- Amplidyne
An amplidyne is an electrodynamic
amplifier invented duringWorld War II byErnst Alexanderson .It is an early form ofservomechanism used to implement positionfeedback control for large motors. A small electrical signal can control the position of a large motor using this approach.In its simplest form, an amplidyne follow-up system consists of:
* asynchro control transformer;
* anamplifier ;
* the amplidyne motor-generator, which is similar to aWard Leonard control drive;
* and the follow-up DC motor which drives the load to be positioned.How it works
Chapter 10 of the
U.S. Navy manual "Naval Ordnance and Gunnery, Volume 1" (1957) explains the operation of the amplidyne: : "The synchro control transformer receives the order signal which indicates electrically what the position of the load should be. The rotor of the synchro control transformer is turned by the response shaft, which is geared to the load and so indicates what the position of the load actually is. The synchro compares the actual load position with the ordered position; and, if the two do not agree, it generates an alternating-current signal which is transmitted to the amplifier. The angular difference between the two positions is called the error, and the signal to the amplifier is the error signal. The error signal indicates by its electrical characteristics the size and direction of the error. If no error exists, the system is said to be in correspondence and the error signal is zero." [http://www.eugeneleeslover.com/USNAVY/CHAPTER-10-D.html "Naval Ordnance and Gunnery, Volume 1", 1957, U.S. Navy Manual, Chapter 10.] ]Applications
Amplidynes were initially used to point naval guns, and later, land
artillery .Later used to control processes in steelworks.Fact|date=December 2007
Used to remotely operate the control rods in early nuclear submarine designs (
S3G Triton).Fact|date=December 2007References
External links
* [http://www.acmi.net.au/AIC/ALEXANDERSON_BIO.html Adventures in Cybersound website]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
