Control Strategy for a Hardware in the Loop Test Bench

The chapter discusses the challenges of applying load forces using hydraulic axes, particularly in aircraft fatigue testing. It introduces a hardware-in-the-loop test rig at the Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Systems (ifas) to simulate and optimize force control concepts. The control architecture includes a position controller and velocity feedforward control using a characteristic map for partial linearization. The map is derived from data sheet information and validated through experiments. The performance of the controller is compared with traditional PID control, showing improved performance with lower ITAE values and minimal overshoot. The influence of the control concept on system dynamics is also evaluated, highlighting the potential for better system behavior or overdamping depending on system properties.