Provided are embodiments for determining solenoid plunger position by performing a method which includes generating, by a first signal circuit, a first signal based at least in part on a pull-in current value of a current applied to a solenoid coil of a solenoid. The method further includes generating, by a second signal circuit, a second signal by applying a time delay to the first signal. The method further includes comparing, by a comparator circuit, the first signal and the second signal to determine whether a plunger of the solenoid has moved within the solenoid from a first position to a second position. The method further includes, responsive to determining that the plunger of the solenoid has moved within the solenoid from the first position to the second position, reducing the current applied to the solenoid coil of the solenoid from the pull-in current value to a hold current value.

A haptic engine includes a gap-closing actuator having a double-wound driving coil in which the two windings can be activated with two driving sources, respectively. Or, the two windings double-wound driving coil can be activated with a single driving source when the two windings are connected with each other either in series or in parallel. By using the double-wound driving coil in the gap-closing actuator as described, an instant inductance of either of the two windings can be determined without having to measure in real time a resistance of the corresponding winding.

A magnetic device comprising at least one stator (1) and one actuator (2), wherein the stator (1) and the actuator (2) respectively comprise at least one magnet with pole ends and a line of action of the magnet, and the actuator (2) can be moved linearly along a movement axis (3) and/or rotatably about a movement axis in a movement direction (4), wherein a stator line of action (15) of the stator (1) or a stator extension line (16) of the stator line of action (15), which stator extension line (16) extends as a geometric ray away from the pole end of the stator (1) as geometric tangent to the stator line of action (5), and an actuator line of action (25) of the translator (2) or an actuator extension line (26) of the translator line of action (25), which translator extension line (26) extends as a geometric ray away from the pole end of the translator (2) as geometric tangent to the translator line of action (25), respectively have intersection points (10), and the stator line of action (15), possibly the stator extension line (16), the translator line of action (25), and possibly the translator extension line (26) form a closed geometric shape so that the magnetic flux between the stator (1) and the translator (2) is bundled, wherein lines of action (5) and extension lines (6) extend through the magnetic device in an intersecting plane (11) comprising the movement axis (3).

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.

Disclosed herein are reluctance actuators and methods for feedback control of their applied force. Embodiments of the reluctance actuators include an electromagnet positioned to deflect a metallic plate to provide a haptic output. The control of the force is provided without force sensors (sensorless control) by monitoring voltage and/or current (V/I) applied during an actuation. For a given intended force output, an electrical parameter value (flux, current, or other parameter) is read from a look up table (LUT). The LUT may store a present value of the inductance of the reluctance actuator. The feedback control may be a quasi-static control in which the LUT is updated after actuation based on the monitored V/I. The feedback control may be real-time, with a controller comparing an estimated electrical parameter value based on the measured V/I with the value from the LUT.

Methods and systems are provided for a solenoid actuator. In one example, a method may include adjusting a switching frequency during an activation cycle of the solenoid actuator to a lower switching frequency relative to other phases of the activation cycle.

An actuator for a medium voltage circuit breaker or recloser includes: at least one movable contact with a contact stem, driven by an electromagnetic drive or a motor drive; and a spring, the spring being positioned in a kinematic chain between the drive and the at least one movable contact or contact stem. An arrangement of the at least one movable contact and the electromagnetic drive or motor drive is coupled to a detection unit for detecting a micromotion activation in order to register an actual movability and availability of the electromagnetic drive or motor drive of the at least one movable contact without changing an actual switch position itself.

An electromagnetic valve, such as a pilot valve for controlling a main valve or a pilot-operated valve in a divert-air valve, may include at least one valve member in operative connection with a plunger movable along a first axis and at least one coil element. A movement of the plunger or of the valve member is caused by an energization of the coil element, and at least one sensing element by which at least one parameter of the coil element is detectable. The position of the plunger and/or of the valve member can be determined by the parameter. The valve may be part of a divert-air valve system

An apparatus and method of detecting movement of a plunger of the solenoid includes detecting a peak (I.sub.PEAK) in a current signal applied to a coil of the solenoid. A predetermined threshold is added to the current signal applied to the coil of the solenoid to generate a level shifted signal. The level shifted signal and the peak signal are compared to detect movement of a plunger of the solenoid.

An electric actuator assembly having a support housing, a first stator magnetic field generating assembly secured to the support housing and a movable armature assembly. The movable armature assembly includes a plate assembly having a center support. The electric actuator assembly also includes a first armature magnetic field generating assembly configured to provide magnetic fields operative with a first stator magnetic field generating assembly to provide linear motion of the movable armature assembly along a reference axis, the first armature magnetic field generating assembly including first and second magnetic assemblies secured to opposite sides of the center support. In another embodiment, the electric linear actuator includes a rotational component coupled to a linear component to move therewith. The rotational component includes an armature magnetic field generating assembly being one of longer or shorter than a stator magnetic field generating assembly.