Active Tension Control Using an ER Brake Actuator

ER브레이크 작동기를 이용한 능동 장력 제어

This paper presents a proof-of-concept investigation on an active tension control using an ER (electro-rheological) brake actuator. Firstly, an ERF (electro-rheological fluid) which has an inherent reversible feature from Newtonian fluid to Bingham fluid upon applying an electric field is composed, and its property is tested to obtain intrinsic parameters of the Bingham model. An appropriate size of the ER brake is manufactured on the basis of the Bingham model, and dynamic characteristics of the brake are experimentally identified. After formulating a governing equation of motion of the tension control system, a sliding mode controller is designed to achieve a certain desired level of tension. Both simulation and experimental works are undertaken in order to demonstrate the efficiency and feasibility of the proposed active tension control method.