A Novel Model-Free Adaptive Proportional–Integral–Derivative Control Method for Speed-Tracking Systems of Electric Balanced Forklifts

Abstract

Similar to many complex systems, the operation process of electric balanced forklifts has characteristics such as time-varying model parameters and nonlinearity. Establishing an accurate mathematical model becomes challenging, making it difficult to apply model-based control methods in engineering practice. Aiming at the longitudinal control system of electric forklifts containing external disturbances, this paper proposes an improved full-format dynamic linearization model-free adaptive PID control (iFFDL-MFA-PID) method. Firstly, the full-format dynamic linearization (FFDL) method is employed to transform the operating system of the electric balanced forklift into a virtual equivalent linear data model. Secondly, the nonlinear residual term and pseudo-gradient (PG) of the data model are estimated using the difference estimation algorithm and the optimal criterion function, respectively. Furthermore, in order to enhance the robustness of the system, the idea of intelligent PID (iPID) is introduced and the principle of equivalent feedback is utilized to derive the iFFDL-MFA-PID control scheme. The design process of this scheme only requires the use of the input and output data of the system, without relying on the mathematical model of the system. Finally, the iFFDL-MFA-PID method proposed in this paper is simulated and tested with the EFG-BC/320 counterbalanced forklift equipped in the Special Equipment Testing Center and compared with the model-free adaptive control method (FFDL-MFAC) and the PID control method. Simulation results show that the speed-tracking error of the electric forklift truck under the action of the iFFDL-MFA-PID algorithm is maintained within ±0.132 m/s throughout the process, achieving higher tracking accuracy and better robustness compared to the MFAC and PID methods.