Dynamic modeling and rotation control for flexible single-link underwater manipulator considering flowing water environment based on modified morison equation

Abstract

Flexible single-link underwater manipulator (FSLUM) can be installed in autonomous underwater vehicles, it can carry out underwater tasks such as offshore oil and gas exploration, underwater cable maintenance as well as fishery farming and fishing. The design and development of the FSLUM are of great significance for ocean exploration and development. The FSLUM is affected by the underwater interference torque during underwater tasks in the flowing water environment, which will greatly affect the operational accuracy. In addition, many nonlinear factors such as the flexibility of the transmission system and the two-dimensional deformation of flexible links will aggravate the control difficulty of the FSLUM. An improved sliding mode control (SMC) strategy based on neural network identification is proposed to enhance the FSLUM's control accuracy. Neural networks are proposed to identify uncertain components including underwater interference and flexible nonlinear terms, so as to advance the control law design accuracy. Firstly, the FSLUM dynamic equations coupled with underwater interference torque considering multiple nonlinear factors are established according to the assumed mode method (AMM). A modified Morison equation is proposed to abbreviate the underwater interference torque in flowing water environments. Next, the control law of improved neural network sliding mode control (NNSMC) strategies are proposed according to the Lyapunov stability theorem, so as to ensure closed-loop stability of the FSLUM. Finally, the results of simulation and prototype tracking control experiments show that the improved NNSMC strategy has high tracking accuracy.