Modeling and control of a novel electro-hydrostatic actuator with adaptive pump displacement

The variable pump displacement and variable motor speed electro-hydrostatic actuator (EHA), one of the three types of EHAs, has advantages such as short response time, flexible speed regulation, and high efficiency. However, the nonlinearity of its double-input single-output system poses a great challenge for system control. This study proposes a novel EHA with adaptive pump displacement and variable motor speed (EHA-APVM). A closed-loop position is realized using a servomotor. Moreover, the displacement varies with the system pressure; thus, the EHA-APVM is a single-input and single-output system. Firstly, the working principles of the EHA-APVM and the pump used in the system are introduced. Secondly, a nonlinear mathematical model of the proposed EHA-APVM control system is established, and a feedback back-stepping (FBBS) control algorithm is introduced to transform the complex nonlinear system into a linear system on the basis of the back-stepping control theory. Finally, simulation results prove that the EHA-APVM has a quick response and high robustness to variations of the load and the pump displacement. In this work, the size and weight of the motor are significantly reduced because the maximum power requirement is reduced, which is very beneficial for using the actuator in airborne equipment.