Self-tuning type variable structure control method for a class of nonlinear systems

Abstract

In this paper we propose a new self-tuning type Variable Structure Control (VSC) method for a class of nonlinear dynamical systems with parametric uncertainties. The controller is designed to satisfy the sliding mode condition; mean-while the on-line parameter identification is incorporated in the control system. Necessary modifications are made for the parameter identification to avoid the control singularity problem. By virtue of the sliding mode, the proposed identification algorithm can be applied to those nonlinear systems which may not be linear in parametric space but are linear while in the sliding mode. A model-based strategy is further introduced to estimate the uncertainty bound. The new approach attains the gain scheduling property by tuning the switching gain in accordance with the estimated system uncertainties, that is, the switching gain decreases asymptotically while the sliding mode condition is still maintained. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.