Robust controller design of the integrated direct drive volume control architecture for steering systems

Recently, much effort has been directed toward the large throttling loss and low efficiency of the valve control system widely applied in steering system of ships. This paper presents an Integrated Direct-Drive Volume Control (IDDVC) electro-hydraulic servo system with the advantages of high efficiency and energy conservation. Firstly, the simulation model of IDDVC is improved by software AMESim, including the nonlinear interaction of the motor-pump and the oil supply ignored by traditional transfer function model. Then, by establishing discrete state equations, a controller based on robust sliding control strategy has been designed to enhance the practicality and real-time performance. Finally, the accuracy of the model and the effectiveness of the controller are proved through the experiments which are conducted after constructing the IDDVC prototype.