Professor David L. Trumper

Professor of Mechanical Engineering
35-130
(617) 253-3481
trumper at mit dot edu
http://me.mit.edu/people/personal/trumper.htm

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Laura Zaganjori

Administrative Assistant
35-134
(617) 253-2562
lauraz at mit dot edu
 

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Armagan, Emre

Candidate for Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, June 2007
Soke, Turkey

35-030
(617) 258-6098
earmagan at mit dot edu

http://web.mit.edu/earmagan/www

Current Project: High Speed Controller Design For Nanoruler Applications

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Cattell, Joe

Candidate for Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering, June 2008
Lionville, Pennsylvania

35-030
(617) 258-6098
jcattell at mit dot edu

http://web.mit.edu/~jcattell/www

Current Project: Working as a Research Assistant on the Mars Laser Communication Demonstration (MLCD) project with the Control Systems Engineering group of the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. MLCD is the first deep-space laser communication system, designed to exceed current transfer rates by more than an order of magnitude. MLCD will fly on the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter spacecraft, which is slated to launch in 2009. Specifically, work includes testing and validating the precision inertia pointing reference; a system which ensures the laser beam stays within a tight 400 nano-radian error budget. This effort involves designing and testing the pointing feedback loops, characterizing sensor performance, etc. [More Info]

Master's Thesis: Adaptive Feedforward Cancellation Viewed from an Oscillator Amplitude Control Perspective

This research focused on characterizing the stability, convergence, and error properties of the Adaptive Feedforward Cancellation (AFC) algorithm implemented on a fast tool servo for use in high-precision turning applications. Previous work has shown that classical control techniques (i.e. Nyquist diagrams, Bode plots, gain and phase margin, etc.) can be used to analyze the stability and robustness of an AFC loop. However, determination of the convergence rate of the closed-loop system to changes in the reference or disturbance signal is not an obvious output of these analyses. We have developed a method of viewing AFC from an Oscillator Amplitude Control (OAC) perspective, which provides additional use of classical control techniques to determine the convergence and error properties of the feedback system. We have experimentally demonstrated the utility of our ideas using a commercially available fast tool servo.

AFC is a form of repetitive control that can be used to significantly improve periodic trajectory following and attenuate periodic disturbance signals. Fast tool servos used in high-precision turning applications commonly follow periodic trajectories and develop large disturbances such as cutting forces or motor detent which usually occur at integer harmonics of the spindle rotation frequency. We have also developed a loop shaping approach to designing multiple resonator AFC controllers and have implemented this design on a commercially available piezoelectric (PZ) driven FTS using a PC-based digital control system. Our AFC viewed from an OAC perspective builds previous work. We use an averaging analysis to simplify a properly-tuned single resonator AFC system into two coupled single-input single-output (SISO) amplitude control loops and show that by using the correct rotation matrix, the loops are effectively de-coupled. This simplification provides the use of classical control techniques to approximate the dynamics of the error envelope due to changes in the amplitude of the reference or disturbance signal. The simulated and experimental results conform well to our analytical predictions for sufficiently low gain values.

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Cuff, David

Candidate for Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, June 2006
South Jordan, Utah
35-030
(617) 258-6098
dpcuff at mit dot edu

http://web.mit.edu/dpcuff/www

Current Project: Electromagnetically driven nanopositioner suspended on rubber bearings.

Rubber bearings are currently used in building and bridge suspensions, helicopter rotor hubs, and automobile suspension components.  In this research, we are showing rubber also has a place in precision machines as a bearing.  Thin  sheets of rubber can be up to 1000 times stiffer in compression than shear, which makes these thin rubber bearings a great alternative to metal flexures. My work is to incorporate cast silicone rubber bearings into a nanopositioner that will demonstrate the potential of this low cost and simple bearing system for precision machines.

This research involves learning to design with rubber as an integral structural component, sensor systems, mechanical design, electromagnetic system design, and controller design/optimization.

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Hawe, Larry

Candidate for Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, January 2006
Orangevale, California
35-030
(617) 258-6098
lhawe2 at mit dot edu
http://web.mit.edu/lhawe2/www

Current Project: Working as a Research Assistant on the Mars Laser Communication Demonstration (MLCD) project with the Control Systems Engineering group of the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. MLCD is the first deep-space laser communication system, designed to exceed current transfer rates by more than an order of magnitude. MLCD will fly on the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter spacecraft, which is slated to launch in 2009. Specifically, work includes testing and validating the precision inertia pointing reference; a system which ensures the laser beam stays within a tight 400 nano-radian error budget. This effort involves designing and testing the pointing feedback loops, characterizing sensor performance, etc. [More Info]

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Kluk, Dan

Candidate for Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, June 2007
Forest Lake, Minnesota
35-030
(617) 258-6098
dankluk at mit dot edu
http://web.mit.edu/dankluk/www

Current Project: High Bandwidth Magnetic Actuation System For Fast Steering Mirror Applications

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