Development of an optimisation-based control algorithm for suppressing residual vibrations of a single-link flexible manipulator

In this thesis, a controller based on system energy has been developed for a single link flexible manipulator. The flexible link is considered as Euler-Bernoulli beam and its lumped dynamic model is based on Assumed Mode Method. Position and vibration control are realised with a single controller as motor torque. The controller has three parameters that must be selected. Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm is performed to obtain suitable parameter values. All three parameters are optimised simultaneously with the algorithm and the suitable torque values are achieved. In addition, to extend the controller for different payload conditions, an algorithm is developed and added to the control process. MATLAB simulations are applied to illustrate the performance of the controller. Performance investigation is carried out over settling time, overshoot percentages, tip point vibration and maximum torque values. First, results achieved with all parameter optimisation are compared with the results achieved with combined parameter optimisation and the results achieved with constant proper parameters. In the second step, results are compared with PD control which controller coefficients are also optimised with Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm. In the third step, the performance of the controller is compared with a reference method. In the last step, simulations are applied with different payload conditions to illustrate the performance of the algorithm developed for different payload conditions. Simulations show that the flexible manipulator achieves the position objective in a small amount of time without overshoot and exhibits satisfactory performance in terms of vibration suppression even with different payload conditions. In addition, Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm finds the suitable values within short cycles in the optimisation process.