Design and Application of an Artificial Neural Network Controller Imitating a Multiple Model Predictive Controller for Stroke Control of Hydrostatic Transmission

The stroke control of a hydrostatic transmission (HST) is crucial for improving the energy efficiency and power variability of heavy-duty vehicles, including agricultural, construction, mining, and forestry equipment. This study introduces a new control strategy: an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) controller that imitates a Multiple Model Predictive Controller (MPC). The goal is to compare their performance in controlling the HST’s stroke. The proposed controller is designed to track complex stroke reference trajectories for both primary and secondary regulations under realistic disturbances, such as engine and load torques, which are influenced by soil and road conditions for an HST system in line with a nonlinear and time-varying mathematical model. Processor-in-the-Loop simulations suggest that the ANN controller holds several advantages over the Multiple MPC and classical control strategies. These benefits include its suitability for multi-input–multi-output systems, its insensitivity to external stochastic disturbances (like white noise), and its robustness against modeling errors and uncertainties, making it a promising option for real-time HST implementation and better than the Multiple MPC scheme in terms of simplicity and computational cost-effectiveness.