Improving rail vehicle dynamic performance with active suspension

Today,it is difficult to further improve the dynamic performance of rail vehicles with conventional passive suspension.Also,simplified vehicle respectively running gear layouts that significantly could reduce vehicle weights are difficult to realize with modern requirements on passenger vibration comfort and wheel and rail wear.Active suspension is a powerful technology that can improve the vehicle dynamic performance and make simplified vehicle concepts possible.The KTH Railway group has,together with external partners,investigated active suspensions both numerically and experimentally for 15 years.The paper provides a summary of the activities and the most important findings.One major project carried out in close collaboration with the vehicle manufacturer Bombardier and the Swedish Transport Administration was the Green Train project,where a 2-car EMU test bench was used to demonstrate different active technologies.In ongoing projects,a concept of single axle-single suspension running gear is developed with active suspension both for comfort improvement and reduced wheel wear in curves.The results from on-track tests in the Green Train project were so good that the technology is now implemented in commercial trains and the simulation results for the single-axle running gear are very promising.

Research on the Variable Steering Ratio of Four-Wheel-Steering Vehicle

The steering characteristic of a four-wheel-steering vehicle is numerically simulated for in-depth research of the handling stability of four-wheel steering. The research results show that the deteriorating tendency of the steering stability due to the increase of the vehicle speed is improved obviously in the case of four-wheel steering. The approach of variable steering ratio is discussed. The use of the variable steering ratio can not only raise the steering stability of vechicles at high vehicle speed, but also reduce the dicomfort and steering burden of drivers; and hence is helpful for the subjective evaluation of four-wheel steering vehicles.

PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION OF ELECTRIC POWER STEERING INTEGRATED WITH ACTIVE FRONT STEERING FUNCTION

The dynanaic model of a novel electric power steering（EPS） system integrated with active front steer- ing function and the three-freedom steering model are built. Based on these models, the concepts and the quanti- tative expressions of road feel, sensitivity, and operation stability of the steering are introduced. Then, according to constrained optimization features of multi-variable function, a genetic algorithm is designed. Making the road feel of the steering as optimization objective, and operation stability and sensitivity of the steering as constraints, the system parameters are optimized by the genetic and the coordinate rotation algorithms. Simulation results show that the optimization of the novel EPS system by the genetic algorithm can effectively improve the road feel, thus providing a theoretical basis for the design and optimization of the novel EPS system.

H∞ control of novel active steering integrated with electric power steering function

Based on the traditional active steering system, a novel active steering system integrated with electric power steering function was introduced, which can achieve the functions of both active steering and electric power steering. In view of the interference from road random signal and sensor noise in the novel active steering system, the H∞ control model of the novel active steering system was built. With satisfying steering feel, good robust performance and steering stability being the control objectives, the H∞ controller for the novel active front steering (AFS) system was designed. The simulation results show that the novel AFS system with H∞ control strategy can attenuate the road interference quickly, and there is no resonance peak in the bode diagram. It can make the driver obtain more useful information in the low frequency range, and attenuate the road interference better in the high frequency range, thus the driver can get more satisfying road feeling. Therefore, the designed H∞ controller can synthesize the advantages of both robust performance and robust stability, and has certain contribution to the design of novel AFS system.

Multi-objective optimization of active steering system with force and displacement coupled control

A novel active steering system with force and displacement coupled control(the novel AFS system) was introduced,which has functions of both the active steering and electric power steering.Based on the model of the novel AFS system and the vehicle three-degree of freedom system,the concept and quantitative formulas of the novel AFS system steering performance were proposed.The steering road feel and steering portability were set as the optimizing targets with the steering stability and steering portability as the constraint conditions.According to the features of constrained optimization of multi-variable function,a multi-variable genetic algorithm for the system parameter optimization was designed.The simulation results show that based on parametric optimization of the multi-objective genetic algorithm,the novel AFS system can improve the steering road feel,steering portability and steering stability,thus the optimization method can provide a theoretical basis for the design and optimization of the novel AFS system.

Yaw stability control using the fuzzy PID controller for active front steering

In order to improve the yaw stability of the vehicle with active front steering system, an adaptive PID-type fuzzy control scheme is designed to make the yaw rate tracking the desired values as close as possible. A 2-DOF vehicle model with active front steering is built firstly, and then the fuzzy PID controller is designed in detail. The simulation investigations of the yaw stability with different steering ma- neuvers are performed. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the fuzzy PID controller for improving the vehicle＇s yaw stability.

Multi-constrained model predictive control for autonomous ground vehicle trajectory tracking

A multi-constrained model predictive control （ MPC ） algorithm for trajectory tracking of an autonomous ground vehicle is proposed and tested in this paper. First, to simplify the computa- tion, an active steering linear error model is applied in the MPC controller. Then, a control incre- ment constraint and a relaxing factor are taken into account in the objective function to ensure the smoothness of the trajectory, using a softening constraints technique. In addition, the controller can obtain optimal control sequences which satisfy both the actual kinematic constraints and the actuator constraints. The circular trajectory tracking performance of the proposed method is compared with that of another MPC controller. To verify the trajectory tracking capabilities of the designed control- ler at different desired speed, the simulation experiments are carried out at the speed of 3m/s, 5m/ s and 10m/s. The results demonstrate the MPC controller has a good speed adaptability.

Integration optimization of novel electric power steering system based on quality engineering theory

The dynamic model of a novel electric power steering （EPS） system integrated with active front steering function （the novel EPS system） is built. The concepts and quantitative expressions of the steering road feel, steering sensibility, and steering operation stability are introduced. Based on quality engineering theory, the optimization algorithm is proposed by integrating the Monte Carlo descriptive sampling, elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm （NSGA-II） and 6-sigma design method. With the steering road feel and the steering portability as optimization targets, the system parameters are optimized by the proposed optimization algorithm. The simulation results show that the system optimized based on quality engineering theory can improve the steering road feel, guarantee steering stability and steering portability and thus provide a theoretical basis for the design and optimization of the novel electric power steering system.

Design of a Preview Controller for Articulated Heavy Vehicles

The paper presents a preview controller design for ATS （active trailer steering） systems to improve high-speed stability of AHVs （articulated heavy vehicles）. An AHV consists of a towing unit, namely tractor or truck, and one or more towed units which called trailers. Individual units are connected to one another at articulated joints by mechanical couplings. Due to the multi-unit configurations, AHVs exhibit unique unstable motion modes, including jack-knifing, trailer swing and rollover. These unstable motion modes are the leading cause of highway accidents. To prevent these unstable motion modes, the preview controller, namely the LPDP （lateral position deviation preview） controller, is proposed. For a truck/full-trailer combination, the LPDP controller is designed to control the steering of the front and rear axle wheels of the trailing unit. The calculation of the corrective steering angle of the trailer front axle wheels is based on the preview information of the lateral position deviation of the trajectory of the axle center from that of the truck front axle center. Similarly, the steering angle of the trailer rear axle wheels is calculated by using the lateral position deviation of the trajectory of the axle center from that of the truck front axle. To perform closed-loop dynamic simulations and evaluate the vehicle performance measure, a driver model is introduced and it ＇derives＇ the AHV model based on well-defined testing specifications. The proposed preview control scheme in the continuous time domain is developed by using the LQR （linear quadratic regular） technique. The closed-loop simulation results indicate that the performance of the AHV with the LPDP controller is improved by decreasing rearward amplification ratio from the baseline value of 1.28 to 0.98 and reducing transient off-tracking by 95.03%. The proposed LPDP control algorithm provides an alternative method for the design optimization of AHVs with ATS systems.

自适应时域参数MPC的智能车辆轨迹跟踪控制

为了解决智能车辆在低附着路面下主动转向跟踪控制的稳定性和控制精度问题,提出了一种基于自适应时域参数的智能车辆轨迹跟踪控制策略。基于车辆动力学模型和模型预测控制算法(MPC)建立线性时变MPC控制器,并加入包括轮胎侧偏角约束、质心侧偏角约束以及前轮转角约束的动力学约束,求解出最优前轮转向角。分析控制器中的时域参数对控制效果的影响,设计了一种自适应时域参数控制器,能够根据获取的车辆速度,将求解得到最优的预测时域和控制时域参数输入到控制器,提高控制器在不同速度下的控制精度和稳定性。通过搭建MATLAB/SimuLink与CarSim联合仿真平台,在低附着路面情况下对固定时域控制器和自适应时域控制器进行对比仿真实验。结果表明:自适应时域控制器能够有效改善控制器的性能、减少横向偏差、提高轨迹跟踪控制精度,同时对不同速度也具有较强的适应性,车辆质心侧偏角也控制在0°~15°内,有效保证了车辆行驶的稳定性。

差动转向无人车轨迹跟踪和车身姿态控制研究

针对分布式驱动无人车转向时车身在离心力作用下外倾,引起内侧车轮载荷减小,严重时会导致差动转向失效乃至车辆侧翻等问题,提出了一种差动转向无人车的轨迹跟踪和车身姿态控制方法;该控制方法可通过差动转向实现无人车轨迹跟踪,同时通过主动悬架实现转向时车身主动内倾来保证差动转向有效性,提高了无人车的操纵稳定性。建立考虑侧倾因素的车辆模型及参考模型,通过分数阶单点预瞄驾驶员模型得到了参考模型跟踪期望路径所需的参考前轮转角;基于此,设计了H_(∞)鲁棒控制器,通过控制差动转向无人车的横摆角速度和车身内倾角,分别跟踪参考模型提供的参考值,得到了所需的差动力矩及左右侧主动悬架控制力。研究结果表明:所设计的分数阶单点预瞄驾驶员模型和H_(∞)鲁棒控制器能有效保证差动转向无人车实现轨迹跟踪,同时实现了车身姿态控制。

基于主动后轮转向的车辆稳定性控制策略

为实现四轮轮毂电机驱动车辆的操纵稳定性控制,提出了主动后轮转向和附加横摆力矩复合控制策略。针对高速行驶转向灵敏度大的问题,对前后轮转向比进行优化。策略采用分层式控制框架,上层基于线性时变模型预测控制算法,建立了四轮轮毂驱动车辆时变预测模型,推导和跟踪包含后轮转向系统的理想输出轨迹,并计算了跟踪理想状态轨迹所需附加力和力矩。下层通过求解四轮转矩分配优化问题,实现了滑移率阈值控制,解决了再生制动和机械制动的分配问题。仿真结果表明,提出的复合控制策略能够达到预期控制效果,改良了车辆横纵向稳定性。

基于规则的多轴特种车辆稳定性集成控制

为提升多轴特种车辆的主动安全性与操纵稳定性,以某重型5轴特种车辆为研究对象,基于自适应协调控制策略,设计了集成主动后轮转向(ARS)与差动制动力矩分配(DBTD)的分层稳定性集成控制策略。决策层基于规则决策出ARS与DBTD子控制系统的协调控制指令;分配层基于前馈+反馈控制策略实现主动转向轮转向角的分配;基于滑膜控制与既定规则实现车轮差动制动力矩的分配。通过Trucksim与Simulink联合仿真对所提控制策略的控制效果进行验证,对比分析了高速高附转向与低速低附转向2种极限工况下稳定性控制车辆与无控制车辆的运动状态。结果表明:在集成控制系统控制下的车辆,对于高速高附工况,车辆的横摆角速度与质心侧偏角的幅值相比于无控制车辆分别降低了46%与63%,对于低速低附工况,车辆的横摆角速度与质心侧偏角的幅值相比于无控制车辆分别降低了47%与58%,集成控制系统能有效提升车辆高速高附转向时的行驶稳定性与低速低附转向时的转向灵敏度和路径跟随性能。

低附着路面条件下四轮独立驱动转向电动车稳定性控制研究

针对四轮独立驱动转向车辆在低附着路面的稳定性问题,提出了一种协调稳定性控制器。首先,基于模糊理论设计了主动后轮转向(active rear wheel steering,ARS)控制器,实现减小质心侧偏角的效果;然后,基于等效滑模变结构设计了直接横摆力矩控制(direct yaw moment control,DYC)控制器,以控制横摆角速度为目标;最后,基于Carsim/Simulink仿真平台搭建稳定性算法模型,进行了低附着系数双移线工况仿真对比。结果表明,所提出ARS和DYC协调控制算法能有效改善车辆在低附着路面上的行驶稳定性。

Control strategy of a novel electric power steering system integrated with active front steering function

A novel electric power steering system(EPS) integrated with active front steering(AFS) is developed.It has functions of both AFS system and EPS system with two actuator units:the AFS actuator unit and the EPS actuator unit.The AFS actuator unit controls the displacement transfer behavior of the steering system,and improves the handling stability under adverse road conditions by varying the steering ratio directly related to the speed and road conditions.The EPS actuator unit controls the force transfer behavior of the steering system,and improves the steering portability and road feel of the vehicle.Based on a dynamic model,the mixed H2/H∞ control strategy of the EPS actuator and the active steering intervention control strategy of the AFS actuator are designed.The simulation indicates that the novel EPS system with the designed control strategies has obvious advantages in vehicle handling stability and the driver's road feel over the traditional EPS system,and extends the vehicle's steering performance.

Path planning and stability control of collision avoidance system based on active front steering

Vehicle collision avoidance system is a kind of auxiliary driving system based on vehicle active safety,which can assist the driver to take the initiative to avoid obstacles under certain conditions,so as to effectively improve the driving safety of vehicle.This paper presents a collision avoidance system for an autonomous vehicle based on an active front steering,which mainly consists of a path planner and a robust tracking controller.A path planner is designed based on polynomial parameterization optimized by simulated annealing algorithm,which plans an evasive trajectory to bypass the obstacle and avoid crashes.The dynamic models of the AFS system,vehicle as well as the driver model are established,and based on these,a robust tracking controller is proposed,which controls the system to resist external disturbances and work in accordance with the planning trajectory.The proposed collision avoidance system is testified through CarSim and Simulink combined simulation platform.The simulation results show that it can effectively track the planning trajectory,and improve the steering stability and anti-interference performance of the vehicle.

Lateral stability region conservativeness estimation and torque distribution for FWIA electric vehicle steering

Estimation of the lateral stability region and torque distribution on steering is very important to improve stability in lateral handling for all wheel drive electric vehicles.Based on the built-nonlinear vehicle dynamic model,the lateral stability region of the vehicle related to steering is estimated using Lyapunov function.We obtained stable equilibrium points of non-straight driving according to the estimated lateral stability region and also reconstructed the Lyapunov function matrix,which proved that the closed-loop system composed of yaw rate and lateral velocity is satisfied with negative definite property.In addition,the designed controller dynamically allocates the drive torque in terms of the vertical load and slip rate of the four wheels.The simulation results show that the estimated lateral stability region and the designed controller are satisfactory in handling stability performance against different roads and vehicle parameters.

Robust control for active suspension system under steering condition

To minimize the auto body's posture change caused by steering and uneven road, and improve the vehicle's riding comfort and handling stability, this paper presents an H∞ robust controller of the active suspension system, which considers the effects of different steering conditions on its dynamic performance. The vehicle's vibration in the yaw, roll, pitch and vertical direction and the suspension's dynamic deflection in the steering process are taken into account for the designed H∞ robust controller, and it introduces the frequency weight function to improve the riding comfort in the specific sensitive frequency bands to human body. The proposed robust controller is testified through simulation and steering wheel angle step test. The results show that the active suspension with the designed robust controller can enhance the anti-roll capability of the vehicle, inhibit the changes of the body, and improve the riding comfort of the vehicle under steering condition. The results of this study can provide certain theoretical basis for the research and application of active suspension system.

新能源汽车主动四轮转向稳定性控制技术

针对无法在不同环境下改变控制规则,导致对汽车控制时获得的横摆角速度、质心侧偏角、车轮转角与理想模型偏差大,车身侧倾角大,存在控制性能差的问题,提出新能源汽车主动四轮转向系统稳定性控制方法。构建了汽车横向动力学模型、垂直运动模型、运动状态方程以及路面输入模型,设计了自适应模糊控制器,将可调因子引入自适应模糊控制器中,使控制器可以适用于不同环境,完成新能源汽车主动四轮转向系统的稳定性控制。实验结果表明,所提方法应用后,可实现汽车主动四轮转向系统稳定性控制。

分布式驱动电动汽车的横向稳定性控制研究

为提高分布式驱动电动汽车的横向稳定性,旨在通过协同控制车辆的主动前轮转向系统与直接横摆力矩控制系统来实现。首先,基于整车线性二自由度模型,根据质心侧偏角-质心侧偏角速度的相平面描述的稳定区域边界设计上层控制器,再由相平面策略确定下层控制器中的主动前轮转向控制器和直接横摆力矩控制器的协调控制系数;然后,通过变结构滑模控制的下层控制器计算所需的附加前轮转角和附加横摆力矩来调整车辆驱动力矩分配;最后,分别进行双移线工况和阶跃工况下的硬件在环试验分析,试验结果表明,协同控制分布式驱动电动汽车的主动前轮转向系统与直接横摆力矩控制系统能更好地提高其横向稳定性。