The vehicle model of the recirculating ball-type electric power steering (EPS) system for the pure electric bus was built. According to the features of constrained optimization for multi-variable function, a multi-objective genetic algorithm (GA) was designed. Based on the model of system, the quantitative formula of the road feel, sensitivity, and operation stability of the steering were induced. Considering the road feel and sensitivity of steering as optimization objectives, and the operation stability of steering as constraint, the multi-objective GA was proposed and the system parameters were optimized. The simulation results show that the system optimized by multi-objective genetic algorithm has better road feel, steering sensibility and steering stability. The energy of steering road feel after optimization is 1.44 times larger than the one before optimization, and the energy of portability after optimization is 0.4 times larger than the one before optimization. The ground test was conducted in order to verify the feasibility of simulation results, and it is shown that the pure electric bus equipped with the recirculating ball-type EPS system can provide better road feel and better steering portability for the drivers, thus the optimization methods can provide a theoretical basis for the design and optimization of the recirculating ball-type EPS system.
Based on the multidiscipline design optimization theory, a multidiscipline collaborative optimization model of the differential steering system of electric vehicle with motorized wheels is built, with the steering economy as the main system and the steering road feel, the steering flexibility and the mechanic character of the steering sensors as the subsystems. Considering the coupled relationship of each discipline, the main system is optimized by the multi-island algorithm and the subsystems are optimized by the sequential quadratic programming algorithm. The simulation results show that the steering economy can be optimized by the collaborative optimization, and that the system can get good steering road feel, good steering flexibility and good mechanic character of the steering sensors.
The model of the differential steering system(DSS) of electric vehicle with motorized wheels and the three-degree-of-freedom dynamic model of vehicle are built.Based on these models,the concepts and quantitative expressions of steering road feel,steering portability and steering stability are proposed.Through integrating the Monte Carlo descriptive sampling,elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm(NSGA-II) and Taguchi robust design method,the system parameters are optimized with steering road feel and steering portability as optimization targets,and steering stability and steering portability as constraints.The simulation results show that the system optimized based on quality engineering 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 electric vehicle with motorized wheels system.
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.
The tracking performance of motor current is an important factor that affects the assistance torque of electric power steering (EPS) system. Bad tracking performance will cause assistant torque delay, and make road feeling bad, and is influenced by the input steering torque and system measuring noise. However the existing methods have some shortages on system's robust dynamic performance and robust stability. The mixed H2/H∞ strategy for recirculating ball-type EPS system in a pure electric bus is proposed, and vehicle dynamic model of the system is established. Due to the existence of system model uncertainty, disturbance signals, sensor noises and the demand of system dynamic performance, the indexes of robust performance and road feeling for drivers are defined as the appraisal control objectives. The H∞ method is introduced to design the H∞ controller, and the H2 method is applied to optimize the H∞ controller, thus the mixed H2/H∞ controller is designed. The response of EPS system to the motor current command with amplitude of 20 A, the road disturbance with amplitude of 500 N and the sensor random noise with the amplitude of 1 A is simulated. The simulation results show that the recirculating ball-type EPS system with the mixed H2/H∞ controller can attenuate the random noises and disturbances and track the boost curve well, so the mixed H2/H∞ controller can improve the system's robust performance and dynamic performance. For the purpose of verifying the performance of the designed control strategy, the motor current tracking performance ground tests are conducted with step response input of the steering wheel, double-lane steering test and lemniscate steering test, respectively. The tests show that the mixed H2/H∞ controller for the recirculating ball-type EPS system of pure electric bus is feasible. The designed controller can solve the robust performance and robust stability of the system, thus improve the tracking performance of the EPS system and provide satisfied road feeling fo
In view of the existence of uncertainties such as system model and disturbance signal in the electric power steering (EPS) system, and the demand for system dynamic performance, the mixed H2/H∞, controller based on genetic algorithm is proposed. In order to obtain satisfactory steering feel, robust performance and steering stability, models of EPS system and a two-degree- of-freedom car are set up, then the state space model and the augmented matrixes are built. The H∞, method is introduced to minimize the effect of disturbances on the outputs, and the H2 method is applied to optimizing the system performance based on genetic algorithm. The simulation results show that the modified mixed H2/H∞ controller, which synthesizes the advantage of H2 control and Ha, control, has better robust performance and robust stability. The designed controller can attenuate the noises and disturbances caused by road random motivation, torque sensor measurement and model parameter uncertainty, enabling the driver to obtain satisfactory road feel.