Modified model reference adaptive control approach for systems with noise or unmodelled dynamics

In this paper, a modified model reference adaptive control (MRAC) strategy is developed for use on plants with noise or unmodelled high-frequency dynamics. MRAC consists of two parts, an adaptive control part and a fixed gain control part. The adaptive algorithm uses a combination of low- and high-pass filters such that the frequency range for the adaptive part of the strategy is limited. The mechanism for noise-induced gain wind-up is demonstrated analytically, and it is shown how MRAC can be modified to eliminate this wind-up. Further to this, an additional filter is proposed to improve MRAC robustness to high-frequency unmodelled dynamics. Two test plants, one with added noise and the other with unmodelled high-frequency dynamics, are considered. Both plants exhibit unstable behaviour when controlled using standard MRAC, but, with the modified strategy, robustness is significantly improved.