Evolutionary optimization of an industrial hydraulic valve with the help of a fuzzy performance-index

The optimization of controllers for closed-loop position control of electrical driven hydraulic servo valves is very costly, the plant is highly nonlinear, and consequently requires a complex nonlinear controller. Moreover, the assessment of the achieved performance has to be considered for a large set of different operating situations and is consequently usually performed manually. This paper describes the design of a fuzzy performance-index that, with the help of an evolutionary algorithm, enables automation of the optimization process.