An electronic safety actuator for an elevator safety brake, includes: a solenoid; a permanent magnet, movable by the solenoid between a first position proximate to the solenoid and a second position distal from the solenoid; and a measurement circuit arranged to measure the inductance of the solenoid and thereby detect the position of the permanent magnet. The inductance of the solenoid is dependent on the magnetic field in which it is situated, which is in turn affected by the permanent magnet. Thus, as the proximity of the permanent magnet to the solenoid changes, the inductance of the solenoid changes (increases or decreases). The change in inductance that occurs in the solenoid of an elevator safety actuator is significant enough to be measurable electronically and this measurement can be used to determine the position of the permanent magnet and thus of the safety actuator.

An electromagnetic switching-valve position detection system includes: an electric current control circuit in which an electric current from a power supply is smoothed to be a direct current, and is turned into a pulse wave alternating current, the pulse wave alternating current being transmitted to the secondary side and outputted as a smoothed direct current; a carrier wave generator configured to superimpose a high frequency carrier wave for position detection on a signal wave of the electric current command; and a detecting unit configured to extract a carrier wave frequency component for the position detection from a voltage feedback signal of the solenoid, detect a voltage amplitude from the frequency component, and obtain an amplitude signal. The control unit has a position determining unit configured to determine a position of the valve spool, and a determination circuit configured to output a valve position signal based on the determination signal.

An electrical assembly comprises a device. The device includes an inductive coil and an armature. The armature is arranged to be moveable between first and second positions when the inductive coil is energized. The electrical assembly further includes a detection unit which is configured to detect an inductance of the inductive coil or a characteristic that corresponds to the inductance of the inductive coil. The detection unit is further configured to determine the position of the armature based on the detected inductance or the detected characteristic.

A method for closing an actuator in a magnetically actuated switch assembly, where the actuator includes an armature and a winding, and the switch assembly includes a manual actuation device coupled to one end of the armature and a movable terminal in a vacuum interrupter coupled to an opposite end of the armature. The method includes commencing a closing operation of the actuator using the manual actuation device to move the armature towards a closed latch position, detecting that the actuator is being manually closed, and energizing the winding to assist moving the armature to the closed latch position when the armature gets to a predetermined distance from the closed latch position.

A solenoid assembly includes a solenoid having a coil that defines a passageway and a plunger movable within the passageway from a retracted position to an extended position. The plunger extends along an axis between a first plunger end and an opposite second plunger end. A frame holds the solenoid and has a first opening through which the first plunger end extends when the plunger is in the retracted position and a second opening through second end of the plunger extends when the plunger is in the extended position. When the plunger is in the extended position the first plunger end retracts into the frame via the first opening.

The present invention relates to a method and an arrangement for determining the armature (1) position of an electromagnet. In the method the potential differences in the yoke (2) or in the armature (1), generated by a non-homogeneous eddy current distribution in the event of a deflection of the armature (1), are detected to determine the instantaneous armature (1) position relative to a reference position from these potential differences. For this purpose at least one voltage difference is measured between two measuring points on the yoke (2) or armature (1), or between one measuring point on the yoke (2) or armature (1) and a reference potential. The armature (1) position relative to a reference position on the electromagnet is then determined from this voltage difference. The method can be performed cost effectively, and can also easily be applied to existing electromagnets.

A driving module comprises: a housing; a housing; a solenoid comprising a shaft arranged inside the housing so as to make a straight movement; and a printed circuit board arranged on the solenoid, wherein the solenoid comprises a stator, a plunger arranged inside the stator, a shaft coupled to the plunger, and a sensor magnet arranged on the upper side of the shaft, and the printed circuit board comprises a hole penetrated by the shaft and comprises a position detecting sensor arranged on the printed circuit board to be adjacent to the hole.

A linear actuator is disclosed that is a double-ended solenoid with springs to provide much of the force for movement. The linear actuator can be used in a thermodynamic apparatus, such as a Vuilleumier heat pump in which two linear actuators are provided to drive two displacers. The linear actuator also has a cylindrical back iron section having first and second recesses with coils disposed in the recesses. The linear actuator assists in moving the armature from one end to the other and holds the armature at the end of travel. However, much of the force for moving the armature is provided by a spring exerting a force on the shaft with respect to the back iron section. In one embodiment, the spring is a compression-tension spring. Alternatively, two compression springs acting in opposition are provided.

A control system may include a processor that may receive a first dataset associated with power properties of a rotating load device coupled to a relay device. The processor may also determine frequency properties based on the power properties and determine a switching profile to control moving a first armature of three armatures in the relay device based on the frequency properties. The switching profile is configured to control movement of the first armature between a first position and a second position, and wherein the switching profile comprises a firing angle for moving the first armature with respect to an electrical waveform, a second armature, and a third armature. The processor may then control a current provided to a relay coil of the relay device based on the switching profile, such that the relay coil causes the first armature to move.

A method may include generating an electrical drive waveform associated with a target actuator by stretching or compressing a reference drive waveform associated with a reference actuator in a time domain of the reference drive waveform in accordance with a time adjustment factor, wherein the time adjustment factor is determined based on a difference between a resonant frequency of the target actuator and a resonant frequency of the reference actuator. The same or another method may include generating an electrical drive waveform associated with a target actuator by increasing or decreasing an amplitude of a reference drive waveform associated with a reference actuator in accordance with an amplitude adjustment factor, wherein the amplitude adjustment factor is determined based on a difference between a resonant frequency of the target actuator and a resonant frequency of the reference actuator.