Nonlinear optimal integrated vehicle control using individual braking torque and steering angle with on-line control allocation by using state-dependent Riccati equation technique

This paper proposes the solution of state-dependent Riccati equation as a nonlinear optimal regulator to stabilise the motion dynamics of the vehicle model subjected to sudden disturbance inputs in the lateral direction. The proposed nonlinear regulator coordinates individually actuated wheel braking torque and steering wheel angle simultaneously in an optimal manner. Performance criteria are satisfied by solving the Riccati equation based on the given cost function subjected to the nonlinear vehicle dynamics. On-line control allocation in terms of optimal brake torque distribution enhanced by optimal wheel steering angle input is achieved. Furthermore, the proposed optimal nonlinear regulator is an active fault-tolerant control system against partial by-wire actuator failures while guaranteeing stability with good performance due to its capability to allocate the individual control inputs in an optimal way. The main aim is to stabilise the motion dynamics of the vehicle model during short-term emergency situations along the desired straight trajectory manageable by average drivers and to provide vehicle stability and handling predictability through the interaction of individual wheel braking and steering actuators. Simulation results are used to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.     

Robust control and actuator dynamics compensation for railway vehicles

A robust controller is designed for active steering of a high speed train bogie with solid axle wheel sets to reduce track irregularity effects on the vehicle’s dynamics and improve stability and curving performance. A half-car railway vehicle model with seven degrees of freedom equipped with practical accelerometers and angular velocity sensors is considered for the H_∞ control design. The controller is robust against the wheel/rail contact parameter variations. Field measurement data are used as the track irregularities in simulations. The control force is applied to the vehicle model via ball-screw electromechanical actuators. To compensate the actuator dynamics, the time delay is identified online and is used in a second-order polynomial extrapolation carried out to predict and modify the control command to the actuator. The performance of the proposed controller and actuator dynamics compensation technique are examined on a one-car railway vehicle model with realistic structural parameters and nonlinear wheel and rail profiles. The results showed that for the case of nonlinear wheel and rail profiles significant improvements in the active control performance can be achieved using the proposed compensation technique.     

Vehicle control synthesis using phase portraits of planar dynamics

ABSTRACT

Phase portraits provide control system designers strong graphical insight into nonlinear system dynamics. These plots readily display vehicle stability properties and map equilibrium point locations and movement to changing parameters and system inputs. This paper extends the usage of phase portraits in vehicle dynamics to control synthesis by illustrating the relationship between the boundaries of stable vehicle operation and the state derivative isoclines in the yaw rate–sideslip phase plane. Closed-loop phase portraits demonstrate the potential for augmenting a vehicle's open-loop dynamics through steering and braking. The paper concludes by applying phase portrait analysis to an envelope control algorithm for yaw stability and a sliding surface controller for stabilising a saddle point equilibrium in drifting.     

智能分布式驱动汽车路径跟踪/制动能量回收协同控制策略研究

为了解决智能分布式驱动汽车路径跟踪与制动能量回收系统间的协同控制难题,充分考虑分布式驱动汽车四轮扭矩独立可控在智能驾驶系统中的优势,设计适应不同路面附着条件的智能分布式驱动汽车转向、制动分层协同控制策略。上层控制器依据不同的路面类型设计差异化的多目标代价函数,以综合优化各工况下的控制目标。高附路面下,制定满足最大能量回收值的全局参考车速,在线优化路径跟踪指令,实现最优能量回收的同时减小系统运算负荷;低附路面下,优先考虑车辆的路径跟踪性能和行驶稳定性,在多目标代价函数中取消对全局参考车速的跟随要求,增设终端速度约束与能量回收项性能指标并减小能量回收项性能指标的权重系数。上层控制器基于模型预测控制方法对多目标代价函数进行滚动优化与预测求解,得到期望的前轮转角及4个车轮的总制动扭矩需求。下层控制器根据制动扭矩需求对四轮的液压制动扭矩和电机制动扭矩进行分配,最终完成整个复合制动过程。基于MATLAB/Simulink和CarSim软件,搭建控制器在环仿真平台,并在高附和低附路面条件下对所提出的策略进行试验验证。研究结果表明：高附路面下,所提出的控制策略在准确跟踪期望路径的同时相较固定比例制动力分配方法可提升2.7%的能量回收值并减少约0.02 s的单次计算时间;低附路面下,与使用高附控制策略相比,能够保证车辆的路径跟踪准确性与行驶稳定性,同时可提升7.8%的能量回收值;控制器在环试验结果证明了该协同控制策略对车辆性能提升的有效性。     

Fault-tolerant braking control with integerated EMBs and regenerative in-wheel motors

This paper presents a fault-tolerant brake torque controller for four-wheel-distributed braking systems with in-wheel motors and Electro-Mechanical Brakes (EMB). Mechanical and electrical faults can degrade the performance of the EMB actuators and, thus, their effects need to be compensated in vehicle dynamics level. In this study, the faults are identified as performance degradation and expressed by the gains of each actuator. Assuming the brake force distribution and the regenerative braking ratios, the over-actuated braking system is simplified into a two-input system. A sliding mode controller is designed to track the driver’s braking and steering commands, even if there exist faults in EMBs. In addition, adaptive schemes are constructed to achieve the fault-tolerant control in braking. The proposed controller and strategies are verified in the EMB HILS (Hardware-in-loop-simulation) unit for various conditions.     

Fault-tolerant yaw moment control with steer — and brake-by-wire devices

This paper presents an fault-tolerant yaw moment control for a vehicle with steer-by-wire (SBW) and brake-by-wire (BBW) devices. SBWs and BBWs can give active front steering (AFS) and electronic stability control (ESC) functions, respectively. Due to motor-driven devices, actuator and sensor faults are inherent in SBW and BBW, and can cause a critical damage to a vehicle. Simple direct yaw moment control is adopted to design a vehicle stability controller. To cope with actuator failure, weighted pseudo-inverse based control allocation (WPCA) with variable weights is proposed in yaw moment distribution procedure. Simulations on vehicle simulation software, CarSim®, show the proposed method is effective for fail safety.     

Reconfigurable fault-tolerant controller synthesis for a steer-by-wire vehicle using independently driven wheels

In this paper, a synthesis method for a reconfigurable fault-tolerant control system for use in a steer-by-wire vehicle is proposed. The vehicle considered in this paper is also assumed to have independently driven wheels. The control objective in this work is to enable the vehicle yaw rate to track the reference signal even when the steering actuator breaks down. Since the vehicle yaw rate can be controlled with either the front wheel turn angle or the yaw moment generated by the independently driven wheels, this system has actuator redundancy. We attempt to design a control system that manages this actuator redundancy so that the performance degradation due to the actuator failure is minimised. We utilise a control allocator based on on-line optimisation for managing the actuator redundancy. The fault-tolerant control system with a control allocator has several excellent properties. For example, the method can handle various failure situations. Also, since the control allocation problem is reduced to a convex quadratic programming problem, the on-line computational effort is relatively little. However, so far, it has been unclear whether the stability of the control system with the control allocator is guaranteed when the actuator failure occurs. Therefore, we propose a design method of a fault-tolerant controller based on on-line optimisation that guarantees the stability of the overall system. The effectiveness of the method is established through numerical examples.     

基于驾驶人转向意图的双电机驱动电动汽车稳定性控制策略

为了使双电机驱动电动车在车辆稳定性控制过程中能够精确解读驾驶意图,使车辆实际行驶状态与驾驶意图期望的车辆行驶状态尽可能相符合,提出一种基于驾驶人意图辨识的稳定性控制策略.利用基于支持向量机递归特征消除(SVM-RFE)得到的特征参数构建基于长短期记忆(LSTM)模型的驾驶人转向意图辨识模型;基于转向意图识别结果,以方向...     

用于电子稳定程序的汽车模型和控制策略

电子稳定程序(ElectronicStabilityProgram)是行驶车辆的一种主动安全系统,它综合了制动防抱死系统,驱动力控制系统和横摆力矩控制系统,使行驶车辆的安全性得到很大的提高。本文首先建立用于电子稳定程序的汽车模型,包括车身模型、悬架模型、转向模型、轮胎模型、制动系统模型、发动机模型和传动系模型。然后建立了主动横摆控制的控制逻辑,通过加入制动防抱死系统和牵引力控制系统,构成了电子稳定程序的控制逻辑。最后对移线运动、紧急转向、制动转向、驱动转向4个典型的工况进行仿真,从而验证了电子稳定程序控制逻辑的正确性。     

Yaw rate and side-slip control considering vehicle longitudinal dynamics

Most conventional vehicle stability controllers operate on the basis of many simplifying assumptions, such as a small steering wheel angle, constant longitudinal velocity and a small side-slip angle. This paper presents a new approach for controlling the yaw rate and side-slip of a vehicle without neglecting its longitudinal dynamics and without making simplifying assumptions about its motion. A sliding-mode controller is used to develop a differential braking controller for tracking a desired vehicle yaw rate for a given steering wheel angle, while keeping the vehicle’s side-slip angle as small as possible. The trade-off that exists between yaw rate and side-slip control is described. Conventional and proposed algorithms are presented, and the effectiveness of the proposed controller is investigated using a seven-degree-of-freedom vehicle dynamics model. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed controller is more effective than the conventional one.     

An adaptive integrated algorithm for active front steering and direct yaw moment control based on direct Lyapunov method

In this article, an adaptive integrated control algorithm based on active front steering and direct yaw moment control using direct Lyapunov method is proposed. Variation of cornering stiffness is considered through adaptation laws in the algorithm to ensure robustness of the integrated controller. A simple two degrees of freedom (DOF) vehicle model is used to develop the control algorithm. To evaluate the control algorithm developed here, a nonlinear eight-DOF vehicle model along with a combined-slip tyre model and a single-point preview driver model are used. Control commands are executed through correction steering angle on front wheels and braking torque applied on one of the four wheels. Simulation of a double lane change manoeuvre using Matlab^®/Simulink is used for evaluation of the control algorithm. Simulation results show that the integrated control algorithm can significantly enhance vehicle stability during emergency evasive manoeuvres on various road conditions ranging from dry asphalt to very slippery packed snow road surfaces.     

Design and validation of a robust active trailer steering system for multi-trailer articulated heavy vehicles

ABSTRACT

Multi-trailer articulated heavy vehicles (MTAHVs) are increasingly used around the world due to their economic and environmental benefits. However, MTAHVs exhibit poor maneuverability and low lateral stability, which may lead to fatal traffic accidents. Given the safety risks, it is necessary to solve the steering and stability problems of MTAHVs before they are safely mass deployed on our roads. To this end, active trailer steering (ATS) based on the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) technique has been explored. The LQR-based ATS demonstrates improved maneuverability and enhanced lateral stability. In the ATS design, the vehicle and operating parameters are assumed constant. Thus, it is natural to question the robustness of the ATS in presence of vehicle and operating parameter uncertainties. To address the problem, this paper proposes a robust ATS system. The robust ATS controller is designed using a linear matrix inequality (LMI) based LQR method. In the design, both vehicle and steering actuator parameter uncertainties are considered; to enhance the robustness of the ATS, the weighting matrices of the proposed controller are optimized. The robust controller is applied to an A-Train Double, one type of MTAHV. The effectiveness of the robust ATS is demonstrated using numerical and hardware-in-the-loop real-time simulations.     

Handling stability improvement through robust active front steering and active differential control

The design of the integrated active front steering and active differential control for handling improvement of road vehicles is undertaken. The controller design algorithm is based on the solution of a set of linear matrix inequalities that guarantee robustness against a number of vehicle parameters such as speed, cornering and braking stiffnesses. Vehicle plane dynamics are first expressed in the generic linear parameter-varying form, where the above-stated parameters are treated as interval uncertainties. Then, static-state feedback controllers ensuring robust performance against changing road conditions are designed. In a first series of simulations, the performance of the integrated controller is evaluated for a fishhook manoeuvre for different values of road adhesion coefficient. Then, the controller is tested for an emergency braking manoeuvre executed on a split-μ road. In all cases, it is shown that static-state feedback controllers designed by the proposed method can achieve remarkable road handling performance compared with uncontrolled vehicles.     

Vehicle dynamics integrated control for four-wheel-distributed steering and four-wheel-distributed traction/braking systems

In this article, vehicle dynamics integrated control algorithm using an on-line non-linear optimization method is proposed for 4-wheel-distributed steering and 4-wheel-distributed traction/braking systems. The proposed distribution algorithm minimizes work load of each tire, which is controlled to become the same value. The global optimality of the convergent solution of the recursive algorithm can be proved by extension to convex problems. This implies that theoretical limited performance of vehicle dynamics integrated control is clarified. Furthermore, the effect of this vehicle dynamics control for the 4-wheel-distributed steering and 4-wheel-distributed traction/braking systems is demonstrated by simulation to compare with the combination of the various actuators.     

Utilisation of optimisation solutions to control active suspension for decreased braking distance

This work deals with how to utilise active suspension on individual vehicle wheels in order to improve the vehicle performance during straight-line braking. Through numerical optimisation, solutions have been found as regards how active suspension should be controlled and coordinated with friction brakes to shorten the braking distance. The results show that, for the studied vehicle, the braking distance can be shortened by more than 1?m when braking from 100?km/h. The applicability of these results is studied by investigating the approach for different vehicle speeds and actuator stroke limitations. It is shown that substantial improvements in the braking distance can also be found for lower velocities, and that the actuator strokes are an important parameter. To investigate the potential of implementing these findings in a real vehicle, a validated detailed vehicle model equipped with active struts is analysed. Simplified control laws, appropriate for on-board implementation and based on knowledge of the optimised solution, are proposed and evaluated. The results show that substantial improvements of the braking ability, and thus safety, can be made using this simplified approach. Particle model simulations have been made to explain the underlying physical mechanisms and limitations of the approach. These results provide valuable guidance on how active suspension can be used to achieve significant improvements in vehicle performance with reasonable complexity and energy consumption.     

Integrated chassis control for a three-axle electric bus with distributed driving motors and active rear steering system

This paper describes an integrated chassis control framework for a novel three-axle electric bus with active rear steering (ARS) axle and four motors at the middle and rear wheels. The proposed integrated framework consists of four parts: (1) an active speed limiting controller is designed for anti-body slip control and rollover prevention; (2) an ARS controller is designed for coordinating the tyre wear between the driving wheels; (3) an inter-axle torque distribution controller is designed for optimal torque distribution between the axles, considering anti-wheel slip and battery power limitations and (4) a data acquisition and estimation module for collecting the measured and estimated vehicle states. To verify the performances, a simulation platform is established in Trucksim software combined with Simulink. Three test cases are particularly designed to show the performances. The proposed algorithm is compared with a simple even control algorithm. The test results show satisfactory lateral stability and rollover prevention performances under severe steering conditions. The desired tyre wear coordinating performance is also realised, and the wheel slip ratios are restricted within stable region during intensive driving and emergency braking with complicated road conditions.     

基于模糊解耦控制的车辆转向制动系统研究

车辆转向系统和制动系统之间存在着很强的速度耦合关系,造成两个系统之间的性能相互影响,使得车辆在转向制动这一工况成了汽车最危险的工况之一。本文结合实际车辆参数建立转向系统的二自由度模型和制动系统的单车轮模型,针对车辆转向制动工况设计了模糊解耦控制器,实现了车辆的转向与制动同时控制。经验证含有模糊解耦控制的车辆转向制动系统具有很好的动态控制效果,并且有很强的鲁棒性和自适应性。     

基于ARM7的汽车底盘系统分层式协调控制试验研究

采用分层协调控制策略,进行了汽车电动助力转向系统和防抱死制动系统集成控制的研究.分别设计了底层控制器和上层协调控制器,底层控制器包括电动助力转向和防抱死制动两个单独的控制器,用以执行各子系统的控制任务;上层协调控制器则对两系统进行协调分析,并及时修改底层控制决策.试验结果表明,自行开发的底层控制器逻辑正确,上层协调控制器能够较好地协调两系统问的矛盾,解决了汽车在转向过程中施加紧急制动时车辆的操纵稳定性和平顺性变差的间题,使整车综合性能得到提高.     

A combined-slip predictive control of vehicle stability with experimental verification

In this paper, a model predictive vehicle stability controller is designed based on a combined-slip LuGre tyre model. Variations in the lateral tyre forces due to changes in tyre slip ratios are considered in the prediction model of the controller. It is observed that the proposed combined-slip controller takes advantage of the more accurate tyre model and can adjust tyre slip ratios based on lateral forces of the front axle. This results in an interesting closed-loop response that challenges the notion of braking only the wheels on one side of the vehicle in differential braking. The performance of the proposed controller is evaluated in software simulations and is compared to a similar pure-slip controller. Furthermore, experimental tests are conducted on a rear-wheel drive electric Chevrolet Equinox equipped with differential brakes to evaluate the closed-loop response of the model predictive control controller.     

A vehicle stability control strategy with adaptive neural network sliding mode theory based on system uncertainty approximation

Modelling uncertainty, parameter variation and unknown external disturbance are the major concerns in the development of an advanced controller for vehicle stability at the limits of handling. Sliding mode control (SMC) method has proved to be robust against parameter variation and unknown external disturbance with satisfactory tracking performance. But modelling uncertainty, such as errors caused in model simplification, is inevitable in model-based controller design, resulting in lowered control quality. The adaptive radial basis function network (ARBFN) can effectively improve the control performance against large system uncertainty by learning to approximate arbitrary nonlinear functions and ensure the global asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system. In this paper, a novel vehicle dynamics stability control strategy is proposed using the adaptive radial basis function network sliding mode control (ARBFN-SMC) to learn system uncertainty and eliminate its adverse effects. This strategy adopts a hierarchical control structure which consists of reference model layer, yaw moment control layer, braking torque allocation layer and executive layer. Co-simulation using MATLAB/Simulink and AMESim is conducted on a verified 15-DOF nonlinear vehicle system model with the integrated-electro-hydraulic brake system (I-EHB) actuator in a Sine With Dwell manoeuvre. The simulation results show that ARBFN-SMC scheme exhibits superior stability and tracking performance in different running conditions compared with SMC scheme.