PI Observer-Based Fault-Tolerant Tracking Controller for Automobile Active Suspensions

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to retain the desirable dynamics performances and improve ride quality for active suspensions with the actuator faults and unknown road disturbances. To that end, a novel proportional-integral observer (PIO)-based fault-tolerant tracking controller (FTTC) design is proposed for automobile active suspensions (ASSs) encountered with actuator faults and parameter uncertainties. First, the Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy model approach is adopted to establish T-S representation of the faulty ASSs by describing vehicle dynamics system as the weighed summation of a common linear system. Afterwards, a nominal robust H∞ output feedback controller is developed to enhance the suspension performances under fault-free mode, whose output response indicators are taken as the prescribed reference trajectories. Then, a PIO-based fault estimator is designed to predict both the system states and the unmeasurable actuator faults, synchronously. On basis of this designed observer, the expected PIO-FTTC is synthesized to track the prescribed reference trajectories, and further to make up for the system performance deteriorations aroused by the actuator faults. Finally, a simulative investigation demonstrates the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed PIO-FTTC compared to existing control approach.