The fuzzy control of electrohydrodynamic direct writing

The electrohydrodynamic direct-writing (EDW) technology has been widely used in the integration of micro-/nano-systems. However, the complex model is a critical obstacle for the uniformity and controllability of the EDW fiber. It is difficult to gain an appropriate control strategy for position accuracy and the industrial application of EDW technology. Fuzzy control has a significant effect on objects in which the mathematical models are complex and the dynamic characteristics are difficult to capture. In this paper, the integrated fuzzy control method based on the jet mode and the electrospinning current was designed for the EDW system, and four groups of experiments were set up in different control schemes: the open-loop control, the current control, the jet mode control, and the integrated control. With the integrated control, the volatility percentage of the fiber spacing decreased from 23% to 9.7%, and the volatility percentage of the electrospinning current decreased from 35% to 14%. The fuzzy control shows dramatic effects on the uniformity and the deposition precision of the EDW fibers, which will extend the fields of application of EDW.