Disturbance Rejection Research Articles

Vehicle posture wheelbase preview control of in-wheel motors drive intelligent vehicle on potholed road

The in-wheel motors drive intelligent vehicle (IMDIV) has a strong ability of dynamic control, which makes it be a major development path of intelligent vehicles in the future. However, its stability is easily deteriorated by the impact of the road when driving on potholed road. To tackle this issue, a vehicle posture control method based on road feedback and elevation recognition is proposed. Firstly, an elevation recognition algorithm of adaptive Kalman filter (AKF) based on vehicle dynamic response is proposed after considering the flooded road and the system noise uncertainty. Secondly, a vehicle posture controller of fuzzy active disturbance rejection control (FADRC) is designed, with the function of dynamically adjusting the active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) parameters. It is designed to implement front suspension feedback control and rear suspension wheelbase preview control. At last, the road elevation recognition algorithm and vehicle posture control method are proved by Simulink simulation and off-line hardware in the loop test. The results revealed that the AKF can effectively recognize both white noise pavement and potholed road, and the recognition accuracy is greater than 90%. The FADRC controller realizes accurate front suspension feedback control and rear suspension wheelbase preview control by adjusting the real-time online parameters of ADRC. The proposed vehicle posture control method can effectively control the pitch and roll motion, which significantly improves the stability of IMDIV on potholed road. This study can serve as a reference for the posture stability control of IMDIV on potholed road.

Nonlinear model predictive dynamic positioning of a remotely operated vehicle with wave disturbance preview

Exploiting preview information of disturbances within robot control is an effective method of handling state perturbations. For underwater vehicles operating in wave-dominated environments, disturbances significantly influence vehicle response and pose a threat to operational safety. In consideration of this, a complete end-to-end control architecture is developed in this work for disturbance rejection during station keeping tasks under wave perturbations, encompassing a nonlinear model predictive controller (NMPC) combined with a deterministic sea wave predictor (DSWP). The wave predictor exploits a continuous measurement of the wave elevation at a location upstream of the vehicle to form a forecast of the temporal evolution of the wave elevation at the vehicle location. The predicted wave parameters are then used to estimate the impending wave-induced hydrodynamic loading, enabling explicit consideration of accurate short-term disturbance forecasts within the controller, ensuring this preview is incorporated in the optimised control sequence. Experimental testing confirms the validity of the wave predictor, producing RMSE as low as 0.017 m. The proposed strategy is then simulated under various wave conditions, optimising control actions inclusive of the preview information. The NMPC outperforms a similar disturbance mitigating feed-forward controller, with average improvements of up to 52% and is found to perform best even with noisy, lower accuracy wave predictions, as well as with communication time delays, providing a high degree of robustness. This demonstrates the potential of the proposed control framework to effectively tackle disturbance mitigation of underwater vehicles subject to large magnitude wave disturbances, expanding the operational envelop of autonomous systems towards forbidding ocean environments.

Active Disturbance Rejection Control via Neural Networks for a Lower-Limb Exoskeleton

This article presents the design of a control algorithm based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) applied to a lower-limb exoskeleton, which is aimed to carry out walking trajectories during lower-limb rehabilitation. The interaction between the patient and the exoskeleton leads to model uncertainties and external disturbances that are always present. For this reason, the proposed control considers that the non-linear part of the model is unknown and is perturbed by external disturbances, which are estimated by an active disturbance rejection control via Artificial Neural Networks. To validate the proposed approach, a numerical simulation and an experimental implementation of the ANN-Controller are developed.

Dynamic Docking Anti‐Disturbance Control of Overactuated AUV: System, Method, and Lake Trails

ABSTRACTDynamic docking control technology is crucial for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) to perform tasks underwater. To enhance the docking success rate of AUVs during dynamic docking, this paper presents a robust anti‐disturbance control algorithm specifically designed for overactuated AUV dynamic docking scenarios. During a dynamic docking mission, the AUV's depth control is adversely affected by the complex flow field generated by the underwater recovery device. To address this issue, this research proposes an AUV control scheme that combines an extended state observer (ESO) with a combined disturbance rejection method of the elevator‐vertical tunnel controller. First, an ESO is constructed to estimate and compensate for complicated disturbances such as model uncertainty and environmental disturbances. These estimations are then incorporated into the control law to mitigate the effects of the complicated flow field interference experienced during the AUV's dynamic docking process. Second, as turbulence intensifies at the end of the docking stage, the vertical thrust allocation is achieved using a hyperbolic tangent transition function. This ensures the stability of the AUV's attitude and depth, thereby enabling precise docking. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm is verified through lake trials and compared against the classic proportional‐integral‐differential (PID) and active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) methods. The trial results indicate that the proposed control algorithm significantly reduces the pitch and depth errors of the AUV, resulting in a remarkable 91% success rate for dynamic docking (based on 45 tests). The lake trials demonstrate that the proposed control algorithm is highly precise and robust.

The Precision Improvement of Robot Integrated Joint Module Based on a New ADRC Algorithm

This article analyzes the factors causing the precision error of the robot joint module, such as gear meshing disturbance, output elastic deformation, and load mutation. An improved active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) algorithm is proposed to overcome the uncertainty of nonlinear factors and variables of this research topic. The output precision loss of the joint module is introduced as a new input variable of ADRC, combined with the input variable of torque current of the joint module. The extended state observer is redesigned, and the online estimation of disturbance is realized. According to the disturbance estimation results, the current loop algorithm of permanent magnet synchronous motors is improved to compensate the torque disturbance of the robot joint module. The experimental results show that the improved ADRC algorithm can obviously suppress the disturbance of the joint module, weaken the meshing error and torque output deformation of the harmonic reducer gear, and improve the control accuracy of the joint module.

Evaluating Reduced-Order Urban Wind Models for Simulating Flight Dynamics of Advanced Aerial Mobility Aircraft

Advanced Aerial Mobility (AAM) platforms are poised to begin high-density operations in urban areas nationwide. This new category of aviation platforms spans a broad range of sizes, from small package delivery drones to passenger-carrying vehicles. Unlike traditional aircraft, AAM vehicles operate within the urban boundary layer, where large structures, such as buildings, interrupt the flow. This study examines the response of a package delivery drone, a general aviation aircraft, and a passenger-carrying urban air mobility aircraft through an urban wind field generated using Large Eddy Simulations (LES). Since it is burdensome to simulate flight dynamics in real-time using the full-order solution, reduced-order wind models are created. Comparing trajectories for each aircraft platform using full-order or reduced-order solutions reveals little difference; reduced-order wind representations appear sufficient to replicate trajectories as long as the spatiotemporal wind field is represented. However, examining control usage statistics and time histories creates a stark difference between the wind fields, especially for the lower wing-loading package delivery drone where control saturation was encountered. The control saturation occurrences were inconsistent across the full-order and reduced-order winds, advising caution when using reduced-order models for lightly wing-loaded aircraft. The results presented demonstrate the effectiveness of using a simulation environment to evaluate reduced-order models by directly comparing their trajectories and control activity metrics with the full-order model. This evaluation provides designers valuable insights for making informed decisions for disturbance rejection systems. Additionally, the results indicate that using Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) solutions to represent urban wind fields is inappropriate. It was observed that the mean wind field trajectories fall outside the 95% confidence intervals, a finding consistent with the authors’ previous research.

Active Disturbance Rejection Flight Control and Simulation of Unmanned Quad Tilt Rotor eVTOL Based on Adaptive Neural Network

The unmanned quad tilt-rotor eVTOL (QTRV) is a variable-configuration aircraft that combines the features of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), hovering, and high-speed cruising, making its control system design particularly challenging. The flight dynamics of the QTRV differ significantly between the VTOL and cruise modes, and are further influenced by rotor tilt and external wind disturbances. Developing a unified, highly coupled nonlinear full-flight dynamics model facilitates flight control system design and simulation verification. To ensure stable tilt of the QTRV, a tilt corridor was established, along with the design of its tilt route and manipulation strategy. An adaptive neural network active disturbance rejection controller (ANN-ADRC) is proposed to ensure stable flight across all modes, reducing the control parameters and simplifying tuning while effectively estimating and compensating for unknown disturbances in real time. A hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation system was designed for full-mode flight control simulation, and the results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed control method.

Resonance Suppression Method Based on Hybrid Damping Linear Active Disturbance Rejection Control for Multi-Parallel Converters

The parallel operation of multiple LCL-type converters will result in a deviation of the resonant frequency and resonance phenomena. The occurrence of harmonic resonance can cause problems such as an increase in harmonic voltage and current. This can lead to the malfunction of relay protection and automatic devices, causing damage to system equipment. In severe cases, it can cause accidents and threaten the safe operation of the power system. A hybrid damping active disturbance rejection control (HD-ADRC) method is proposed in this paper to suppress the harmonic resonance of parallel LCL-type converters. First, a third-order linear disturbance rejection controller (LADRC) including the linear extended-state observer and the error-feedback control rate is designed based on LCL-type converter model analysis. The proposed method considers the resonance couplings caused by both internal and external disturbances as the total disturbance, thus improving the anti-disturbance capabilities as well as the operational stability of converters in parallel. Then, a hybrid damping control is proposed to reconstruct the damping characteristics of converters to suppress the parallel resonance spike and reduce the resonance frequency offset. And the parameter selection of the control system is optimized through a stability analysis of the tracking performance and anti-disturbance performance of the HD-ADRC controller. Finally, all the theoretical considerations are verified by simulation and experimental results based on the Matlab/Simulink 2018B and dSpace platform. The simulation and experimental results show that the PI controller gives a THD of 5.33%, which is reduced to 4.66% by employing the HD-LADRC, indicating an improved decoupling between the converters working in parallel with the proposed control scheme.

Improved real-time [formula omitted] control for aero-engines based on the equilibrium manifold expansion model

This paper investigates the transient performance and disturbance rejection control problem for aero-engines based on the equilibrium manifold expansion (EME) model. Considering the operating characteristics of the aero-engine vary greatly during different flight states, it is difficult to ensure the performance of the aero-engine in different states using a single controller designed offline. To solve this problem, this paper proposes an improved real-time H∞ controller. Through driving the controller to match the changes in dynamic characteristics of the system, the stability and disturbance rejection performance of the system are guaranteed over a wide range effectively. In addition, a dynamic adjustment mechanism is designed for the disturbance rejection parameter in the proposed real-time H∞ controller, which further improves the transient performance of the system. The sufficient conditions to ensure the stability of the system under the designed method are also given. Finally, the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method are verified through an aero-engine numerical simulation program and a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) experiment.

Enhancing disturbance rejection in boost converter for CPL: A controller design approach with partial pole placement and approximate model matching

In DC microgrids, the cascade operation of the DC-DC converters leads to a constant power load fed by the boost converter, resulting in unstable behavior in addition to the non-minimum phase dynamics. An enhanced load disturbance rejection control scheme based on partial pole placement and an approximate model matching technique is proposed. This approach is inspired by the well-known direct synthesis method to achieve optimal load disturbance rejection performance. The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme has been validated through hardware implementation, demonstrating its capability in setpoint tracking and load disturbance rejection under variations in load power and input voltage. The robust stability of the suggested scheme has been investigated through the Kharitonov theorem and Monte-Carlo simulation, considering different performance matrices. The suitability of the presented scheme has been established by analyzing the comparative performance of recently reported works. The proposed controller reduces peak overshoot and settling time by ∼50%, handles system uncertainties up to 75%, and outperforms FOPID controllers tuned with particle swarm optimization, queen bee genetic algorithm, and chaos game optimization methods.

Practical three-dimensional path following and control for unmanned combat aerial vehicles based on expansion of L1+ guidance logic and disturbance rejection

An effective virtual-target-based three-dimensional path-following algorithm is proposed for unmanned combat aerial vehicles, which extends from the planar [Formula: see text] guidance. The separated implementation of the planar guidance law in two perpendicular planes provides the longitudinally-laterally decoupled acceleration commands. In order to obtain a non-unique virtual-target-point, a numerical iterative method using auxiliary path-related variables is proposed. Moreover, two protection improvements are discussed for real-word implementation: one involves the modification of adaptive [Formula: see text] length for vehicle position far away from the desired path; the other involves a switching strategy for multi-segment paths. The improved algorithm eliminates complex coordinate transformation and easily connects different types of path segments. For the control loop, technology enhanced with the active disturbance rejection control was used to facilitate the design of a bank-to-turn autopilot. For the pitch and roll channels, a rate-damping augmentation loop was used first to transform the original system into a generalized plant. Then the second-order active disturbance rejection control was structured to estimate the total disturbance, including time-varying dynamics, model mismatch, and coupling of channels, making the system an ideal integral-series type. The non-smooth optimization technique in the H-infinity methodology was used to facilitate tuning of the fixed-structure active disturbance rejection control.

Controllability measure for disturbance rejection capabilities of control systems with undamped flexible structures

This paper introduces a controllability measure for quantitatively evaluating the disturbance rejection capabilities of control systems with undamped flexible structures. The measure is derived by obtaining the steady-state solution of the degree of disturbance rejection capability (DoDR), a Gramian-based measure used to assess controllability under external disturbances. To address the issue of Gramian matrices diverging over time in undamped systems, we have developed and proven several theorems related to Gramian matrices in undamped systems. The resulting solution, derived using these theorems is represented in a closed-form and expressed in terms of the modal matrix, input matrix, disturbance matrix, and disturbance covariance matrix. Since the derived solution does not require solving Lyapunov equations, which is typically required in most Gramian-based measures, it enables efficient computations, even for high-dimensional systems. Numerical examples confirm that the proposed measure serves as an exact DoDR solution for undamped systems, preserving the previously established physical meaning of DoDR. Control simulations further validate its accuracy in predicting disturbance rejection performance, highlighting its value in actuator allocation.

Enhanced Speed Control of Pipeline Pigs with Adjustable Bypass Using Quantitative Feedback Theory and Cascade PID Algorithm

During pipeline pigging operations, precise control of the pig's running speed is crucial. However, external speed disturbances often occur during these operations. In response to this challenge, adjustments are made to the flow rate through the pig body, thereby modifying the pressure difference and achieving a targeted speed range of 1 m/s to 3 m/s. Since a pig with an adjustable bypass port operates in a dynamically changing state, conventional control algorithms face difficulties in providing effective control. Moreover, there is limited research on speed control algorithms for pigs with adjustable bypass ports. To address these challenges, this paper introduces a control system based on Quantitative Feedback Theory (QFT), coupled with cascaded Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) tuning, for the precise speed control of a bypass pig. The state equation is derived from the pig's operational state, and the QFT Toolbox is employed to design a pre-filter and controller. This integration of QFT with cascaded PID not only facilitates both speed control and disturbance rejection but also demonstrates significantly improved control stability under variable operational conditions. The model, implemented using the Simulink Toolbox, shows that this approach can quickly stabilize the pig's speed, effectively managing continuous variations and enhancing the efficiency and safety of pipeline pigging.

Study of parabolic trough collector with crucial analysis on controller and estimator with variable mirror efficiency

Solar Thermal Power (STP) plants are a crucial technology for converting solar energy into electricity. Among the STP, the Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) is one of the integral parts of STP systems for electrical power generation. Maximizing PTC performance is a challenge due to dynamic and unpredictable solar radiation and environmental disturbances, such as cloud cover and dust accumulation. The optical efficiency parameter of the PTC is critical for calculating the desired heat gain, which is difficult to measure in real-time, necessitating sophisticated control and estimation strategies for optimal heat regulation. This study introduces two control mechanisms for the PTC system and comparing their efficacy. A classical PI controller supplemented by Static Feed-Forward (SFF) control demonstrates improved performance with an optimal transfer function model. In contrast, Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) excels in disturbance rejection and setpoint tracking, considering operational constraints. The NMPC controller notably outperforms the PI controller with SFF in performance metrics, with the Integral Time Squared Error (ITSE) decreasing by approximately 99% across case studies. Also, in the case of heat gain, NMPC controller exhibits percentage increases when compared to the PI controller. Furthermore, since the measurement of optical efficiency is essential, but due to difficulty in the measurement for various reasons, the estimator is used as a virtual sensor to estimate those optical efficiency. The unmeasured states and parameters, including optical efficiencies of the PTC, are estimated using Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) and Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) techniques, with UKF exhibiting superior accuracy. However, considering the average computation time, EKF is preferred for real-time applications.

Adaptive model-free disturbance rejection for continuum robots

This paper presents two model-free control strategies for the rejection of unknown disturbances in continuum robots. The strategies utilize a neural network-based approximation technique to estimate the uncertain Jacobian matrix using position measurements. The first strategy is designed for periodic disturbances and employs an adaptive model-free controller in conjunction with an adaptive disturbance observer. The second strategy is designed for robustness against arbitrary disturbances and employs time-varying input and update law gains that grow monotonically, resulting in the achievement of asymptotic, exponential, and prescribed-time reference trajectory tracking. The notion of fixed-time stabilization in prescribed time is particularly noteworthy, as it allows for the predefinition of a terminal time, independent of initial conditions and system parameters. A formal stability analysis is presented for each strategy, and the strategies are both tested experimentally with a concentric tube robot subject to unknown disturbances.

Technical Note: Analytical Estimate of Rotor Controls Required for a Propeller Wake Disturbance Rejection

During helicopter air-to-air refueling, the aircraft propeller’s jet can engage with the helicopter rotor. The impact on the helicopter rotor thrust and aerodynamic hub moments is solved analytically for the first time, based on blade element momentum theory. The collective and cyclic blade pitch controls needed for disturbance rejection are computed for a typical air-to-air refueling scenario. A propeller jet affecting the retreating side of the rotor requires much more pilot controls to retrim than an impingement on the advancing side.

LADRC‐based non‐characteristic harmonic suppression strategy for pumped storage power plants

AbstractThe static frequency converter (SFC) in a pumped storage power plant often causes harmonic problems in the dragging processes, which may lead to the false operation of automatic devices in the power station, and even damage to the power equipment. These harmonics caused by SFC contain both characteristic and non‐characteristic degrees, and the components are more complex. Hence, the existing harmonic suppression methods using active power filter or passive power filter compensation all have some problems. The SFC starting control strategy based on linear active disturbance rejection control (LADRC) is proposed here to reduce the non‐characteristic harmonics. First, the factors affecting the non‐characteristic harmonic content are analysed, and a mathematical model of the conventional SFC starting transfer function is established. On this basis, the LADRC controller is used as the speed loop of SFC starting to replace the proportional integral (PI) controller. The stability is judged by drawing the Bode plot and the zero‐pole plot. Finally, a Matlab/Simulink simulation model of LADRC‐based SFC starting is established in a pumped storage power plant with actual parameters, and simulation accurate measurements verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy for non‐characteristic harmonic current suppression.

Attitude Tracking of Rigid-Liquid-Flexible Coupling Spacecraft by Active Disturbance Rejection Control

Considering the complex attitude dynamics of Rigid-Liquid-Flexible Coupling Spacecraft, especially when the large amplitude sloshing of liquid exists in rapid attitude maneuver, the conventional control design method based on the linearized model is not suitable for the significant coupling and strong nonlinearity. By contrast, Active Disturbance Rejection Control is model-independent and easy to design and implement. In this paper, the three main components of Active Disturbance Rejection Control, Tracking Differentiator, Extended State Observer and Nonlinear State Error Feedback are comprehensively applied to the attitude tracking control of Rigid-Liquid-Flexible Coupling Spacecraft. Firstly, two cascaded Tracking Differentiators are used to arrange the transition process of the attitude command, which not only reduces overshoot and oscillation of the tracking process, but also obtains the angular acceleration information of attitude trajectory for feed-forward compensation. Secondly, the total disturbance caused by liquid sloshing and flexible vibration is observed by Extended State Observer and compensated synchronously. Finally, the Nonlinear State Error Feedback is used to further improve the transient behavior and steady-state quality of the control system. The simulation results show that the tracking accuracy of the attitude and angular velocity using the Active Disturbance Rejection Control are about 3 to 27 times and 6 to 115 times that of the PID control, respectively. The convergence time, overshooting are also significantly less than the PID control.

ADRC-Based cooperative control for unmanned towing operation by multiple DP tugboats: A comparative study of two cooperative controllers

This paper addresses the challenge of coordinated manipulation of an unactuated floating object by multiple tugboats to execute both positioning and towing operation within complex marine environments. We proposes a multi-layer cooperative control algorithm for the multi-tugboat system, including tugboat control level and cooperative control level. At the individual tugboat control level, the dynamic positioning system (DPS) has been enhanced to match the operational behavior of the tugboat, enabling it to handle cable tension and environmental disturbances during transit. The controller incorporates a simple yet effective linear active disturbance rejection control method (ADRC) to counter external disturbances and ensure accurate trajectory tracking without relying on preset models. Moving to the multi-tugboat collaboration level, two distinct control strategies are proposed for towing operations: formation-based (FB) and force-allocation-based (FAB). The FB strategy involves multiple tugboats forming a coordinated formation, with control focused on the formation center to indirectly manipulate the object. On the other hand, the FAB strategy utilizes model predictive control (MPC) for the object to allocate the necessary towing force for each cable, thereby determining the required actions for each tugboat based on the cable model and the needed towing force. Simulation results demonstrate that both control strategies can effectively maneuver the floating object with high accuracy to perform positioning and towing tasks. Nevertheless, due to the variations in their fundamental mechanisms, there are significant discrepancies in towline tension, tugboat utilization, and energy consumption.

A nonlinear hysteresis compensation control of hydro-viscous drive in air transport operations

The Hydro-Viscous Drive (HVD) speed regulating system finds extensive application in air transport transmission systems to regulate the stepless speed or conduct overload protection. However, its intrinsic hysteretic behaviors, such as the asymmetric hysteretic and dead zone, could introduce inaccuracy and delay in control applications, posing challenges to system regulation. This paper investigates a Nonlinear Hysteresis Compensation Control (NHCC) that consists of two parts to control the HVD output speed by operating the valve under different engine operating conditions. In the first part, the Inverse Hysteresis Compensator (IHC) based on major loop data is introduced for the asymmetric hysteresis characterization and compensation of the HVD speed control system of the power generation and distribution, which aims to reduce the hysteresis and dead zone effect and expand the effective input range. In the second part, the Active Disturbance Rejection Controller (ADRC) is employed to mitigate the hysteresis effects of the compensated system and remove the steady-state error, which allows real-time compensation of the estimated perturbations as state feedback to achieve the required performance. An experimental laboratory station has been fabricated to evaluate the proposed method. The test results show that the NHCC method can regulate the fan speed to the desired value (|e|< 45 r/min at steady state) and broaden the effective input range to the full range under different engine conditions. Besides, the proposed control method can reduce the non-linearity of the input and output curves (from 18% to 4%) and compensate for the asymmetric hysteresis (from 38% to 5%).