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.

In an example, a system for applying an agricultural product includes a valve and a solenoid. For instance, the valve includes a coil that generates a magnetic flux. The system includes a valve controller. The valve controller is configured to measure one or more electrical characteristics of at least one of the coil or a dissipation element. In some examples, the valve controller determines an actual duty cycle of a valve operator of the valve using the measured electrical characteristics. The valve controller determines a magnetic flux correction, for instance based on a difference between the actual duty cycle and a specified duty cycle. The valve controller operates the valve operator according to the specified magnetic flux and the magnetic flux correction to guide the actual duty cycle toward the specified duty cycle.

A coil actuator for low and medium voltage applications comprising a coil electromagnet provided with a single coil winding and a movable anchor and a power and control unit comprising: a power circuit operatively coupled with said coil electromagnet, said power circuit comprising input terminals, at which said power circuit receives an input voltage; a PWM controller operatively coupled with said power circuit, said PWM controller being adapted to control an input current flowing through said power circuit to obtain and maintain an average operating level selected an excitation current feeding said coil electromagnet. Said PWM controller is adapted to set a plurality of reference values for said input current to control said input current, each reference value for said input current being selected among said plurality of reference values depending on the behavior of said input voltage.

In an example, a system for applying an agricultural product includes a valve and a solenoid. For instance, the valve includes a coil that generates a magnetic flux. The system includes a valve controller. The valve controller is configured to measure one or more electrical characteristics of at least one of the coil or a dissipation element. In some examples, the valve controller determines an actual duty cycle of a valve operator of the valve using the measured electrical characteristics. The valve controller determines a magnetic flux correction, for instance based on a difference between the actual duty cycle and a specified duty cycle. The valve controller operates the valve operator according to the specified magnetic flux and the magnetic flux correction to guide the actual duty cycle toward the specified duty cycle.

In an example, a system for applying an agricultural product includes a valve and a solenoid. For instance, the valve includes a coil that generates a magnetic flux. The system includes a valve controller. The valve controller is configured to measure one or more electrical characteristics of at least one of the coil or a dissipation element. In some examples, the valve controller determines an actual duty cycle of a valve operator of the valve using the measured electrical characteristics. The valve controller determines a magnetic flux correction, for instance based on a difference between the actual duty cycle and a specified duty cycle. The valve controller operates the valve operator according to the specified magnetic flux and the magnetic flux correction to guide the actual duty cycle toward the specified duty cycle.

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.

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.

A solenoid plunger movement detection system and method can include: detecting current supplied to a solenoid with a current sensor; converting the current supplied to the solenoid into a digital signal with a counter coupled to a first comparator; detecting a peak within the digital signal with a peak detector; comparing the peak to the digital signal with a second comparator coupled to the peak detector; measuring a dip from the peak and measuring a trough with the second comparator; generating a fault when the peak and the trough indicate a smooth current ramp to the solenoid; receiving configurable parameters for processing the digital signal with a signal processor; and providing configurable parameters to the counter, the second comparator, the signal processor, or a combination thereof with an interface.

A method for operating a hydraulic valve of a hydraulic device of a motor vehicle transmission device, wherein an actuating current of the hydraulic valve is superposed with a modulation alternating current in order to adjust a shaking vibration of the hydraulic valve by a control device, wherein a deviation between an actual pressure resulting from the actuating current and a setpoint pressure determined as a function of the actuating current is determined for the hydraulic device by means of an electronic computing device, and an amplitude and/or a frequency of the modulation alternating current is increased as compared to a starting value equalizing a hysteresis of the actual pressure relative to the setpoint pressure, as a function of a tolerance range being exceeded by the determined deviation.

The invention relates to a method for producing a valve (1) that can be electromagnetically actuated which method comprises an electromagnet (2, 2a, 2b), an armature (3) that can be moved by the electromagnet (2, 2a, 2b), and a valve body (5), having means (4, 4a, 4b, 4c) for converting a movement of the armature (3) into an opening or closing of the valve (1), wherein the electromagnet (2, 2a, 2b) and the armature (3) are inserted into the valve body (5), wherein, before the electromagnet (2, 2a, 2b) is inserted into the valve body (5), a magnetic hysteresis curve (10) of a combination (6) of the electromagnet (2, 2a, 2b) having a test armature (3a) lying against said electromagnet (2, 2a, 2b) is recorded, the slope m.sub.1 of a first, substantially linear curve segment (11) of the hysteresis curve (10) is determined in the unsaturated state, and, from the slope m.sub.1, the slope m.sub.1* of a curve segment (31) of a hysteresis curve (30) of the finally assembled valve (1) having the armature (3) lying continuously against the electromagnet (2, 2a, 2b) is determined, said curve segment corresponding to the first curve segment (11). The invention further relates to a method for determining the armature stroke AH, wherein the magnetic energy E in the air gap (9) formed between the armature (3) and the electromagnet (2, 2a, 2b) is evaluated from the difference between the first slope m.sub.0 and the second slope m.sub.1*.