An integrated SMC–NADRC robust control approach for electric power steering systems considering nonlinear friction and parametric uncertainties

Abstract

Electric Power Steering (EPS) facilitates easier steering and has become widely equipped in modern vehicles. Many prior studies on EPS control have tended to overlook the effects of nonlinear friction and parametric uncertainties, while traditional control strategies often suffer from overshooting, phase lag, and chattering. This article proposes a nonlinear robust control scheme that integrates smooth Sliding Mode Control (SMC) with Nonlinear Active Disturbance Rejection Control (NADRC) to address these challenges. The influence of nonlinearities and uncertainties is compensated in the control law through an augmented variable estimated by a Nonlinear Extended State Observer (NESO), and the reference signal is smoothed by a Nonlinear Tracking Differentiator (NTD). Simulation results demonstrate that the Root Mean Square (RMS) tracking errors of the steering column angle and steering motor angle are only 0.165% and 0.172%, respectively, when the proposed approach controls the system without considering nonlinear friction and parameter uncertainties. When both adverse factors are included, the tracking errors increase only slightly to 0.704% and 0.736%. Moreover, the proposed method achieves a total energy consumption of just 1194.581 J, which is lower than that of the compared controllers. In addition, the effects of overshooting, phase delay, and chattering are eliminated. Overall, the proposed control shows strong potential for improving the performance of automotive mechatronic systems.