Active Suspension Wheel Unloading for Obstacle Climb Traction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle wheels often experience excessive torque requirements when encountering climbable obstacles, leading to wheel slip and potential overshooting, as the available traction is exceeded, compromising vehicle composure and stability.
Innovation Solution
A control system for an active suspension system that determines when a vehicle wheel is impeded by a climbable obstacle and transmits a transient force request to unload the impeded wheel, allowing reduced torque to overcome the obstacle without affecting laterally separated wheels, and can also adjust loading and unloading of other wheels to maintain stability and traction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If wheel torque is increased to climb the obstacle, then the vehicle can overcome the obstacle, but wheel slip occurs and vehicle composure is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The active suspension system preemptively unloads the wheel before the wheel encounters the obstacle, reducing the normal force and thereby reducing the torque required to climb the obstacle. This preliminary action prevents wheel slip and maintains vehicle composure by avoiding excessive torque application.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the suspension force parameter to unload the wheel during obstacle climbing. By adjusting the suspension force to reduce wheel loading, the required wheel torque is reduced, preventing wheel slip while maintaining the ability to overcome the obstacle.
2Power
If substantial wheel torque increase is applied to climb the obstacle, then the obstacle can be overcome, but wheel slip occurs during ascent
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension system performs preliminary unloading of the wheel before obstacle contact, reducing the normal force and consequently the torque needed for climbing. This prevents traction loss and wheel slip by ensuring the wheel maintains optimal contact conditions throughout the climbing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system uses sensor feedback to detect wheel impeded conditions and dynamically adjusts suspension forces in real-time. This feedback mechanism ensures that torque application is optimized to prevent wheel slip while maintaining climbing capability.
3Force
If excess torque is applied after climbing the obstacle, then the obstacle is overcome, but vehicle overshooting occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The suspension system preemptively unloads the wheel before obstacle contact, reducing the torque required to climb. This preliminary torque reduction prevents excessive force application that would cause vehicle overshooting and instability after obstacle clearance.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system continuously monitors wheel conditions and suspension forces, using feedback to adjust torque application in real-time. This ensures torque is reduced appropriately after obstacle climbing, preventing vehicle overshooting and maintaining stability.
Data Source
AI summary
A control system (300) for controlling an active suspension system (104) of a vehicle (100), the vehicle having one or more leading wheels (FL, FR) and one or more trailing wheels (RL, RR), the control system comprising one or more controller (301), wherein the control system is configured to: determine (708) that vehicle movement is impeded at a leading wheel (FR) of the vehicle; and in dependence on the determination, transmit (712) a transient force request to the active suspension system to transiently unload the leading wheel.