Optimized Fuzzy Logic Control System for Diver’s Automatic Buoyancy Control Device

In this article, the design of a fuzzy logic control system (FLCS) in combination with multi-objective optimization for diver’s buoyancy control device (BCD) is presented. To either change or maintain the depth, the diver manually controls two pneumatic valves that are mounted on the inflatable diving jacket. This task can be very difficult, especially in specific diving circumstances such as poor visibility, safety stop procedures or critical life functions of the diver. The implemented BCD hardware automatically controls the diver’s depth by inflating or deflating the diver’s jacket with two electro-pneumatic valves. The FLCS in combination with the multi-objective optimization was used to minimize control error and simultaneously ensure minimal air supply consumption of the BCD. The diver’s vertical velocity is also critical, especially while the diver is ascending during the decompression procedure; therefore, a combination of depth and vertical velocity control was configured as a cascaded controller setup with outer proportional depth and inner FLCS vertical velocity control loops. The optimization of the FLCS parameters was achieved with differential evolution global optimum search algorithm. The results obtained were compared with the optimized cascaded position and velocity PID controller in simulations.