Industrial controller-based dynamometer with dynamic emulation of mechanical loads

Dynamic emulation of mechanical loads belongs to advanced dynamometer control strategies. The main goal of this paper is to analyse and implement a control algorithm for dynamic emulation into an industrial converter by using a standard industrial programming tool. The reference torque of a load machine is calculated through the previously developed closed-loop control algorithm using PI estimator. Proposed torque control structure is analysed and experimentally verified with a linear and a nonlinear model of a mechanical load to be emulated. Presented implementation enables the user the emulation of various mechanical loads with the industrial drive used as a dynamometer. This approach can be used for the advanced testing of motion control techniques in case where the mechanical load is not physically available. Only the equations describing its dynamic are needed.