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EMT 2433
Design of Mechatronic Systems I
Semester 1
May – August 2022

Lecturer: Dr. A.K. Muchiri

Department of Mechatronic Engineering, JKUAT

The Design process

- Types of Designs
- Identifying design requirements
- The mechatronic approach to design

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Review of Mechatronic Systems

World

Interface
Module

Communications
Processor/Software
Module
Module

Actuation Measurement Environment

Module Module Module

Assembly
Module

Product/Process

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The Design process

The Design process - Steps

Problem
definition

Present the Generate

solution ideas

Select a
Evaluate
solution

Iteration
Analyze Synthesis

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The Design process

System
requirements

Sub-system 1 Sub-system 2
requirements requirements

Functional Non-functional
requirements requirements

Functional
structure

Conceptual Conceptual Conceptual

design 1 design 2 design n

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The Design process

Types of Designs
There are different ways to classify design types (for products and processes)
6 Classical ways to define designs are:
- Original/Innovative design
- Redesign
- Selection
- Configuration
- Parametric
- Routine

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The Design process

Types of Designs
Original/Innovative Design
- Design that has no apparent solution
- Starts with an idea, and is slowly worked out into a new product
- Generates novel solutions to unfamiliar problems

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The Design process

Types of Designs
Redesign
- Redefinition of an existing solution
- Where a better solution is sought
- Redesign is driven by: Changing needs, availability of new technology,
need for cost reduction, customer feedback, customer dissatisfaction,
competition, etc
- Think also of product package redesigns (where the product remains the
same… e.g. Vaseline petroleum jelly)

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The Design process

Types of Designs
Selection Design
- Where a designer picks out an existing solution that meets the
requirements and specifications of a design problem
- Relies on proper knowledge of design needs and specs of existing
solutions
- Example: Use of standard components in a design process e.g. Standard
Nuts, bolts, gears, bearings, pipes

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The Design process

Types of Designs
Configuration Design
- Where standard components are put
together to produce a new
configuration, based on the combination
- Configuration is meant to meet a specific
need
- Example: Computer assembly aircraft
assembly, chemical engineering

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Lecture 3
The Design process

Types of Designs
Parametric Design
- Where an optimum design is found by finding an optimum design
parameter that suits a specific requirement. (CAD)
- Enables the blending of aesthetics and functionality
- Example: Beam structures – resizing of beams until they can carry a
specific load

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The Design process

Types of Designs
Routine Design
- Also referred to as cookbook design
- Where standards and codes are outlined as steps to follow, and
calculations to be performed in order to generate a particular design
- Reuses large portions from prior solutions
- Follows codified principles and experience

2019 2007 2002

2014

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The Design process

Identifying design requirements

A mechatronic system design requirements will normally be characterized by:
1. Electrical requirements
2. Mechanical requirements
3. Control requirements
4. Software requirements

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Lecture 3
The Design process

Design requirements
This list is not exhaustive, and will vary per product or process:

Electrical Mechanical Control Software

Rating Geometry Input modes Logical operations
Power consumption Forces Output modes Fuzzy operations
Power sources Energy Feedback Processing speeds
Power buses Materials Diagnostics
Storage Environmental
Size
Standards Standards Standards Standards

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Lecture 3
The Design process
The mechatronic approach to design:
What is the difference between traditional/conventional and mechatronic designs?

What makes mechatronic designs unique?

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Lecture 3
The Design process
The mechatronic approach to design:
What is the difference between traditional/conventional and mechatronic designs?

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Lecture 3
The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

1. Addition of components
2. Integration of components
3. Integration of systems by information processing
4. Use of electronic feedback: Feed forward control, feedback control and nonlinear
digital control
5. Mechanisms:
6. Use of Control
7. Theoretical designs
8. Simulation

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Lecture 3
The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Added components:

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Lecture 3
The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Integration of components

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Lecture 3
The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Stiff constructions vs damping with electronic feedback

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Lecture 3
The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Feed forward control vs. feedback control/nonlinear digital control

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Lecture 3
The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

1. Mechanisms:
(i) Replacement of mechanisms
(ii) Simplification of mechanisms
(iii) Enhancement of mechanisms
(iv) Synthesis of mechanisms
2. Use of control
3. Theoretical design
4. Simulation and design

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Replacement of mechanisms
- Discarding of existing mechanism, and replacing the entire functionality
using a microcontroller and actuators

Examples:
In Electronics e.g.
Watches (timing mechanisms replaced)
Fly-by-wire (replacing cables and hydraulics)
Accelerometers (replacing gyroscopes)

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:
Replacement of mechanisms

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Replacement of mechanisms

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Simplification of mechanisms
Where the functionality of tasks such as profiling and speed and position
control can be provided by microcontrollers and actuators.
Examples:
Typewriters
Large telescopes

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Simplification of mechanisms

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Lecture 3
The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Enhancement of mechanisms
Combining sound mechanical design and closed loop control to enhance
speed, accuracy and flexibility of movements.
Result: lighter components of lower inertia.

Examples of applications:
Industrial robots.

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Enhancement of mechanisms
.

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Synthesis of mechanisms
Advancement of technology especially in embedded processing systems
and software enables the synthesis of different mechanisms and functions

Example:
Variable speed dc motors, and the use of controllers to aid in achieving bi-
directional motion;
Application: washing machines – Direct drive vs belt driven

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design: Use of Control

• Program Control
Redefinition of (mechanical) functions using software.
Achieved by user selection from a number of predefined and
stored programs, or by loading a new program from external
sources.

Examples:
Automated manufacturing cells,
 Automatic sewing machines.

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design: Use of Control

• Program Control

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design: Use of Control

• Program Control

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design: Use of Control

• Program Control

Old timer/delay system

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design: Use of Control
• Adaptive Control
Where embedded microcontrollers enable variation of the
programmed path, speed and/or setting to suit local conditions.
Aim: to optimize the behavior of the system.

Examples
Active suspensions (Attitude control)
CNC machines
Automatic sheep shearing robots.

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design: Use of Control
• Adaptive Control
Aim: to optimize the behavior of the system.

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design: Use of Control

• Distributed Control Systems
Actuators and mechanisms can act in parallel or be distributed
over a wide area, synchronized electronically using microcontrollers.

Example:
Active suspensions (control of attitude, ride and braking)
Conveyor systems.
Power plants

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design: Use of Control

• Distributed Control Systems

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Lecture 4
The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Replacement
Theoretical design procedure: Control
Purpose Theoretical
Simulation
To model the mechatronic systems mathematically, so as to relate and
integrate structural, electronic and control system

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Lecture 4
The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Theoretical design procedure: Replacement
Control
Theoretical
Modeling/Simulation Simulation
Recognition of need

Conceptual design Detailed modular Hardware in-the-loop

Prototyping
and functional mathematical simulation
specification modeling
Design optimization
Modular Control Systems
mathematical model design Deployment of
Development/
embedded software
Life Cycle
Sensor and actuator
selection Design optimization
Life cycle optimization

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Lecture 4
The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Theoretical design procedure: Steps
1. Definition of flows
2. Definition of process elements: flow diagrams
3. Graphical representation of the process model
4. Statement of equations for all process elements
5. Interconnection equations for the process elements
6. Overall process model calculation

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Theoretical Modeling procedure:
1. Definition of flows
energy flow (electrical, mechanical, thermal conductance)
energy and material flow (fluidic, thermal transfer, thermodynamic,
chemical)

2. Definition of process elements: flow diagrams

sources, sinks (dissipative)
storages, transformers, converters

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Theoretical Modeling procedure:
3. Graphical representation of the process model
multi-port diagrams (terminals, flows, and potentials, or across and
through variables)
block diagrams for signal flow
bond graphs for energy flow

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Theoretical Modeling procedure:
4. Statement of equations for all process elements
Balance equations for storage (mass, energy, momentum)
Constitutive equations for process elements (sources, transformers,
converters)

5. Interconnection equations for the process elements

continuity equations for parallel connections (node law)
compatibility equations for serial connections (closed circuit law)

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Theoretical Modeling procedure:
6. Overall process model calculation
Establishment of input and output variables
State space representation
Input/output models (differential equations, transfer functions)

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Lecture 4
The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Theoretical Modeling procedure:
Book example: Drive by wire system
a) Scheme of components
b) Energy flow diagram
c) Multi-port diagram with flows and
potentials (structural mechanics)
d) Control signal flow diagram

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Lecture 4
The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Theoretical Modeling procedure:
Book example: Drive by wire system

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design: Replacement

Use of simulations: Control
Theoretical
In situations where hardware and software flows have to be developed Simulation
simultaneously.
Helps to reduce development time owing to reduction in iterative design
procedures.

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Use of simulations:
Types of simulations
1. Discrete event simulation
2. Stochastic event simulation

Other types of simulations that can be derived from the two mathematical
simulations include:
i. Digital
ii. Static
iii. Dynamic

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The Design process

The mechatronic approach to design:

Use of simulations:
Many other types of simulations can be defined.

Of relevance to mechatronic design approach is the real time simulation

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The Design process

Designing an irrigation system for a large greenhouse (See next slide):

Assignment 2: Identify some of the design requirements for each of the design aspects below

Electrical Mechanical Control Software

Due Date: Friday 9th June 2023

CAT 1: 9th June 2023

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The Design process

The Design process

Design an irrigation system for a large greenhouse, with two different high-value
crops. The system delivers water to each plant based on the soil moisture content.
Water consumption is monitored, and large variations are detected for further
analysis. Adjustments can be made from a SCADA interface
Water is sourced from a water reservoir (tank) which is at a level higher than the
greenhouse roof.

Assume you have 100 plants in total (50 of each type).

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