A novel order-separated generalized feedforward design for motion control in energy-efficient electrohydraulic system with proportional and integral feedback

Existing feedforward, or FF, controllers are based on differentially flat models. For double-acting single-rod cylinders, more compact than the double-rod ones, flat models could be constructed either under an incompressible-flow assumption for low-pressure, slow-response applications or for a matched valve-cylinder combination. Contrasting the existing models tackling only a single nonlinear aspect like valve leakage, oil compressibility or friction, a novel FF controller, generalized for different types of valve-cylinder-pump combinations, has been developed here. It is based on the highest-order assumption of incompressible flow that sustains the piston motion. An FFPI controller has been implemented in a laboratory setup for displacement tracking against sinusoidal demands up to 9 Hz frequency. The FF parameters has been estimated by minimizing the deviation of simulation prediction from an offline experimental time-varying response. The PI gains have been selected through a stability analysis by extending Routh criteria for linearized time-variant error dynamics. Comparison against a PI-only controller with identical gains has established the energy-saving potential of the FFPI controller both working with the same variable-displacement pump. In comparison to existing nonlinear adaptive controllers, more precise and smoother responses have been obtained over wider frequency range at lower control expenses, admittedly with occasional marginal penalty in the phase variation. The FFPI controller has exhibited the shortest transient and the highest resilience against measurement noise.