Self-calibration of push-pull solenoid actuators in electrohydraulic valves

System parameters for solenoid actuators are important for high performance control and for self-sensing. Due to the nonlinearities in the solenoid actuators, parameter identification procedures that aim to obtain the electro-mechanical property can be complex and time consuming. In this paper, a self-calibration procedure for solenoid actuators in push-pull configurations is proposed. Utilizing the fact that the inductances of the solenoids share the same parameters as those for the electromagnetic force, the parameters for the electromagnetic force can be obtained from the easily obtainable electrical signals such as the voltage and current signals, and two inexpensive on-off sensors. The calibration procedure involves only actuating the solenoid actuator back and forth. Simulation study is presented to verify the method.