SOLENOID ACTUATOR

• Main Authors: Dames, Andrew, Evett, James, Storkey, Matthew
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 10.08.2016
• Subjects: ACTUATING-FLOATS; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; BLASTING; COCKS; COMBUSTION ENGINES; CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING; ELECTRICITY; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS; INDUCTANCES; LIGHTING; MAGNETS; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PROPERTIES; SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL, WITH COMBUSTIBLEMIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF; TAPS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; TRANSFORMERS; VALVES; WEAPONS

A method of operating a solenoid actuator is described. The solenoid actuator comprises an armature, pole piece(s), electromagnet coil(s) arranged, in response to energisation, to cause travel of the armature between first and second positions along a direction of travel. The method comprises applying, in a cycle, drive waveform(s) to the electromagnet coil(s), the drive waveform(s) including turn-on drive waveform(s) having profile(s) and duration so as to position the armature at a position between the first and second positions and at which the armature is substantially at rest, obtaining measurement(s) of back emf and/or current and/or resistance from the electromagnet coil(s) and adjusting the drive waveform(s) applied to the electromagnetic coil in the cycle and/or adjusting drive waveforms(s) applied to the electromagnetic coil in a subsequent cycle using the measurement(s).