Abstract
For this paper, the position-control performances of dual EHA(electro-hydrostatic actuator) systems were investigated according to two cases wherein the double-rod- and single-rod-type hydraulic cylinders were combined. Since the control performance is significantly dependent on the load conditions including external forces such as the inertia load, it is proposed here that the two sub-EHAs are driven by separate position and force controllers, instead of two identical position controllers. According to the simulation results, the best performance was achieved by the position-controlled single-rod-type EHA that was combined with a force-controlled double-rod-type EHA. As the force-controlled double-rod-type EHA compensated for the external loads on the position-controlled single-rod-type EHA, the position-control performance was not influenced by external forces including the inertia load. In addition, the position-controlled single-rod-type EHA contributed to the enhancement of the damping ratio by absorbing the pressure peaks through its internal accumulator. Due to the symmetrical piston areas, the double-rod-type EHA is more suitable for force control than the single-rod- type EHA.
