Independent control of all-wheel-drive torque distribution

The sophistication of all-wheel-drive (AWD) technology is approaching the point where the drive torque to each wheel can be independently controlled. This potentially offers vehicle handling enhancements similar to those provided by dynamic stability control, but without the inevitable reduction in vehicle acceleration. Independent control of AWD torque distribution would therefore be especially beneficial under acceleration close to the limit of stability. A vehicle model of a typical sports sedan was developed in Simulink, with fully independent control of torque distribution. Box–Behnken experimental design was employed to determine which torque distribution parameters have the greatest impact on the vehicle course and acceleration. A proportional-integral control strategy was implemented, applying yaw rate feedback to vary the front–rear torque distribution and lateral acceleration feedback to adjust the left–right distribution. The resulting system shows a significant improvement over conventional driveline configurations under aggressive cornering acceleration on a high-μ surface. The performance approaches the theoretical limit for these conditions. In the medium term, such a system is only likely to be economically viable for premium vehicles. However, a future revolution of powertrain technology towards, for example, wheel-mounted motors, could realize these handling benefits far more widely.     

Dynamics characteristics analysis and control of FWID EV

Compared with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, four-wheel-independently-drive electric vehicles (FWID EV) have significant advantages, such as more controlled degree of freedom (DOF), higher energy efficiency and faster torque response of an electric motor. The influence of these advantages and other characteristics on vehicle dynamics control need to be evaluated in detail. This paper firstly analyzed the dynamics characteristics of FWID EV, including the feasible region of vehicle global force, the improvement of powertrain energy efficiency and the time-delays of electric motor torque in the direct yaw moment feedback control system. In this way, the influence of electric motor output power limit, road friction coefficient and the wheel torque response on the stability control, as well as the impact of motor idle loss on the torque distribution method were illustrated clearly. Then a vehicle dynamics control method based on the vehicle stability state was proposed. In normal driving condition, the powertrain energy efficiency can be improved by torque distribution between front and rear wheels. In extreme driving condition, the electric motors combined with the electro-hydraulic braking system were employed as actuators for direct yaw moment control. Simulation results show that dynamics control which take full advantages of the more controlled freedom and the motor torque response characteristics improve the vehicle stability better than the control based on the hydraulic braking system of conventional vehicle. Furthermore, some road tests in a real vehicle were conducted to evaluate the performance of proposed control method.     

An optimal torque distribution control strategy for four-independent wheel drive electric vehicles

In this paper, an optimal torque distribution approach is proposed for electric vehicle equipped with four independent wheel motors to improve vehicle handling and stability performance. A novel objective function is formulated which works in a multifunctional way by considering the interference among different performance indices: forces and moment errors at the centre of gravity of the vehicle, actuator control efforts and tyre workload usage. To adapt different driving conditions, a weighting factors tuning scheme is designed to adjust the relative weight of each performance in the objective function. The effectiveness of the proposed optimal torque distribution is evaluated by simulations with CarSim and Matlab/Simulink. The simulation results under different driving scenarios indicate that the proposed control strategy can effectively improve the vehicle handling and stability even in slippery road conditions.     

On the handling performance of a vehicle with different front-to-rear wheel torque distributions

ABSTRACT

The handling characteristic is a classical topic of vehicle dynamics. Usually, vehicle handling is studied by analyzing the understeer coefficient in quasi-steady-state maneuvers. In this paper, experimental tests are performed on an electric vehicle with four independent motors, which is able to reproduce front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive (FWD, RWD and AWD, respectively) architectures. The handling characteristics of each architecture are inferred through classical and new concepts. The study presents a procedure to compute the longitudinal and lateral tire forces, which is based on a first estimate and a subsequent correction of the tire forces that guarantee the equilibrium. A yaw moment analysis is performed to identify the contributions of the longitudinal and lateral forces. The results show a good agreement between the classical and new formulations of the understeer coefficient, and allow to infer a relationship between the understeer coefficient and the yaw moment analysis. The handling characteristics vary with speed and front-to-rear wheel torque distribution. An apparently surprising result arises at low speed: the RWD architecture is the most understeering configuration. This is discussed by analyzing the yaw moment caused by the longitudinal forces of the front tires, which is significant for high values of lateral acceleration and steering angle.     

Lateral handling improvement with dynamic curvature control for an independent rear wheel drive EV

The integrated longitudinal and lateral dynamic motion control is important for four wheel independent drive (4WID) electric vehicles. Under critical driving conditions, direct yaw moment control (DYC) has been proved as effective for vehicle handling stability and maneuverability by implementing optimized torque distribution of each wheel, especially with independent wheel drive electric vehicles. The intended vehicle path upon driver steering input is heavily depending on the instantaneous vehicle speed, body side slip and yaw rate of a vehicle, which can directly affect the steering effort of driver. In this paper, we propose a dynamic curvature controller (DCC) by applying a the dynamic curvature of the path, derived from vehicle dynamic state variables; yaw rate, side slip angle, and speed of a vehicle. The proposed controller, combined with DYC and wheel longitudinal slip control, is to utilize the dynamic curvature as a target control parameter for a feedback, avoiding estimating the vehicle side-slip angle. The effectiveness of the proposed controller, in view of stability and improved handling, has been validated with numerical simulations and a series of experiments during cornering engaging a disturbance torque driven by two rear independent in-wheel motors of a 4WD micro electric vehicle.     

A model of driver steering control incorporating the driver's sensing of steering torque

Steering feel, or steering torque feedback, is widely regarded as an important aspect of the handling quality of a vehicle. Despite this, there is little theoretical understanding of its role. This paper describes an initial attempt to model the role of steering torque feedback arising from lateral tyre forces. The path-following control of a nonlinear vehicle model is implemented using a time-varying model predictive controller. A series of Kalman filters are used to represent the driver's ability to generate estimates of the system states from noisy sensory measurements, including the steering torque. It is found that under constant road friction conditions, the steering torque feedback reduces path-following errors provided the friction is sufficiently high to prevent frequent saturation of the tyres. When the driver model is extended to allow identification of, and adaptation to, a varying friction condition, it is found that the steering torque assists in the accurate identification of the friction condition. The simulation results give insight into the role of steering torque feedback arising from lateral tyre forces. The paper concludes with recommendations for further work.     

Vehicle dynamics control using an active third-axle system

This paper introduces the active third-axle system as an innovative vehicle dynamic control method. This method can be applicable for different kinds of three-axle vehicles such as buses, trucks, or even three-axle passenger cars. In this system, an actuator on the middle axle actively applies an independent force on the suspension to improve the handling characteristics, and hence, its technology is similar to slow-active suspension systems. This system can change the inherent vehicle dynamic characteristics, such as under/over steering behaviour, in the linear handling region, as well as vehicle stability in the nonlinear, limit handling region. In this paper, our main focus is to show the potential capabilities of this method in enhancing vehicle dynamic performance. For this purpose, as the first step, the proposed method in both linear and nonlinear vehicle handling regions is studied mathematically. Next, a comprehensive, nonlinear, 10 degrees of freedom vehicle model with a fuzzy control strategy is used to evaluate the effectiveness of this system. The dynamic behaviour of a vehicle, when either uncontrolled or equipped with the active third axle is then compared. Simulation results show that this active system can be considered as an innovative method for vehicle dynamic control.     

摩擦片式防滑差速器转矩特性对汽车操纵稳定性的影响研究

进行了摩擦片式防滑差速器防滑转矩输出特性测定试验,并分别对装有摩擦片式防滑差速器和普通差速器的汽车,通过试验测定的车厢侧倾角、转弯半径比、前后轴侧偏角差值、横摆角速度及侧向加速度作为对比参数,研究了摩擦片式防滑差速器转矩特性对汽车操纵稳定性的影响。结果表明,摩擦片式防滑差速器能够显著提高汽车的动力性、通过性,改善汽车的操纵稳定性。     

基于路面影响因子的轮毂电机驱动车辆自适应转矩控制

为实现轮毂电机驱动越野车辆在附着条件多变、路面起伏不定的复杂环境中动力性和稳定性的多目标优化,提出一种基于路面影响因子的自适应转矩控制策略。以滚动阻力差异、空气阻力归一化比例、坡度阻力归一化比例、路面附着差异方差以及最小路面附着系数5个特征参数作为输入,并基于模糊理论方法搭建路面影响因子五参数辨识模型。基于辨识出的路面影响因子,开发整车动力性和稳定性多目标优化自适应转矩控制策略,构建了三层式控制架构：顶层引入路面影响因子对加速度紧迫程度进行判定,采用模型预测控制算法得到期望总驱动力;中层为目标决策层,以最优滑转率为目标决策驱动防滑力矩,并基于路面行驶阻力,决策期望前馈补偿力矩;下层为转矩分配层,以需求总驱动力及轮胎利用率作为控制目标,引入路面影响因子优化两者权重系数,以多约束条件的混合优化算法对转矩进行自适应控制。利用Matlab/Simulink-CarSim联合仿真平台进行仿真,基于实车进行验证。结果表明,在低附着路面,在0.2 s内快速完成滑转率抑制;在对开路面,侧向位移接近0;在大扭曲路面,避免腾空车轮出现大滑转率,滑转率最高0.2。     

考虑路面不平度的汽车稳定性控制的研究

考虑路面不平度对汽车稳定性的影响，建立了一个含路面不平度激励的14自由度的汽车动力学模型。在主动悬架技术的基础上，运用直接的反馈控制制定了提高汽车操纵稳定性的控制策略。利用该模型进行了汽车稳定性的仿真研究。与没有稳定性控制系统的仿真结果相比，该控制器的应用能够较好地改善汽车的稳定性。     

State observer-based sliding mode control for semi-active hydro-pneumatic suspension

This paper proposes an improved virtual reference model for semi-active suspension to coordinate the vehicle ride comfort and handling stability. The reference model combines the virtues of sky-hook with ground-hook control logic, and the hybrid coefficient is tuned according to the longitudinal and lateral acceleration so as to improve the vehicle stability especially in high-speed condition. Suspension state observer based on unscented Kalman filter is designed. A sliding mode controller (SMC) is developed to track the states of the reference model. The stability of the SMC strategy is proven by means of Lyapunov function taking into account the nonlinear damper characteristics and sprung mass variation of the vehicle. Finally, the performance of the controller is demonstrated under three typical working conditions: the random road excitation, speed bump road and sharp acceleration and braking. The simulation results indicated that, compared with the traditional passive suspension, the proposed control algorithm can offer a better coordination between vehicle ride comfort and handling stability. This approach provides a viable alternative to costlier active suspension control systems for commercial vehicles.     

四轮独立驱动电动车自适应巡航滑模控制

为实现四轮独立驱动电动汽车的自适应巡航功能,采用基于趋近律的滑模控制理论设计了自适应巡航控制系统.上位控制器以实际车距与期望车距的偏差作为输入,采用滑模控制律获得主车期望加速度,然后将期望加速度作为下位控制器的输入,计算出电机期望转矩,用于实现自适应巡航控制.在CarSim中建立电动汽车整车模型,并与Simulink进...     

Integrated control of ground vehicles dynamics via advanced terminal sliding mode control

An integrated vehicle dynamics control (IVDC) algorithm, developed for improving vehicle handling and stability under critical lateral motions, is discussed in this paper. The IVDC system utilises integral and nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode (NFTSM) control strategies and coordinates active front steering (AFS) and direct yaw moment control (DYC) systems. When the vehicle is in the normal driving situation, the AFS system provides handling enhancement. If the vehicle reaches its handling limit, both AFS and DYC are then integrated to ensure the vehicle stability. The major contribution of this paper is in improving the transient response of the vehicle yaw rate and sideslip angle tracking controllers by implementing advanced types of sliding mode strategies, namely integral terminal sliding mode and NFTSM, in the IVDC system. Simulation results demonstrate that the developed control algorithm for the IVDC system not only has strong robustness against uncertainties but also improves the transient response of the control system.     

Steering control of motorcycles using steer-by-wire system

This study proposes a steering control method to improve motorcycle handling and stability. Steer-by-wire (SBW) technology is applied to the motorcycle's steering system to remove characteristic difficulties of vehicle maneuvers. By examining computer simulation using a simplified motorcycle model, the actual rolling angle of the SBW motorcycle is controlled to follow the desired rolling angle intended by the rider. A state feedback control such as linear quadratic control gives the SBW vehicle a good follow-through performance compared with proportional-derivative control because it can decouple rolling motion from the other motions, which affect the rolling motion in the strongly coupled motorcycle system.     

Cooperative control of the motor and the electric booster brake to improve the stability of an in-wheel electric vehicle

A cooperative control algorithm for an in-wheel motor and an electric booster brake is proposed to improve the stability of an in-wheel electric vehicle. The in-wheel system was modeled by dividing it into motor and mechanical parts, and the electric booster brake was modeled through tests. In addition, the response characteristics of the in-wheel system and the electric booster brake were compared through a frequency response analysis. In the cooperative control, the road friction coefficient was estimated using the wheel speed, motor torque, and braking torque of each wheel, and the torque limit of the wheel to the road was determined using the estimated road friction coefficient. Based on the estimated road friction coefficient and torque limit, a cooperative algorithm to control the motor and the electric booster brake was proposed to improve the stability of the in-wheel electric vehicle. The performance of the proposed cooperative control algorithm was evaluated through a hardware-in-the-loop simulation (HILS). Furthermore, to verify the performance of the proposed cooperative control algorithm, a test environment was constructed for the anti-lock braking system (ABS) hydraulic module hardware, and the performance of the cooperative control algorithm was compared with that of the ABS by means of a HILS test.     

A novel integrated chassis controller for full drive-by-wire vehicles

In this paper, a systematic design with multiple hierarchical layers is adopted in the integrated chassis controller for full drive-by-wire vehicles. A reference model and the optimal preview acceleration driver model are utilised in the driver control layer to describe and realise the driver's anticipation of the vehicle's handling characteristics, respectively. Both the sliding mode control and terminal sliding mode control techniques are employed in the vehicle motion control (MC) layer to determine the MC efforts such that better tracking performance can be attained. In the tyre force allocation layer, a polygonal simplification method is proposed to deal with the constraints of the tyre adhesive limits efficiently and effectively, whereby the load transfer due to both roll and pitch is also taken into account which directly affects the constraints. By calculating the motor torque and steering angle of each wheel in the executive layer, the total workload of four wheels is minimised during normal driving, whereas the MC efforts are maximised in extreme handling conditions. The proposed controller is validated through simulation to improve vehicle stability and handling performance in both open- and closed-loop manoeuvres.     

Lateral stability control of dynamic steering for dual motor drive high speed tracked vehicle

In this paper, the torque and power required by dual motors for electric tracked vehicle during dynamic steering maneuvers with different steering radiuses are analyzed. A steering coupling drive system composed of a new type of center steering motor, two Electromagnetic (EM) clutches, two planetary gear couplers, and two propulsion motors is proposed for the dual motors drive high speed electric tracked vehicle (2MHETV), which aims to improve its lateral stability. An average torque direct distribution control strategy based on steering coupling and an optimization-distribution-based close-loop control strategy are designed separately to control the driving torque or regenerative braking torque of two propulsion motors for vehicle stability enhancement. Then models of the 2MHETV and the proposed control strategy are established in Recudyn and Matlab/Simulink respectively to evaluate the lateral stability of dynamic steering for the 2MHETV with different steering radiuses on hard pavement.The simulation results show that the lateral stability of the 2MHETV can be significantly improved by the proposed optimization-distribution-based close-loop control strategy based on steering coupling system.     

电动汽车转矩定向分配差速器建模与动态仿真

本文中提出一种新型具备转矩定向分配功能差速器的集中式电驱动桥系统。该集中驱动系统可以在不改变总驱动转矩的条件下,类似分布式驱动方式实现驱动转矩在左右轮间的任意分配,从而产生改变车辆横摆动力学的直接横摆力偶矩。首先,分析了转矩定向分配差速器结构特点及其工作原理;其次,利用键合图理论建立了其动力学模型,并仿真分析了其动态响应特性;然后,设计了转矩响应控制系统以改善该差速器的动态性能;最后,嵌入整车模型进行了联合仿真。结果表明,装备该差速器的车辆可任意分配左右轮驱动转矩,并有效改善车辆操控特性。     

Development and implementation of a torque vectoring algorithm for an innovative 4WD driveline for a high-performance vehicle

The sporting spirit that characterises a high-performance car can be observed in certain technical solutions. The power distribution on the rear wheels is the simplest example of that. It is well known that rear-wheel drive (RWD) vehicles are more fun to drive and faster in their reactions. Unfortunately, they are also less intuitive and harder to control because of their natural oversteering behaviour. The idea of maintaining an RWD driveline in the future is not farseeing, because it would imply an excessive tyre dimension increasing to let the driver use all engine power in many cornering and low-friction conditions. The choice of adopting a part-time all-wheel drive (AWD) driveline comes from the will of enhancing the overall performance by using all the available friction every time that it is needed. It has to be kept into account that a normally aspirated motor of a sport car can supply 500–600 Hp nowadays, and that it will supply 700–800 Hp in the very near future. However, the proposed driveline has not to worsen the weight characteristics (mass and load distribution) that make an RWD vehicle better than other cars. Because of all these considerations and constraints, a new driveline system has been designed. It derives from an RWD driveline with a semi-active differential, to which has been added a controlled wet clutch that directly connects the engine to the front differential. This device allows the drive torque to be distributed between the two axles. It can be understood that in such a device, the torque distribution does not depend only on the central clutch action, but also on the engaged gear. Because of this particular layout, this system can not work in the whole gear range because of thermal problems due to kinematical reasons. So the centre clutch controller has to consider the gear position too. The control algorithms development was carried out using a vehicle model, which can precisely simulate the handling response, the powertrain dynamic, and the actuation system behaviour. Such a modelling precision required the development of a customised powertrain model library in Matlab/Simulink.     

Effect of handling characteristics on minimum time cornering with torque vectoring

In this paper, the effect of both passive and actively-modified vehicle handling characteristics on minimum time manoeuvring for vehicles with 4-wheel torque vectoring (TV) capability is studied. First, a baseline optimal TV strategy is sought, independent of any causal control law. An optimal control problem (OCP) is initially formulated considering 4 independent wheel torque inputs, together with the steering angle rate, as the control variables. Using this formulation, the performance benefit using TV against an electric drive train with a fixed torque distribution, is demonstrated. The sensitivity of TV-controlled manoeuvre time to the passive understeer gradient of the vehicle is then studied. A second formulation of the OCP is introduced where a closed-loop TV controller is incorporated into the system dynamics of the OCP. This formulation allows the effect of actively modifying a vehicle's handling characteristic via TV on its minimum time cornering performance of the vehicle to be assessed. In particular, the effect of the target understeer gradient as the key tuning parameter of the literature-standard steady-state linear single-track model yaw rate reference is analysed.