Nonlinear Dynamics Analysis and Design Optimization of an Electromechanical Actuator with Ball Screw Transmission

A comprehensive numerical method was developed to ensure energy-efficient operating modes of a linear motion module powered by an induction motor. The proposed approach is based on minimizing inertial torque, accounting for the inertial properties of the drive components and the load carriage, followed by structural-parametric optimization and dynamic modeling. For the optimization of the drive system, comprising an intermediate gear stage and a primary ball screw mechanism, a normalization-based method combined with numerical parameter sweep was employed. The optimization process yielded optimal values of the screw lead and the number of gear teeth, which were further validated in terms of Pareto optimality. The carriage design was optimized with respect to mass, strength constraints, and dynamic stiffness using the finite element method. For the developed linear motion module, dynamic behavior was simulated by means of a system of nonlinear differential equations, taking into account the electromagnetic characteristics of the induction motor and the nonlinearities of the gear mesh. As a result of the comprehensive approach, the kinematic, force, and energy characteristics of the linear motion module, which was optimized at the design stage, were determined.