Abstract
The purpose of this study was to develop position control system of an electric actuator for automatic shuttle shifting of a tractor. The electric actuator was installed at the link of the forward-reverse gearshift of the tractor transmission, and controlled in the ranges of forward, neutral, and reverse positions. The position control system of the electric actuator was developed based on PID (Proportional Integral Derivative) controller and transfer function of the electric actuator. The coefficients of the PID controller were determined by Ziegler-Nichols (Z-N) method and optimized using simulation program. The prototype AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) test unit of the tractor was installed and used to evaluate the performance of the position control. The evaluation system for the control performance consisted of forward-reverse actuator, motor driver, and controller. The tests were conducted as the controlled positions of the actuator were changed from neutral position to forward, neutral, and reverse positions in sequence. The sequential tests were repeated 20 times. The operations of changing the gearshift were considered as the step response of the control system. Maximum overshoot, settling time, and steady-state error were analyzed. The results showed that performance of the position control system was reasonable and qualified. The maximum overshoots, the steady-state errors, and the settling times of the position control system were 10~20%, 1~5%, and 0.92~1.49 sec, respectively. The modifications of the electric actuator will be required to enhance the performance of position control during field operation.
