Research on position tracking control of electro-hydraulic actuator system combining feedforward inverse model controller and exponential functional link network adaptive controller

The electro-hydraulic actuator system plays a crucial role in indoor high-frequency simulation experiments. Many components of the system exhibit unavoidable nonlinear characteristics, which reduce its dynamic position response capability. Additionally, most algorithms are unsuitable for practical high-frequency conditions due to either local instability or high computational complexity. To improve position tracking accuracy under high-frequency control, a novel combined control strategy is proposed, integrating an appropriate feedforward inverse model controller (FFIMC) with an exponential functional link network adaptive controller (EFLNAC). Initially, the system has reached a stable state under the action of the PID controller. Subsequently, the FFIMC estimates both the model and the inverse model of the PID system by applying the AIC technique developed through the DCT-VSSNLMS adaptive algorithm, which extends the system’s bandwidth. Following this, the EFLNAC, as the outermost loop, acquires the inverse model of the FFIMC system and updates internal parameters in real-time, thereby enhancing the system’s resistance to nonlinear disturbances. Finally, the combined controller is validated through simulations and experiments under various working conditions. The results show a significant increase in the PID system’s bandwidth and demonstrate that the tracking error of the signal is maintained within 0.079 mm. Therefore, the combined controller proves to be an effective solution for high-precision, high-frequency displacement tracking, offering the advantages of low computational complexity, high accuracy, and strong effectiveness.