Mechanical drive train emulation by means of electrical drives - a generalised approach

The emulation of mechanical systems by means of electrical systems is an application of electrical machines and drives which have received increased attention in the recent years. As power electronics-controlled machines are dynamically faster than conventional mechanical systems, it is widely recognised that the behaviour of the latter can be emulated by a proper electrical machine torque control. Different test benches with different emulation capabilities have been proposed in the literature, but few attention has been posed to two aspects: the requirements of the drive emulator in terms of rated torque and/or power and/or bandwidth, and the emulation of effects like mechanical resonances within test benches with rigid mechanical connection. The paper tries to focus on these two aspects with both simulation and experimental results, in order to depict a general approach to the design of a drive emulator.