Actuator Fault Detection, Identification, and Control of a Multirotor Using Residual Generation and Parameter Estimation Approaches

Abstract

Abstract Effective fault detection and identification (FDI) and fault-tolerant control for nonlinear, unstable, and underactuated systems like quad-rotor is a challenging and critical process. This paper introduces a novel two-stage structure of an FDI approach integrated with an adaptive sliding mode controller for fault-tolerant control of a quadrotor with partial actuator fault. The FDI algorithm applies the parity space concept to generate a residual signal based on the system’s states and the inputs. The residual signal is examined by the exponential forgetting factor recursive least square method to detect and identify the partial fault of the actuator. The cascade controller includes an adaptive SMC algorithm in the inner loop and a PID controller in the outer loop. Real-time testbed experiments and Monte-Carlo simulation are applied in different actuator fault scenarios to determine the FDI algorithm’s performance metrics and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the fault-tolerant control strategy in maintaining full controllability of the quadrotor in presence of partial actuator fault.