Feedback linearization and equivalent-disturbance compensation control strategy for piezoelectric stage

Piezoelectric stages use piezoelectric actuators and flexure hinges as driving and amplifying mechanisms, respectively. These systems have high positioning accuracy and high-frequency responses, and they are widely used in various precision/ultra-precision positioning fields. However, the main challenge with these devices is the inherent hysteresis nonlinearity of piezoelectric actuators, which seriously affects the tracking accuracy of a piezoelectric stage. Inspired by this challenge, in this work, we developed a Hammerstein model to describe the hysteresis nonlinearity of a piezoelectric stage. In particular, in our proposed scheme, a feedback-linearization algorithm is used to eliminate the static hysteresis nonlinearity. In addition, a composite controller based on equivalent-disturbance compensation was designed to counteract model uncertainties and external disturbances. An analysis of the stability of a closed-loop system based on this feedback-linearization algorithm and composite controller was performed, and this was followed by extensive comparative experiments using a piezoelectric stage developed in the laboratory. The experimental results confirmed that the feedback-linearization algorithm and the composite controller offer improved linearization and trajectory-tracking performance.