Recursive least squares with forgetting for online estimation of vehicle mass and road grade: theory and experiments

Good estimates of vehicle mass and road grade are important in automation of heavy duty vehicles, vehicle following manoeuvres or traditional powertrain control schemes. Recursive least square (RLS) with multiple forgetting factors accounts for different rates of change for different parameters and thus, enables simultaneous estimation of the time-varying grade and the piece-wise constant mass. An ad hoc modification of the update law for the gain in the RLS scheme is proposed and used in simulation and experiments. We demonstrate that the proposed scheme estimates mass within 5% of its actual value and tracks grade with good accuracy provided that inputs are persistently exciting. The experimental setups, signals, their source and their accuracy are discussed. Issues like lack of persistent excitations in certain parts of the run or difficulties of parameter tracking during gear shift are explained and suggestions to bypass these problems are made.     

Recursive least squares with forgetting for online estimation of vehicle mass and road grade: theory and experiments

Good estimates of vehicle mass and road grade are important in automation of heavy duty vehicles, vehicle following manoeuvres or traditional powertrain control schemes. Recursive least square (RLS) with multiple forgetting factors accounts for different rates of change for different parameters and thus, enables simultaneous estimation of the time-varying grade and the piece-wise constant mass. An ad hoc modification of the update law for the gain in the RLS scheme is proposed and used in simulation and experiments. We demonstrate that the proposed scheme estimates mass within 5% of its actual value and tracks grade with good accuracy provided that inputs are persistently exciting. The experimental setups, signals, their source and their accuracy are discussed. Issues like lack of persistent excitations in certain parts of the run or difficulties of parameter tracking during gear shift are explained and suggestions to bypass these problems are made.     

Self-tuning control algorithm design for vehicle adaptive cruise control system through real-time estimation of vehicle parameters and road grade

The main purpose of this paper is to design a self-tuning control algorithm for an adaptive cruise control (ACC) system that can adapt its behaviour to variations of vehicle dynamics and uncertain road grade. To this aim, short-time linear quadratic form (STLQF) estimation technique is developed so as to track simultaneously the trend of the time-varying parameters of vehicle longitudinal dynamics with a small delay. These parameters are vehicle mass, road grade and aerodynamic drag-area coefficient. Next, the values of estimated parameters are used to tune the throttle and brake control inputs and to regulate the throttle/brake switching logic that governs the throttle and brake switching. The performance of the designed STLQF-based self-tuning control (STLQF-STC) algorithm for ACC system is compared with the conventional method based on fixed control structure regarding the speed/distance tracking control modes. Simulation results show that the proposed control algorithm improves the performance of throttle and brake controllers, providing more comfort while travelling, enhancing driving safety and giving a satisfactory performance in the presence of different payloads and road grade variations.     

Robust road friction estimation during vehicle steering

Automated vehicles require information on the current road condition, i.e. the tyre–road friction coefficient for trajectory planning, braking or steering interventions. In this work, we propose a framework to estimate the road friction coefficient with stability and robustness guarantee using total aligning torque in vehicle front axle during steering. We first adopt a novel strategy to estimate the front axle lateral force which performs better than the classical unknown input observer. Then, combined with an indirect measurement based on estimated total aligning torque and front axle lateral force, a non-linear adaptive observer is designed to estimate road friction coefficient with stability guarantee. To increase the robustness of the estimation result, criteria are proposed to decide when to update the estimated road conditions. Simulations and experiments under various road conditions validate the proposed framework and demonstrate its advantage in stability by comparing it with the method utilising the wide-spread Extended Kalman Filter.     

Design and hardware-in-loop implementation of collision avoidance algorithms for heavy commercial road vehicles

An important aspect from the perspective of operational safety of heavy road vehicles is the detection and avoidance of collisions, particularly at high speeds. The development of a collision avoidance system is the overall focus of the research presented in this paper. The collision avoidance algorithm was developed using a sliding mode controller (SMC) and compared to one developed using linear full state feedback in terms of performance and controller effort. Important dynamic characteristics such as load transfer during braking, tyre-road interaction, dynamic brake force distribution and pneumatic brake system response were considered. The effect of aerodynamic drag on the controller performance was also studied. The developed control algorithms have been implemented on a Hardware-in-Loop experimental set-up equipped with the vehicle dynamic simulation software, IPG/TruckMaker®. The evaluation has been performed for realistic traffic scenarios with different loading and road conditions. The Hardware-in-Loop experimental results showed that the SMC and full state feedback controller were able to prevent the collision. However, when the discrepancies in the form of parametric variations were included, the SMC provided better results in terms of reduced stopping distance and lower controller effort compared to the full state feedback controller.     

A fast implementation of MPC-based motion cueing algorithms for mid-size road vehicle motion simulators

The use of dynamic driving simulators is constantly increasing in the automotive community, with applications ranging from vehicle development to rehab and driver training. The effectiveness of such devices is related to their capabilities of well reproducing the driving sensations, hence it is crucial that the motion control strategies generate both realistic and feasible inputs to the platform. Such strategies are called motion cueing algorithms (MCAs). In recent years several MCAs based on model predictive control (MPC) techniques have been proposed. The main drawback associated with the use of MPC is its computational burden, that may limit their application to high performance dynamic simulators. In the paper, a fast, real-time implementation of an MPC-based MCA for 9 DOF, high performance platform is proposed. Effectiveness of the approach in managing the available working area is illustrated by presenting experimental results from an implementation on a real device with a 200?Hz control frequency.     

Real-time estimation of the road bank and grade angles with unknown input observers

This paper proposes an approach for the estimation of the road angles independent from the road friction conditions. The method employs unknown input observers on the roll and pitch dynamics of the vehicle. The correlation between the road angle rates and the pitch/roll rates of the vehicle is also investigated to increase the accuracy. Dynamic fault thresholds are implemented in the algorithm to ensure reliable estimation of the vehicle body and road angles. Performance of the proposed approach in reliable estimation of the road angles is experimentally demonstrated through vehicle road tests. Road test experiments include various driving scenarios on different road conditions to thoroughly validate the proposed approach.     

高等级公路客货运输车辆发展展望

近10年来，高等级公路建设的迅速发展对公路客运和货运车辆提出了更高的要求。针对我国公路客货运输车辆生产中存在的问题，提出了适应性发展建议。     

Development and validation of a Kalman filter-based model for vehicle slip angle estimation

It is well known that vehicle slip angle is one of the most difficult parameters to measure on a vehicle during testing or racing activities. Moreover, the appropriate sensor is very expensive and it is often difficult to fit to a car, especially on race cars. We propose here a strategy to eliminate the need for this sensor by using a mathematical tool which gives a good estimation of the vehicle slip angle. A single-track car model, coupled with an extended Kalman filter, was used in order to achieve the result. Moreover, a tuning procedure is proposed that takes into consideration both nonlinear and saturation characteristics typical of vehicle lateral dynamics. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm has been proven by both simulation results and real-world data.     

A vehicle ABS adaptive sliding-mode control algorithm based on the vehicle velocity estimation and tyre/road friction coefficient estimations

A sliding-mode observer is designed to estimate the vehicle velocity with the measured vehicle acceleration, the wheel speeds and the braking torques. Based on the Burckhardt tyre model, the extended Kalman filter is designed to estimate the parameters of the Burckhardt model with the estimated vehicle velocity, the measured wheel speeds and the vehicle acceleration. According to the estimated parameters of the Burckhardt tyre model, the tyre/road friction coefficients and the optimal slip ratios are calculated. A vehicle adaptive sliding-mode control (SMC) algorithm is presented with the estimated vehicle velocity, the tyre/road friction coefficients and the optimal slip ratios. And the adjustment method of the sliding-mode gain factors is discussed. Based on the adaptive SMC algorithm, a vehicle's antilock braking system (ABS) control system model is built with the Simulink Toolbox. Under the single-road condition as well as the different road conditions, the performance of the vehicle ABS system is simulated with the vehicle velocity observer, the tyre/road friction coefficient estimator and the adaptive SMC algorithm. The results indicate that the estimated errors of the vehicle velocity and the tyre/road friction coefficients are acceptable and the vehicle ABS adaptive SMC algorithm is effective. So the proposed adaptive SMC algorithm can be used to control the vehicle ABS without the information of the vehicle velocity and the road conditions.     

Development of a generalised equivalent estimation approach for multi-axle vehicle handling dynamics

This paper devotes analytical effort in developing the 2M equivalent approach to analyse both the effect of vehicle body roll and n-axle handling on vehicle dynamics. The 1M equivalent vehicle 2DOF equation including an equivalent roll effect was derived from the conventional two-axle 3DOF vehicle model. And the 1M equivalent dynamics concepts were calculated to evaluate the steady-state steering, frequency characteristics, and root locus of the two-axle vehicle with only the effect of body roll. This 1M equivalent approach is extended to a three-axle 3DOF model to derive similar 1M equivalent mathematical identities including an equivalent roll effect. The 1M equivalent wheelbases and stability factor with the effect of the third axle or body roll, and 2M equivalent wheelbase and stability factor including both the effect of body roll and the third-axle handling were derived to evaluate the steady-state steering, frequency characteristics, and root locus of the three-axle vehicle. By using the recursive method, the generalised 1M equivalent wheelbase and stability factor with the effect of n-axle handling and 2M equivalent generalised wheelbase and stability factor including both the effect of body roll and n-axle handling were derived to evaluate the steady-state steering, frequency characteristics, and root locus of the n-axle vehicle. The 2M equivalent approach and developed generalised mathematical handling concepts were validated to be useful and could serve as an important tool for estimating both the effect of vehicle body roll and n-axle handling on multi-axle vehicle dynamics.     

Rollover mitigation for a heavy commercial vehicle

A heavy commercial vehicle has a high probability of rollover because it is usually loaded heavily and thus has a high center of gravity. An anti-roll bar is efficient for rollover mitigation, but it can cause poor ride comfort when the roll stiffness is excessively high. Therefore, active roll control (ARC) systems have been developed to optimally control the roll state of a vehicle while maintaining ride comfort. Previously developed ARC systems have some disadvantages, such as cost, complexity, power consumption, and weight. In this study, an ARC-based rear air suspension for a heavy commercial vehicle, which does not require additional power for control, was designed and manufactured. The rollover index-based vehicle rollover mitigation control scheme was used for the ARC system. Multi-body dynamic models of the suspension subsystem and the full vehicle were used to design the rear air suspension and the ARC system. The reference rollover index was tuned through lab tests. Field tests, such as steady state cornering tests and step steer tests, demonstrated that the roll response characteristics in the steady state and transient state were improved.     

重型商用车桥轻量化研究

汽车轻量化是一个永远不会过时的话题,时代在进步,技术在更迭,总有新的技术登上舞台,也会有老旧技术被淘汰,文章就重型商用车桥轻量化技术的现状和发展趋势进行简要阐述。     

Velocity and normal tyre force estimation for heavy trucks based on vehicle dynamic simulation considering the road slope angle

A precise estimation of vehicle velocities can be valuable for improving the performance of the vehicle dynamics control (VDC) system and this estimation relies heavily upon the accuracy of longitudinal and lateral tyre force calculation governed by the prediction of normal tyre forces. This paper presents a computational method based on the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) method to estimate both longitudinal and lateral velocities and develops a novel quasi-stationary method to predict normal tyre forces of heavy trucks on a sloping road. The vehicle dynamic model is constructed with a planar dynamic model combined with the Pacejka tyre model. The novel quasi-stationary method for predicting normal tyre forces is able to characterise the typical chassis configuration of the heavy trucks. The validation is conducted through comparing the predicted results with those simulated by the TruckSim and it has a good agreement between these results without compromising the convergence speed and stability.     

Vehicle sideslip estimation and compensation for banked road

The sideslip driving status is of fundamental importance to the stability of a vehicle. This paper presents a practical vehicle sideslip driving status estimation method that uses ESP (electronic stability program) sensors. ESP sensors such as wheel speed, lateral acceleration, yaw rate and steering wheel angle sensors are used to determine the sideslip driving status and distinguish a banked road. This estimation algorithm contains front-rear sideslip and banked road detection methods. The proposed sideslip estimation algorithm was designed to use the analytical redundancy of these sensors and Lagrange interpolation methods. The performance and effectiveness of the proposed estimation and compensation algorithm were investigated using vehicle tests. This paper presents the results of two cases that were used for the experimental verification: a curved flat road and banked road.     

Design of 2-speed transmission for electric commercial vehicle

As environmental and economic interests increase, the need for eco-friendly vehicle such as an electric vehicle (EV) has increased rapidly. Various research of enhancing EV powertrain efficiency and relibility have been studied. In this study, 2-speed shift gears mechanism is designed by using simpson type planetary gear train. This transmission has two planetary gear unit. Gear position is determinded by which ring gear is fixed. Internal components of the transmission are designed for satisfying the required specification of EV. We analyze gear strength, gear mesh efficiency, and transmission efficiency. By manufacturing the transmission prototype and performing some experiments, we verify the application suitability of this transmission.     

商用车驾驶室外观造型的模糊评价

通过建立模糊评价模型,提出了对商用车驾驶室外观造型的模糊评价方法。基于此评价方法,将以往商用车驾驶室外观造型的定性评价转化为定量评价,解决了商用车驾驶室开发中外观造型评价存在的问题,使评价方法在综合性、合理性、科学性等方面得到了改进。     

面向道路交通的汽车驾驶模拟器的研究及应用

研究开发了一套可在实验室控制条件下研究交通问题的汽车高级驾驶模拟器。该模拟器由驾驶舱系统、主计算机控制系统、驾驶员虚拟视景系统和声响模拟系统组成，既可用于模拟和分析某一真实路段的道路和交通情况，又可评价和检验设计中或已设计完的道路交通。     

解析商用车出口市场

汽车出口秩序的规范有利于扩大出口。预计,近期中国汽车"走出去"的趋势不会改变,整车出口短期内仍然以商用车为主,出口市场向多元化发展。