevator car;
• and
• a controller for controlling uniformly the set of semi-active actuators according to a control signal determined based on the measured signal and a control policy of a virtual semi-active actuator, wherein a compensative force of the virtual semi-active actuator represents compensative forces of the set of semi-active actuators, wherein the parameter is an acceleration of an elevator frame, the controller further comprises:
• an acceleration filter for determining an acceleration of the elevator car based on the acceleration of the elevator frame using a model of the elevator system, wherein the acceleration filter includes a transfer function as
• G
• ⁡
• (
• s
• )
• =
• b
• c
• x
• ⁢
• s
• +
• k
• c
• x
• m
• c
• ⁢
• s
• 2
• +
• b
• c
• x
• ⁢
• s
• +
• k
• c
• x
• ,
• wherein s is a complex frequency, mc is a mass of the elevator car, kcx is a weighted stiffness of a car-hold dumper, and bcx is a weighted damping of car-hold dumper, and
• a displacement filter for determining a function of displacement of the virtual semi-active actuator based on the acceleration of the elevator frame, the acceleration of the elevator car, and the model of the elevator system.

A method for controlling a set of semi-active actuators arranged in a system to compensate a set of disturbances along a direction of disturbance, comprising:

• representing the system as a model of a virtual system having a single virtual semi-active actuator arranged to compensate a virtual disturbance along the direction of disturbance, wherein a compensative force of the virtual semi-active actuator represents compensative forces of the set of semi-active actuators, and wherein the virtual disturbance represents a combination of the set of disturbances;
• determining a control policy for controlling the set of semi-active actuators including a state function representing an operation of the system and a function of displacement representing an operation of the set of semi-active actuators;
• approximating using the model of the virtual system, the state function as a first function of a parameter representing a vibration of the system and the function of displacement as a second function of the parameter to produce the control policy of the virtual semi-active actuator;
• determining disturbed dynamics of the first function treated as an independent variable;
• determining deterministic dynamics of the first function based on the disturbed dynamics of the first function and the model of the virtual system
• determining disturbed dynamics of the second function treated as an independent variable;
• determining deterministic dynamics of the second function based on the disturbed dynamics of the second function and the model of the virtual system
• designing, based on the deterministic dynamics of the first function, a first filter approximating an unknown variable as a function of the parameter;
• designing, based on the deterministic dynamics of the second function, a second filter approximating the function of displacement based on an output of the first filter and the parameter;
• determining the second function as a combination of outputs of the first and the second filters;
• and
• controlling each actuator of the set of semi-active actuators according to a control policy of the virtual semi-active actuator based on a measured signal including values of the parameter measured during an operation of the system, wherein steps of the method are performed by a processor.

A method for controlling a set of semi-active actuators arranged in a system to compensate a set of disturbances along a direction of disturbance, comprising:

• representing the system as a model of a virtual system having a single virtual semi-active actuator arranged to compensate a virtual disturbance along the direction of disturbance, wherein a compensative force of the virtual semi-active actuator represents compensative forces of the set of semi-active actuators, and wherein the virtual disturbances represents a combination of the set of disturbances;
• determining a control policy for controlling the set of semi-active actuators including a state function representing an operation of the system and a function of displacement representing an operation of the set of semi-active actuators;
• approximating using the model of the virtual system, the state function as a first function of a parameter representing a vibration of the system and the function of displacement as a second function of the parameter to produce the control policy of the virtual semi-active actuator;
• representing the first function as a linear combination of a function of velocity of a mass of the system, the parameter, and an unknown variable;
• designing, based on the model, a first filter approximating the unknown variable as a function of the parameter;
• designing, based on the model, a third filter approximating the function of velocity based on output of the first filter and the parameter;
• and
• determining the first function based on a combination of outputs of the first and the third filters;
• and
• controlling each actuator of the set of semi-active actuators according to a control policy of the virtual semi-active actuator based on a measured signal including values of the parameter measured during an operation of the system, wherein steps of the method are performed by a processor.