Reconfigurable Control of Hammerstein Systems after Actuator Faults

A new method for the control reconfiguration of stable Hammerstein systems after actuator faults is described. The class of Hammerstein systems contains input-saturated systems, which are ubiquitous in practice. The new reconfiguration approach uses a virtual actuator that permits to keep the nominal controller in the loop. The concept of virtual actuators is extended to reflect the nonlinear plant characteristics. A systematic procedure for virtual actuator design is presented that guarantees closed-loop stability. The approach is experimentally verified using a system of coupled tanks.