Application of unified predictive control to on/off control of hydraulic system driven by fast-switching solenoid valves

The utilization of fast-switching solenoid valves permits the construction of low-cost hydraulic systems with high resistance to oil contamination. In spite of these advantages, the use of solenoid valves results in severe nonlinearities and discontinuities in the flow rate, making it difficult to control and design the system. In this study, the performance of a hydraulic system operated by an on/off unified predictive controller was investigated. It was verified that despite strong nonlinearities in the plant, the performance of the system was considerably improved by employing the predictive control scheme.