Infinite-dimensional decentralized damping control of large-scale manipulators with hydraulic actuation

The control design for decentralized active damping of large-scale manipulators with hydraulic actuation is considered in a distributed-parameter framework. The concepts of modern light-weight construction enable the production of machines like mobile concrete pumps or maritime crane systems with extended operating range and less static load. However, due to the reduced weight the elasticity of the construction elements has a significant influence on the dynamic behavior of the boom. In this paper, a modular decentralized control strategy is presented and the asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system is rigorously proven in the infinite-dimensional setting. The proposed damping control strategy features a robust behavior since it is independent of the number and pose of the boom segments and of the exact knowledge of the system parameters. At the end, the practical implementation of the control strategy is discussed and validated by means of measurements on an industrial mobile concrete pump with four joints and an operating range of about 40 m.