Abstract: A method for the removal of debris (75) from an aperture (60), the aperture comprising a first aperture diameter (64) and extending along a first axis (62) over a first distance (63), the method comprising the steps of aligning a beam of energy (80) with the first axis such that the beam of energy is coaxially aligned with the aperture, the beam of energy comprising both an energy sufficient to remove the debris, and a first beam diameter (82) which is less than the first aperture diameter; and, exposing the debris to the beam of energy in order to remove the debris from the aperture.

Abstract: A hydromechanical continuously variable speed transmission is provided. The hydromechanical continuously variable speed transmission can include: the HST 10 in which the planetary gear mechanism 11 is housed in the planetary gear support case 71 mounted on a face of the center section 35 to form the HMT unit 100, the face being on the side opposite to the side on which the HST case 23 is mounted, and the HMT unit 100 is further provided with the housing mounting face 35d for fixing the HMT unit 100 to the housing 91 of the traveling power transmission mechanism 89, the housing mounting face 35d being provided on the center section 35 so as to surround the outer circumference of the mounting face 71a on which the planetary gear support case 71 is mounted.

Abstract: A wire electrical discharge machine includes: a drive controller configured to periodically apply voltage pulses between a workpiece and a wire electrode while relatively moving the wire electrode relative to the workpiece according to a machining program and a machining condition; a code analyzer configured to analyze the presence or absence of a condition change code for changing the machining condition in the machining program; and a condition changer configured to change the machining condition in accordance with a ratio indicated in the condition change code when the condition change code is present.

Abstract: A mouse device and a method for assembling and adjusting the same are provided. The mouse device includes an upper housing that includes a button, a middle housing, a bottom housing, a retaining bracket, a sensing switch module, and an adjusting screw. The middle housing is disposed between the upper housing and the bottom housing. The retaining bracket is disposed under the middle housing, and includes a frame and a suspended arm. A fixed end of the suspended arm is fixedly connected to one side of the frame. The sensing switch module is disposed on the suspended arm and corresponds in position to the button. The adjusting screw is disposed at another side of the frame, and is used to adjust a distance between the button and the sensing switch module. The adjusting screw is shielded by the bottom housing and is not exposed from the bottom housing.

Abstract: A machine tool includes a motor configured to rotate a spindle, a tool magazine holding a plurality of tools, and a controller. The controller has a storage unit storing motor information indicating that the motor is a synchronous motor. When the machine tool stops, while a tool exchange process is carried out, due to electric power outage, operation of a stop button, a value of a drive current of the motor, or a value output from the sensor, the controller uses a command for the synchronous motor, based on the motor information, as a part of a series of commands for recovery of the machine tool, where the tool exchange process is a process in which a tool attached to the spindle is changed with one of the plurality of tools of the tool magazine.

Abstract: An electrical machining method comprises machining a workpiece by an electrical machining device comprising an electrode; increasing a feedrate of the electrode at a first acceleration if a discharge current passing through the electrode and the workpiece is lower than a discharge current reference; and decreasing the feedrate of the electrode at a second acceleration if the discharge current is higher than the discharge current reference, wherein the second acceleration has an absolute value higher than that of the first acceleration.

Abstract: A board work system including ark arrangement members, on which are arranged multiple marks that have a specified relative positional relationship, are arranged straddling first work area in which first work head moves and second work area in which second work head moves, and, when performing work with respect to a board, which is a single board held by a board holding device in a state straddling the first work area and the second work area, based on positions of the marks in first work area measured based on image data of first imaging device that is moved along with the first work head and positions of the marks in second work area measured based on image data of second imaging device that is moved along with the second work head.

Abstract: An electric discharge machining (EDM) system includes an electrode set having a plurality of electrodes. Each electrode is electrically-isolated from the other electrodes. The EDM system includes a power supply configured to generate an electric discharge between a workpiece and the electrode set to remove material from the workpiece. The power supply includes a multi-loop driver system and an AC-to-DC component that outputs DC electric power. The multi-loop driver system includes a plurality of power loop circuits coupled to an output of the AC-to-DC component. Each power loop circuit is electrically-isolated from other power loop circuits and is coupled to at least one electrode. The multi-loop driver system includes a drive controller coupled to the power loop circuits. The drive controller is configured to transmit at least one control signal to at least one power loop circuit to drive the AC-to-DC component to generate the electric discharge.

Abstract: An air-blowing method includes the steps of blowing, inside a machine tool, air onto a workpiece after machining, issuing a workpiece pick-up advance notice signal for notifying beforehand of pick-up of the workpiece by a robot or a worker, on the basis of a task state of the robot or an operation of the worker, and calculating the additional time for air blow on the basis of a time required by the robot or the worker to arrive at a workpiece pick-up position in front of the machine tool after the workpiece pick-up advance notice signal is issued, where air blow is extended by just the additional time in the step of blowing air.

Abstract: A heated floor panel system for an aircraft, the floor panel system comprising a floor panel element including a panel structure and a panel heater device, a temperature sensor device for detecting the temperature at the floor panel element, and a connector device connected to the floor panel element, wherein the connector device comprises a power link for providing an electric power connection between the panel heater device and an electric power supply, and a data link for providing a data connection between the temperature sensor device and a control unit. An object of the present disclosure, to provide a floor panel system including a floor panel element which has a possibly simple construction and which can be used independently from the connector device, is achieved in that the temperature sensor device is located in the connector device and connected to the floor panel element via a thermal conductor element.

Abstract: An input/output (I/O) and control system for long distance communications and industrial applications having a bus and protocol for communications between field devices and a channel generator for monitoring and control of the field devices. The channel generator produces a pulse train such as an offset square wave with dual scan bus cycles having alternating A and B scan cycles that each comprise a plurality of channel windows assigned to the field devices. One or more channel windows in the A and B scan cycles has an exception interrupt window during which the control unit can detect a low level signal provided by a field device before its corresponding channel window in the dual scan bus cycle, thereby reducing system reaction time.

Abstract: A lamination molding apparatus, including a numerical control apparatus configured to form a desired lamination molding object by a repetition in accordance with a main program pre-created and numbered with a sequence number, the main program including a plurality of program lines, wherein the repetition includes forming a material powder layer of a predetermined thickness on a molding table for each divided layer, the molding table being vertically movable, the divided layer being obtained by dividing a shape of the desired lamination molding object at the predetermined thickness; and irradiating a predetermined area of the material powder layer with a laser beam to form a sintered layer.

Abstract: An input/output (I/O) and control system for long distance communications and industrial applications having a bus and protocol for communications between field devices and a channel generator for monitoring and control of the field devices. The channel generator produces a pulse train such as an offset square wave with dual scan bus cycles having alternating A and B scan cycles that each comprise a plurality of channel windows assigned to the field devices. One or more channel windows in the A and B scan cycles has an exception interrupt window during which the control unit can detect a low level signal provided by a field device before its corresponding channel window in the dual scan bus cycle, thereby reducing system reaction time.

Abstract: In the present disclosure, the high-pressure chamber includes a chamber main body including a flat rectangular parallelepiped block of a metal which is formed with a flat cavity that serves as a substrate processing space in which a processing using a high-pressure fluid is performed on a substrate, and the substrate processing space being formed by machining the block from one of faces of the block other than the widest face towards another face opposing thereto. In a case where the cavity is constituted as a through hole, the though hole is provided with a cover configured to open or close the cavity on one side of the through hole, and a second block configured to air-tightly seal the cavity on the other side.

Abstract: Provided is a wire electric discharge machining device and method capable of reliably terminating a short circuit between a wire electrode and a workpiece. The invention relates to a wire electric discharge machining device that starts machining of a workpiece (3) by generating an electric discharge in a machining gap formed between the workpiece and a wire electrode (2) threaded through a start hole (4) in the workpiece. The wire electric discharge machining device includes: a tension control device (56) that controls tension of the wire electrode so as to maintain the tension at a set value; a short circuit detector (57) that detects a short circuit between the wire electrode and the workpiece; and a short circuit termination system that reduces the tension of the wire electrode and vibrates the wire electrode in order to terminate a short circuit when the short circuit detector has detected the short circuit.

Abstract: An electric discharge machine is provided with a rotary table disposed in a working tank and fitted with an object to be machined. The rotary table is provided with a working fluid penetration detection unit configured to detect penetration of a working fluid into the rotary table body.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for electrical discharge machining of workpieces by electrical discharge pulses generated by a power module of an electrical discharge machine. The invention is characterized in that firstly the discharge voltage of a number N1 of electrical discharge pulses is acquired and stored, secondly a front discharge voltage (63) is determined out of this amount of N1 acquired discharge voltages and thirdly, the voltage Uhps (64) of the electrical discharge pulses produced by the power module for machining the workpiece (17) is adjusted in function of the determined front discharge voltage (63).

Abstract: In restarting automatic operation after a machining program or machining conditions are changed or manual intervention is performed while the automatic operation is suspended, a machining path based on simulated operation is drawn to check the change for correctness. A drawing path of an unmachined part is reconstructed by, for example, recalculating a check drawing path at or behind a program stop position, and the reconstructed drawing path is redrawn.

Abstract: A robotic work tool system (200), comprising a robotic work tool (100), said robotic work tool (100) comprising a controller (110) being configured to cause said robotic work tool (100) to operate in a first operating mode, which first operating mode is based on a current position, said current position being determined based on signals received from a position determining device (190), such as Global Navigation Satellite System device (190); determine that said received signals are not reliable, and in response thereto cause said robotic work tool (100) to operate according to second operating mode, which second operating mode is not based on a current position being determined based on said received signals.

Abstract: A method for controlling a height of a cutting torch, includes loading a workpiece onto a numerical control machine, scanning the workpiece with a scanning device at a plurality of discrete points on an upper surface of the workpiece, measuring an X-, a Y-, and a Z-coordinate for each respective one of the scanned discrete points, where X and Y define a plane substantially parallel to the loaded workpiece and Z represents a distance between the upper surface and the scanning device at a respective discrete point, storing the measured XYZ coordinates from each of the scanned discrete points into a data set, mathematically fitting the stored data set to a smooth surface representative of the upper surface of the loaded workpiece, and cutting the workpiece along a cutting path programmed into the numerical control machine, while controlling the cutting torch height to correspond to the representative smooth surface.

Abstract: A method of preparing thermoelectric material particles, the method comprising: disposing a first electrode and a second electrode in a dielectric liquid medium, wherein the first and second electrodes each comprise a thermoelectric material; applying an electrical potential between the first and second electrodes to cause a spark between the first and second electrodes to provide a vaporized thermoelectric material at a sparking point of at least one of the first and second electrodes; and cooling the vaporized thermoelectric material with the dielectric liquid medium to prepare the thermoelectric material particles.

Abstract: An electrical discharge machining (EDM) system and method including (a) an electrode supported by a spindle, (b) a spindle support, (c) a workpiece holder, (d) a gap voltage measurement device, and (d) a single integrated controller. The single integrated controller is responsive to the measured gap voltage to control all of the spindle, the spindle support, and the workpiece holder, providing improved speed, accuracy, and part quality.

Abstract: An electric-discharge machining device including an electric-discharge-state determination unit that determines whether an electric discharging state between a machining electrode and a workpiece is either a state of normal electric discharge or of abnormal electric discharge, and a machining-condition switching unit that changes at least one machining condition, further includes a storage unit that stores therein an electric-discharge-state determination indicator, a standard-deviation calculation unit, and a boundary calculation unit that calculates a boundary to be applied to a determination in the electric-discharge-state determination unit based on the electric-discharge-state determination indicator, wherein the machining-condition switching unit changes the machining condition according to a comparison result between the standard deviation calculated by the standard-deviation calculation unit and a standard deviation reference set as a reference of the standard deviation.

Abstract: A wire electric discharge machining apparatus that performs an electric discharge machining by applying a pulse voltage between a wire electrode (1) and a workpiece (2), the wire electric discharge machining apparatus including, a machining speed detection unit (14) that detects relative machining speed of the workpiece (2) and the wire electrode (1); a machining energy calculation unit (13) that calculates machining energy of a discharge pulse; a board thickness calculation unit (12) that calculates a board thickness of the workpiece (4) based on the machining speed detected by the machining speed detection unit (14) and the machining energy calculated by the machining energy calculation unit (13); a stationary state determination unit (16) that determines whether the machining is in a stationary state from a machining state during the machining, after the machining condition is switched in accordance with a board thickness of the workpiece (4) calculated by the board thickness calculation unit (12); and a m

Abstract: A system is disclosed for reducing an internal diameter of a hole in a metal substrate. The system includes an electrospark device having an electrospark torch and an electrode holder rotatable about an axis. An electrode is removably supported in the electrode holder. The electrospark device configured to apply a coating of a material of which the electrode is formed, to the substrate on an inner wall of the hole when the electrode is rotated within the hole.

Abstract: A method of polishing a surface of an object disposed within a gas chamber is provided. The method includes filling the gas chamber with a discharging medium to a predefined pressure, applying a voltage between an electrode and the surface, calibrating a height of the electrode relative to the surface so as to establish electrical breakdown threshold criteria, and scanning the electrode with respect to the surface so as to sequentially position the electrode over a plurality of locations on the surface, each location characterized by a surface error. When a respective location in the plurality of locations has a surface error that meets the electrical breakdown threshold criteria, electrical breakdown occurs, whereby the electrical breakdown results in a discharging pulse that polishes the surface.

Abstract: Provided is a wire electric discharge machine in which time from application of a voltage to a machining gap between a workpiece and a wire electrode until occurrence of electric discharge is measured as a discharge delay time, and the measured discharge delay time is integrated over a predetermined measurement period to calculate a discharge delay integrated time. Further, the number of times of the voltage application in the measurement period is counted. An average discharge delay time per voltage application in the measurement period is calculated from the discharge delay integrated time and the number of times of voltage application. The movement of the wire electrode with respect to the workpiece is controlled on the basis of the average discharge delay time.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for fabricating clean, oxidation-free nanoparticles of electrically conducting metals and alloys using spark erosion techniques. In one aspect, a method includes dispersing bulk pieces of an electrically conducting material in a dielectric fluid with mechanical vibrations within a container; generating an electric field using electrodes in the dielectric fluid using by an electric pulse, in which the electric field creates a plasma in a volume existing between the bulk pieces that locally heats the bulk pieces to form structures within the volume, the dielectric fluid quenching the structures to form nanoparticles, and filtering the nanoparticles through a screen including holes of a size allowing nanoparticles of the size or smaller to pass through the screen to a region in the container, in which the dielectric fluid inhibits oxidation of the surface of the nanoparticles.

Abstract: Two contact detection jigs are spaced apart and attached on a table on which a workpiece to be machined by a wire electric discharge machine is placed, and first, under a state serving as a reference, a distance between these two contact detection jigs (a reference distance) is measured by bringing the wire electrode into contact with these contact detection jigs. Subsequently, in a state of actual use, the wire electrode is brought into contact with these contact detection jigs in the same manner, so that a distance between these two contact detection jigs (an actual distance) is measured. Then, based on the difference between the reference distance and the actual distance, the amount of compensation is obtained to compensate an instruction for moving the wire electrode with respect to the table.

Abstract: While machining is carried out according to a machining program by an electric discharge machine, the pressures of a machining fluid supplied from upper and lower nozzles are detected and displacement amounts of upper and lower wire guides are obtained from the detected pressures. Further, positional compensation values of the upper and lower wire guides are calculated on the basis of the obtained displacement amounts, and command values of the machining program are compensated on the basis of the calculated positional compensation values.

Abstract: An erosion device and a corresponding method are disclosed for machining a hollow-cylindrical workpiece, wherein the device is elongated and/or formed in the manner of a tube or cylinder and is characterized in that at least two rotationally acting drives (A1, A2), each with a drive shaft (AW1, AW2), and also an erosion electrode (E), interacting with the drives (A1, A2) and formed in the manner of a ring or disc, are provided.

Abstract: The present invention includes drive units 7a and 7b that change a relative position between a wire electrode 12 and a workpiece 14 by moving a position of wire guide 8a and 8b, drive control units 6a and 6b that drive the drive units 7a and 7b based on a machining shape on the workpiece 14, respectively, a correction-amount storage unit 3 that previously stores therein a position correction amount for the wire electrode 12 corresponding to a machining condition, a correction-amount reading unit 4 that reads the position correction amount corresponding to the machining condition from the correction-amount storage unit 3, and a wire-position correction unit 5 that causes the drive control units 6a and 6b to correct a relative distance between the wire electrode 12 and the workpiece 14 based on the read position correction amount.

Abstract: A machine tool for separative machining of preferably plate-like workpieces, for example, metal sheets, has a workpiece support and a discharge device on the workpiece support. The discharge device discharges workpiece parts produced as products of the separative machining. The discharge device includes two opening sections are adjustable relative to one another in the horizontal Y direction to form a through-opening for discharge of workpiece parts. The opening sections are adjustable into different positions relative to one another in the horizontal Y direction, to form through-openings of different widths for discharge of workpiece parts.

Abstract: A method for electrical discharge machining a workpiece includes the steps of: presenting an elongate electrode to the workpiece with a spark gap therebetween; flowing a dielectric fluid in the gap; eroding the workpiece by electrical discharge between the tip of the electrode and the workpiece; displacing the electrode in a direction aligned with the long axis of the electrode to maintain the gap as the electrode wears and the workpiece is eroded; and simultaneously with the displacement, producing vibratory movement of the electrode, the vibratory movement being aligned with the long axis of the electrode.

Abstract: A method and machine to allow for the spark-erosion machining of parts, in particular their finishing, using cylindrical or tubular tools by successive layers.

Abstract: In a discharge pulse current introduced into a machining gap between a wire electrode and a workpiece, ineffective discharge pulses not contributing to machining are discriminated and the number of the ineffective discharge pulses is counted. Moreover, an electrical discharge position is detected. An unevenly distributed state of machining chips in the machining gap is discriminated based on the counted number of the ineffective discharge pulses and the detected electrical discharge position. In order to eliminate the unevenly distributed state of the machining chips based on the unevenly distributed state of the machining chips, a flow rate of a working fluid supplied from an upper working fluid feeder in an upper wire guide and a flow rate of a working fluid supplied from a lower working fluid feeder in a lower wire guide are adjusted.

Abstract: A grinding machine for grinding a workpiece comprises a machine frame, a bearing device provided on the machine frame and movable along guides, in which a cup-shaped grinding wheel is rotatably drivable about a grinding wheel axis and electrically insulated. The grinding wheel is electrically connected to a generator. The device for profile dressing, sharpening and cleaning the grinding wheel consists of a single cup-shaped electrode, which is drivable about its central axis and is placed on a slide, which allows a working gap to exist between the machining surface of the cup-shaped electrode and the annular abrasive surface. A spark erosion discharge occurs in the gap when a voltage is applied. The grinding wheel can thereby be optimally conditioned by electric discharge machining.

Abstract: A method for controlling an electric discharge machining process, wherein a tool electrode is moved relatively to a workpiece with a working gap distance, wherein the process includes a current and at least one previous erosion cycle, the current and the previous erosion cycle each being divided into predetermined time intervals each including at least one discharge pulse, wherein similar working gap conditions are present within a time interval of the previous erosion cycle and of the current erosion cycle, and wherein subsequent erosion cycles are separated by a process pause cycle.

Abstract: A method for monitoring machining in an electroerosion assembly having a power supply and an electrode arranged across a gap from a workpiece, includes measuring a voltage at a point in a voltage waveform after a time delay td of one half of a pulse width of the voltage waveform. The measurements are repeated for multiple pulses of the voltage waveform to obtain multiple voltages, each of the voltages corresponding to a point in respective pulses. The voltages are averaged to obtain an average voltage, which is compared with at least one threshold voltage, to determine whether the machining is in control. A control signal is generated if the comparison indicates that the process is not in control, the control signal being configured to regulate an operating parameter of the power supply, and the control signal is supplied to the power supply, if generated.

Abstract: A control module for an EDM device, comprises: controls for managing power supplied to the EDM device, taking voltage measurements, calculating responses, and controlling advancement of an electrode of the EDM device. The EDM device may include a piezoelectric crystal that electrically in parallel with the voltage applied to a spark gap between the electrode and a workpiece.

Abstract: An EDM die sinking device includes a tank for holding a fluid, and at least one electrode in the tank having a shape for imparting to a first portion of a workpiece. A workpiece holder positions the workpiece at least partially immersed in the fluid and alternately moves the workpiece between an inoperable position and a first operable position of the first electrode at which electric discharge machining occurs on the first portion. A pulse generator creates an electric discharge between the first portion and the first electrode to remove material from the first portion in response to the workpiece being in the first operable position. Movement of the workpiece from the electrode flushes particle containing fluid away from the workpiece and the electrode. A segmented electrode includes a separate pulse generator for each segment may also be employed.

Abstract: A method of machining a pattern at a plurality of locations in a workpiece includes positioning a shaped electrode including the pattern at the plurality of locations in a sequence. In some embodiments, the sequence is random. The method further includes forming the pattern at each of the plurality of locations by passing electrical charges repeatedly between the shaped electrode and the workpiece and advancing the shaped electrode into the workpiece for a fraction of a full depth of the pattern. The method further includes repeating the positioning and forming steps a plurality of times until the full depth of the pattern has been formed at each of the plurality of locations.

Abstract: In a reference (n-th) machining pass, the wire travels along a machining route RTn and passes through a reentrant angular corner with wire position WMn, producing a workpiece edge Hn. In the following (n+1)-th machining pass, the wire travels along a machining route RTn+1, but the straight sections preceding and following the corner are replaced with a circular arc route so that the wire passes smoothly through a straight route, then a circular arc route, and then a straight route. The radius of curvature of the circular arc route is determined in the controller on the basis of the difference between the offset specified for the reference (n-th) machining pass and the offset specified for the (n+1)-th pass in which the circular arc route is inserted. Accordingly, the machining margin does not increase in the reentrant angular corner and the machining accuracy is thereby improved.

Abstract: In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, an electrical discharge machine is provided comprising an EDM electrode, an electrode holder, and an electrode guide. The electrode guide comprises an internal passage profile that transitions along the machining axis from a substantially circular cross section comprising a diameter d2 to an apexed cross section. The EDM electrode extends from the electrode holder through the electrode entrance aperture of the electrode guide and out of the electrode exit aperture of the electrode guide. The apexed cross section of the electrode guide is aligned relative to the circular cross section of the electrode guide such that apexes of the electrode exit aperture lie outside of a circumferential portion of the circular cross section. A restricted circumferential portion defined by the apexed cross section comprises a diameter that is greater than the effective electrode diameter. Additional embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling the length of a carbon nanotube, in cooperation with a substrate having at least one reference level on a surface of the substrate on which at least one carbon nanotube is formed, comprising at least one positioning platform for mounting and calibrating the substrate; a discharging electrode mounted on one side of the positioning platform to cut the carbon nanotube wherein the position of the discharging electrode can be calibrated with the positioning platform; a piezoelectric actuator for calibrating the position of the discharging electrode or the height of the discharging electrode relative to the substrate reference level; a position sensor for detection of the height of the substrate; and a voltage pulse supplying means for applying a voltage pulse to the discharging electrode to cut the carbon nanotube.

Abstract: A power supply apparatus for an electric discharge machine configured to perform melt-removal on a workpiece by supplying pulse-like power to a machining gap between an electrode (1) and a workpiece (2).

Abstract: A method for detecting and compensating electrode wear of electric discharge machining (EDM) is disclosed, which comprises the steps of: defining a calibration node; calculating a wear length of a tool electrode by an edge-finding algorithm; using the calculated wear length of the tool electrode as a cut compensation for compensating a machining depth of next new tool electrode replacing the previously machined tool electrode; whereas the machining depth is obtained according to the following formula: the machining depth=designed depth of cut+predicted wear of the tool electrode for machining to desire depth?calculated wear length of the previously machined tool electrode+a through hole offset. With the aforesaid method, the wear of an used tool electrode can be detected automatically for compensating the machining depth of an unused tool electrode without ant additional equipment while achieving accurate machining.

Abstract: A method of forming one or more features on a working surface of a superhard carbonaceous material comprises: positioning an electrode plate adjacent the superhard carbonaceous material, the electrode plate having an electrode surface oriented toward the working surface of the superhard carbonaceous material, the electrode surface including at least one protrusion or indentation formed therein or thereon; moving the electrode plate and the working surface toward one another while removing material from the working surface via electro-discharge machining; and moving the electrode plate and the working surface laterally relative to one another while removing material from the working surface via electro-discharge machining.

Abstract: An electric discharge machining apparatus comprises a power supply (5) for applying a voltage to a work gap formed between a tool electrode (E) and the workpiece (W) and a motor (7) that moves the tool electrode relative to the workpiece. An electric discharges counter (45) counts a number of electric discharge occurrences within a specified period (Td1) and generating a first count. A gap controller (48) multiplies the first count by a gain to generate position command or speed command for motor drive. An inversion counter (42) counts a number of inversions of the gap voltage upwards or downwards within a second specified period (Td2) and generating a second count. An electric discharge discriminator (44) discriminates the occurrence of electric discharge when the second count reaches a set value.

Abstract: Systems and methods presented herein provide for the control of electrical energy discharge from an electrode. In this regard, a sensor detects electrical energy discharged from the electrode and generates an electronic signal representative of a detected electrical energy discharge. Such a sensor may detect an electric field and/or light from the electrical energy discharge. The sensor may generate the electronic signal therefrom for subsequent processing. Accordingly, the system also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor to determine a spurious discharge of the electrical energy discharge from the electrode. The controller processes the electronic signal to control at least one characteristic (e.g., voltage) of the electrical energy provided to the electrode. The controller may change a voltage of the electrical energy to the electrode in response to determining a spurious discharge of the electrical energy discharged from the electrode.