Feedforward Control Strategy Research Articles

High-performance front end PFC controller design for light electric vehicle charger application

Power factor correction (PFC) boost converters operating in CCM (continuous conduction mode) typically utilize average current mode (ACM) control alongside a LPF (low-pass filter) to reduce the impact of double line frequency ripple on the current loop. However, the LPF limit the voltage loop bandwidth in ACM-regulated converters, resulting in sluggish dynamic response. Additionally, zero-crossing distortion (ZCD) often occurs in the current control loop due to inaccuracies in tracking the reference current at the zero crossing point of the waveform. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a feed-forward control strategy that utilizes supply voltage and output current, effectively eliminating the need for an LPF and enhancing transient response. The voltage loop is tuned using the conventional Z-N method, while the Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO) technique is employed to optimally tune the gain parameters of the current controller (KPi and KIi). This approach effectively reduces reference tracking errors and mitigates ZCD, offering a balance between simplicity and performance. The proposed method is simple, offering fast transient and steady-state response, low THD, near-unity PF, and tight voltage regulation under fluctuating conditions. The effectiveness of this approach is validated through MATLAB/Simulink simulations, and hardware verification is conducted using a 500 W laboratory prototype controlled by a dSPACE 1104 digital controller.

A Robust PCC Voltage Feedforward Control Strategy of LCL‐Type Converters under Weak Grid Condition

The point of common coupling (PCC) voltage feedforward control strategy can effectively reduce the startup inrush current and improve the anti‐interference ability of the LCL‐type converters, which is widely used in the renewable energy converters control field. With the high penetration of the new energy, the increase of grid impedance leads to the weakening of the grid. Under weak grid conditions, the PCC voltage feedforward control strategy will generate an additional feedback loop of grid‐side current, which has a great impact on the stability of the system. In this paper, the damping characteristic of the PCC voltage feedforward control strategy and the effect on the open loop characteristic of the system have been deeply analyzed. An improved PCC voltage feedforward control strategy based on a proportional plus band‐pass filter is proposed, which can effectively improve the phase margin and achieve active damping under weak grid conditions, therefore, the robustness of the converters can be effectively improved. A three‐phase LCL‐type AC/DC converter platform is built and comparative experiments are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. The experimental results are consistent with the theoretical analysis. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Active vibration isolation support platform for double crystal monochromator

The quality of the beamline at a synchrotron light source is directly related to the performance of the double crystal monochromator. This paper presents a designed active vibration isolation support platform for the double-crystal monochromator to meet the higher stability demands of advancing synchrotron light sources. The platform has good decoupling characteristics through the redundant structure of eight actuators mixed with active and passive. A vibration isolation control scheme is designed based on distributed degrees of freedom and a feed-forward feedback composite control scheme to ensure high stiffness of the support platform while achieving full-band vibration isolation. Finally, constructed a verification platform for an active vibration isolation system and verified the effectiveness of the proposed control method through experiments. With the designed active vibration isolation algorithm, the system can achieve full-band vibration isolation within the 1–100 Hz bandwidth.

Feedforward Control Strategy of a DC-DC Converter for an Off-Grid Hydrogen Production System Based on a Linear Extended State Observer and Super-Twisting Sliding Mode Control

With the large-scale integration of renewable energy into off-grid DC systems, the stability issues caused by their fluctuations have become increasingly prominent. The dual active bridge (DAB) converter, as a DC-DC converter suitable for high power and high voltage level off-grid DC systems, plays a crucial role in maintaining and regulating grid stability through its control methods. However, the existing control methods for DAB are inadequate: linear control fails to meet dynamic response requirements, while nonlinear control relies on detailed model structures and parameters, making the control design complex and less accurate. To address this issue, this paper proposes a feedforward control strategy for a DC-DC converter in an off-grid hydrogen production system based on a linear extended state observer (LESO) and super-twisting sliding mode control (STSMC). Firstly, a reduced-order simplified model of the DAB was constructed through the structure of DAB. Then, based on the reduced-order simplified model, a feedforward control based on LESO and STSMC was designed, and its stability was analyzed. Finally, a simulation comparison of PI, LESO + terminal sliding mode control (TSMC), and LESO + STSMC control methods was conducted in a DC off-grid hydrogen production system. The results verified the proposed control method’s enhancement of the DAB’s rapid dynamic response capability and the system’s transient stability.

A Novel Feedforward Scheme for Enhancing Dynamic Performance of Vector-Controlled Dual Active Bridge Converter with Dual Phase Shift Modulation for Fast Battery Charging Systems

This paper proposes a novel feedforward control scheme to achieve a very smooth transition from Constant Current (CC) to Constant Voltage (CV) charging modes, the commonly used method for electric vehicle charging applications. Furthermore, a three-loop model-independent Linear Active Disturbance Rejection Control (LADRC)-based system is proposed, replacing the traditional two-loop Proportional-Integral (PI) control system. The extra loop performs a decoupled dq vector control of the inductor current, which is typically not used in single-phase Dual Active Bridge (DAB) systems. This additional loop not only facilitates the optimal determination of both internal and external phase shift angles of a Dual-Phase Shift (DPS) modulator but also lowers the peak input current of the converter, allowing for lower-rated switches. Numerical simulations using MATLAB/Simulink demonstrate the robustness of the proposed control strategy against both input voltage disturbances and load disturbances during the transition from CC to CV charging modes. Hence, the dynamic performance of the charging system is significantly improved with minimal controller effort.

Rapid sloshing-free transport of liquids in arbitrarily shaped containers

AbstractWe present a model-based feedforward control strategy suitable for designing swift rest-to-rest maneuvers for liquids in arbitrarily shaped containers. We employ the commonly used equivalent pendulum model to represent the sloshing dynamics and suggest a novel parameter identification scheme suitable for arbitrary container shapes and any number of sloshing modes. By computing natural modes and fluid reaction forces and torques for imposed harmonic container motions via a finite element model, we obtain data for the identification scheme. A fitting procedure then yields highly accurate parameters for a physical pendulum model, where each pendulum represents one sloshing mode. We also provide a thorough analysis of parameter identifiability and guidelines for obtaining robust parameter estimates. The proposed feedforward control method uses a virtual tray pendulum on which we place the container (in the form of its equivalent pendulum model). Designing the virtual tray such that the fluid’s dominant sloshing mode cannot be excited by horizontally moving the tray pendulum pivot effectively zeros out any sloshing motion in this mode. We then exploit the flatness property of the resulting system to design rest-to-rest maneuvers where any residual sloshing motion (in higher modes) can be exactly stopped at the end of the maneuver. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through extensive simulations and experimental results using a Martini cocktail glass, whose shape is challenging in terms of sloshing. The experimental results show the successful, accurate suppression of sloshing, validating the efficacy of the proposed concept.

Comparison of feed-forward control strategies for simplified vertical hopping model with intrinsic muscle properties

To analyse walking, running or hopping motions, models with high degrees of freedom are usually used. However simple reductionist models are advantageous within certain limits. In a simple manner, the hopping motion is generally modelled by a spring-mass system, resulting in piecewise smooth dynamics with marginally stable periodic solutions. For a more realistic behaviour, the spring is replaced by a variety of muscle models due to which asymptotically stable periodic motions may occur. The intrinsic properties of the muscle model, i.e. preflexes, are usually taken into account in three complexities-constant, linear and Hill-type. In this paper, we propose a semi-closed form feed-forward control which represents the muscle activation and results in symmetrical hopping motion. The research question is whether hopping motions with symmetric force-time history have advantages over asymmetric ones in two aspects. The first aspect is its applicability for describing human motion. The second aspect is related to robotics where the efficiency is expressed in term of performance measures. The symmetric systems are compared with each other and with those from the literature using performance measures such as hopping height, energetic efficiency, stability of the periodic orbit, and dynamical robustness estimated by the local integrity measure (LIM). The paper also demonstrates that the DynIn MatLab Toolbox that has been developed for the estimation of the LIM of equilibrium points is applicable for periodic orbits.

Comparative Effects of Fatiguing Exercise on Anticipatory and Compensatory Postural Adjustments between Trained and Untrained Individuals.

This study evaluates the effects of general fatiguing exercises on anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs), compensatory postural adjustments (CPAs), and standing stability between 18 individuals with comprehensive training experience (TR) and 18 untrained individuals (UT). Assessments were conducted before and after a 20-min fatiguing exercise using surface electromyography and a force platform during self-initiated perturbation and postural stability tests. Key findings include that, irrespective of fatigue, the APAs onsets in the TrA/IO (p = 0.004), LMF (PRE p = 0.003, POST p < 0.001), and ST (PRE p = 0.001, POST p = 0.006) muscles activated earlier in the TR group than in the UT group. Additionally, the APA co-contraction indices of the TrA/IO-LMF (PRE p = 0.011, POST p = 0.029), TrA/IO-ST (p = 0.014), and LMF-ST (PRE p = 0.002, POST p = 0.005) muscle pairs were higher in the TR group. After fatigue, the UT group significantly increased CPA co-contraction indices for the TrA/IO-LMF (p = 0.035) and LMF-ST (p = 0.005) muscle pairs. This research highlights the importance of comprehensive training in facilitating feedforward control strategies, particularly for individuals facing challenging postural conditions, such as fatigue or disturbances.

Grid-Connected Inverter Grid Voltage Feedforward Control Strategy Based on Multi-Objective Constraint in Weak Grid

In weak grid, feedforward of grid voltage control is widely used to effectively suppress grid-side current distortion of inverters caused by harmonics in point of common coupling (PCC) voltage. However, due to its introduction of a positive feedback loop related to the grid impedance, it results in a significant reduction in the system phase margin. In view of this, in this paper, the output impedance of a three-phase LCL grid-connected inverter under a quasi-proportional resonant (QPR) controller is first modeled. Instead of the traditional grid voltage feedforward control strategy, a band-pass filter is added to the grid voltage feedforward channel. Secondly, a multi-objective constraint method is proposed to make improvements to the feedforward function. Then, a multi-objective constraint function is established with the constraints of base-wave current tracking performance, system stability margin, and low-frequency amplitude, and the feasibility of its function optimization design method is verified. Theoretical analysis shows that the optimized grid voltage feedforward control strategy can effectively reshape the phase characteristics of the system output impedance, which greatly broadens the adaptation range of the system to the grid impedance. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy is verified by building a semi-physical simulation experimental platform based on RT-LAB OP4510.

Iterative flexibility compensation based high precision trajectory tracking for industrial manipulators

High precision industrial manipulators are widely demanded in precision machining and advanced manufacturing. To realize high precision trajectory tracking in task space, feedback plus model based feedforward control strategies are widely used in modern industrial manipulators. Furthermore, the accuracy of feedforward model determines the accuracy of trajectory tacking to a great extent, especially for elastic manipulators. In traditional feedforward controllers, the flexibilities out of the rotational plane are often neglected and thus the end-effector tracking performance can be degraded a lot. Therefore, an iterative flexibility compensation based feedforward controller is proposed to improve the end-effector trajectory tracking accuracy of industrial manipulators in this paper. First, the flexible deformations in all directions are described accurately by using the extended flexible joint model (EFJM) for industrial manipulators. Second, a feedforward controller is designed by using the dynamic inversion of EFJM. In the feedforward controller, an iterative flexibility compensation scheme is designed to transform the reference Cartesian trajectory into joint space and thus the limitation of the nonminimum phase characteristics of EFJM can be avoided. Moreover, the flexible deformations are predicted and compensated based on EFJM. After that, the feedforward torque is derived in joint space by using the efficient feedforward torque computation algorithm for EFJM. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

An industrial IoT-based deformation resistance prediction and thickness control method of cold-rolled strip in steel production systems

Different from traditional analytical and numerical simulation methods, data-driven methods can more effectively describe the effects of nonlinear and coupling factors. Although the fluctuations of deformation resistance and thickness for hot-rolled strips significantly influence the thickness accuracy in strip cold rolling, the traditional deformation resistance prediction model and thickness control mode don't involve that. Thus, based on the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) platform and data-driven technology, this work proposed a new method for deformation resistance prediction and a new mode of feed-forward control for strip thickness. IIOT platform can collect production data from the various levels to provide a complete data set. The deformation resistance prediction model is established by adopting the differential evolutionary algorithm to optimize the bi-directional long and short-term memory network. In addition, the feed-forward control (DFFC) strategy for strip thickness is proposed based on deformation resistance prediction. An application results of a 1420 mm production line of CR indicated that the established prediction model could provide a high accuracy prediction for deformation resistance, and compared to traditional thickness gauges-based automatic gauge control methods, the DDFC can capture the effect of the fluctuations of deformation resistance and thickness for the hot-rolled strip to improve thickness accuracy effectively.

Research on an Intelligent Vehicle Trajectory Tracking Method Based on Optimal Control Theory

This study aims to explore an intelligent vehicle trajectory tracking control method based on optimal control theory. Considering the limitations of existing control strategies in dealing with signal delays and communication lags, a control strategy combining an anthropomorphic forward-looking reference path and longitudinal velocity closure is proposed to improve the accuracy and stability of intelligent vehicle trajectory tracking. Firstly, according to the vehicle dynamic error tracking model, a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) transverse controller is designed based on the optimal control principle, and a feedforward control strategy is added to reduce the system steady-state error. Secondly, an anthropomorphic look-ahead prediction model is established to mimic human driving behavior to compensate for the signal lag. The double proportional–integral–derivative (DPID) control algorithm is used to track the longitudinal speed reference value. Finally, a joint simulation is conducted based on MatLab/Simulink2021b and CarSim2019.0 software, and the effectiveness of the control strategy proposed in this paper is verified by constructing a semi-physical experimental platform and carrying out a hardware-in-the-loop test. The simulation and test results show that the control strategy can significantly improve the accuracy and stability of vehicle path tracking, which provides a new idea for future intelligent vehicle control system design.

Experimental validation for the combination of funnel control with a feedforward control strategy

AbstractCurrent engineering design trends, such as lightweight machines and human–machine interaction, often lead to underactuated systems. Output trajectory tracking of such systems is a challenging control problem. Here, we use a two-design-degree of freedom control approach by combining funnel feedback control with feedforward control based on servo-constraints. We present experimental results to verify the approach and demonstrate that the addition of a feedforward controller mitigates drawbacks of the funnel controller. We also present new experimental results for the real-time implementation of a feedforward controller based on servo-constraints on a minimum phase system.

Coupled Feedforward and Feedback Control Strategy of Parallel Hybrid Filter for Harmonic Mitigation.

The strategy features a small sensitivity against a disturbed supply voltage system and enables us to set grid phase currents in the phase with respective voltages. The expected properties of the PHF control system have been confirmed by experimental tests in the laboratory. The data show that the modified control strategy yields better results than those obtained by using control systems reported previously, especially in case of an unsymmetrical and non-sinusoidal voltage system and the demand of zero reactive power withdrawn from the grid.

MEMS-based two-photon microscopy with Lissajous scanning and image reconstruction under a feed-forward control strategy.

Two-photon microscopy (TPM) based on two-dimensional micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) system mirrors shows promising applications in biomedicine and the life sciences. To improve the imaging quality and real-time performance of TPM, this paper proposes Lissajous scanning control and image reconstruction under a feed-forward control strategy, a dual-parameter alternating drive control algorithm and segmented phase synchronization mechanism, and pipe-lined fusion-mean filtering and median filtering to suppress image noise. A 10 fps frame rate (512 × 512 pixels), a 140 µm × 140 µm field of view, and a 0.62 µm lateral resolution were achieved. The imaging capability of MEMS-based Lissajous scanning TPM was verified by ex vivo and in vivo biological tissue imaging.

A PID-based control architecture for mobile robot path planning in greenhouses

This article presents a control strategy for an Ackermann mobile robot designed for greenhouse operation, based on a cascade control mechanism. It controls both, (i) an inner loop, based on PID, for two motors, and (ii) a classic Pure Pursuit control for the outer loop. In addition, a feedforward control strategy is proposed to address the issue of the natural variable terrain in greenhouses in southern Spain. Path following will be evaluated using a 2D model of the experimental greenhouse to obtain coordinates that will be assessed in simulation. Open-loop tests were conducted on a real agricultural robot prototype, AGRICOBIOT II, designed and built at the University of Almeria.

Feedforward PID Controller Design For a Parabolic Trough Solar Collector

Distributed parameter systems (DPS) are widely recognised in the process industry. An innovative feedforward control strategy for the DPS of a parabolic trough collector (PTC) has been developed with the aim of rejecting disturbances. This feedforward is designed on a transfer function based on a semi-physical model. This transfer function includes an irrational term that models the resonance dynamics in the system response. For validation, this approach is compared with a proportional-integral (PI) design and other existing feedforward designs in literature. The results show that the proposed approach significantly improves the system performance in the presence of disturbances addressing system dynamics at medium and high frequencies.

Adaptability enhancement of fractional‐order LLCL‐type grid‐connected inverter to weak grid based on grid voltage weighted feedforward scheme

SummaryGrid‐connected inverter with a novel fractional‐order LLCL filter has the advantage of high grid current tracking accuracy and low total harmonic distortion without passive or active dampers, and the grid voltage full feedforward scheme is an effective method to improve the quality of grid current. However, due to the digital control delay, the suppression of the grid current harmonics is weakened, and the inverter output impedance has an additional negative phase shift, which deteriorates the stability of grid‐connected systems under weak grid. In this paper, a weighted grid voltage fractional‐order feedforward control scheme is proposed based on a quasi‐proportional resonant (QPR) controller, which introduces two weighting factors in the full feedforward path of the grid voltage and compensates the phase lag of the output impedance by designing appropriate weighting factors. Then, an improved scheme combining the QPR controller with a phase compensator is presented. As a result, the suppression ability of grid current harmonics and the adaptability to grid impedance variations are enhanced. Simulation and experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed grid voltage fractional‐order weighted feedforward scheme.

Data-driven model based adaptive feedback-feed forward control schemes for open cycle - OTEC process

Open Cycle - Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OC-OTEC) is one of the most important renewable energy sources that generate electricity and fresh water from seawater utilizing the temperature gradient between the warm surface seawater and the cold deep seawater. This paper aims to develop non-linear data-driven model-based adaptive Feedback Control (FBC) schemes for the OC-OTEC process to track the output power and a dynamic Feed-Forward Control (FFC) scheme to reject the effects of temperature disturbance on power caused by climate variations in OC-OTEC. The experiments are conducted on a laboratory-scale OC-OTEC experimental setup at the National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai. Firstly, linear data-driven models are developed using system identification techniques. Based on the developed models, gain scheduling-based adaptive control schemes are developed: Proportional Integral (PI) control and Model Predictive Control (MPC). Secondly, the closed-loop performances of the developed FBC schemes are analysed under servo and regulatory operations. Furthermore, it is observed from the sensitivity analysis results that the temperature disturbance highly influences output over the manipulated variable. Hence, a dynamic FFC scheme is implemented to reject known disturbance of 1 °C variation in temperature gradient from 18 °C to 19 °C due to Sea Surface Temperature (SST) changes in temperature gradient. The results show that the proposed MPC-based FBC-FF scheme effectively enhances the tracking and disturbance rejection performance compared to the PI-based FBC-FF control scheme with a minimum Integral Square Error (ISE) of 3.055 and Control Effort (CE) of 7.505. This experimental data-based, data-driven modelling and adaptive control research provides a new direction for automating OC-OTEC. Further, these studies will help to develop a rugged and automated upscaling OC-OTEC plant control system with proposed feasible control schemes.

Adaptive Feed-Forward Control for Gust Load Alleviation on a Flying-Wing Model Using Multiple Control Surfaces

Based on measured gust information, a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) adaptive feed-forward control scheme for gust load alleviation (GLA) on a semi-span flying-wing aircraft using multiple control surfaces is proposed. In order to remedy weight drift and biased estimation problems that are commonly encountered in adaptive control, the circular leaky LMS (CLLMS) algorithm is employed, which utilizes gust measurement information, filtered reference signals, and error signals to update controller parameters online. The results demonstrate that good load reductions are achieved in both continuous and discrete gust environments. For instance, the designed GLA control system leads to an 80.72% reduction in the root-mean-square (RMS) values of wing-root bending moment in the Dryden gust environment and a 77.59% reduction of its maximum value in the 1-cos discrete gust condition. Based on the limited power of the actuator and the limited authority for control surface deflections when integrating GLA into the flight control system, a weight-updating algorithm with deflection angle and rate constraints on control surfaces is proposed. The simulation results show that the strict constraints on control surface deflections will degrade the GLA performance. Finally, the influence of the partial jamming fault of actuators on GLA performance is studied. It is found that good GLA performance can be preserved despite the degraded performance during the initial stage of the actuator jamming fault. This is due to the robustness brought about by multiple control surfaces and the adaptability of the control algorithm.