Adaptive tracking control for electro-hydraulic power steering system of electric corner module via active disturbance rejection control

Traditional heavy-duty vehicles face performance limitations, requiring innovations in control systems and vehicle configurations to enhance capacity and efficiency. Advances in electric drive and X-by-wire chassis technology have driven research into electric corner module (ECM) technology, which integrates drive, brake, steering, and suspension-by-wire systems for enhanced modularity and reconfigurability. This paper presents an angle-tracking control strategy for an ECM electro-hydraulic steering system (ECMSS). To improve tracking performance, an advanced active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) method based on nonlinear extended state observer (NLESO) and adaptive integral non-singular terminal sliding mode control (AINTSMC) is proposed. This method incorporates adaptive mechanisms to handle estimated errors, uncertain gains, and switching control, thereby enhancing the controller’s robustness against disturbances and parameter uncertainties. The approach is validated through MATLAB/Simscape workbench in the hardware-in-loop (HIL) platform, demonstrating superior tracking accuracy compared to four other algorithms and enhanced robustness in handling uncertainties, disturbances, and signal frequency variations.