Adaptive control of actuator lifetime

The harder an actuator is pushed to its performance limits, the shorter its lifetime becomes. Existing actuator controllers are typically designed to optimize performance and robustness, without considering the operational lifetime of the actuator. However, it is often desirable to trade off performance for extended lifetime in order to reduce vehicle maintenance cost and improve vehicle safety and mission readiness. We present two adaptive control algorithms for managing the performance and lifetime of motors in electromechanical actuators. The first algorithm provides tracking control of a desired motor lifetime by adapting the motor performance level. The second algorithm provides adaptive trade-off between motor performance and lifetime based on vehicle mission needs. Simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of these control algorithms