Investigation in hybrid actuation for duplex actuators operating in active/no-load modes

This communication deals with the key issues of a hybrid actuation system operating in active/no-load mode. The hybrid actuation system under study is made of a servo valve controlled hydraulic actuator (SHA) and an electro-mechanical actuator (EMA). In active/no-load mode, both actuators are actively controlled; the SHA is in position control while the EMA is controlled to generate null force. Virtual prototype of the hybrid actuation system is firstly built in the AMESim simulation environment and validated through experiments. Then, three operating modes of the hybrid actuation system are analyzed and simulated using the validated virtual prototype. Finally, the control strategies in active/no-load modes are discussed. The active/no-load mode is proved to be a promising operating mode with high dynamics, low failure transient, reduced wear and power consumption.