A new Sliding Mode Controller for Electro-Hydraulic Actuator (EHA) applications

Abstract

In any type of system, unexpected fault conditions may occur. A minor fault may cause the system efficiency and performance to deviate from norm and/or deteriorate; a major fault condition may cause a system failure. Fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) and fault tolerance are two important concepts that need to be considered in industrial applications and more specifically in safety critical systems. This paper considers the development of a fault tolerant sliding mode control (SMC) strategy for a form of hydraulic actuation system known as the Electro-Hydrostatic Actuator (EHA). EHA systems are being increasingly used in flight control applications. An EHA prototype is used for demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed fault tolerant control strategy.