Using repetitive control to eliminate periodic disturbances in damper test rigs

Repetitive Control (RC) is a relatively new technique for controlling systems that contain periodic reference signals or periodic disturbances. The fundamental idea behind the method is to use the internal model of the periodic signal. In this paper two recent RC algorithms are applied to a simulation model of a damper test rig. Damper test rigs are are widely used in the automotive industry to experimentally verify the mechanical durability properties of a given damper. These rigs, however, due to their mechanical set-up, a tendency to generate internal periodic disturbances, which obviously have a negative effect on the reliability of the test results. The theoretical and simulation results in this paper show how Repetitive Control can be used to eliminate these periodic disturbances, resulting in a considerable increase in accuracy.