Articulated Vehicle Hitch Angle Control for Jackknifing Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Articulated vehicles experience increased hitch angles and a higher likelihood of jackknifing when reversing, particularly in tight spaces, due to mismatched steering angles and turning curves, leading to driver inconvenience and safety risks.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus that calculates a desired hitch angle based on steering angle and vehicle speed, calculates the error between the desired and actual hitch angles, and generates a moment to control articulation through proportional-integral control, distributing this moment to left and right wheel motors to stabilize the vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the articulated vehicle turns backwards without articulation control, then the vehicle can move freely according to driver steering input, but the hitch angle increases rapidly causing jackknifing
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the actual hitch angle during backward turning and compares it with the desired hitch angle calculated from steering angle and vehicle speed. Based on the error between actual and desired hitch angles, the controller generates a corrective moment to adjust the articulation, preventing jackknifing while maintaining driver steering control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical articulation control systems with an electronic control system that uses sensors to detect steering angle and vehicle speed, calculates the desired hitch angle, and actuates wheel motors to generate the required moment. This substitution enables more precise and adaptive control compared to purely mechanical systems.
2Reliability
If hydraulic equipment damping force is increased to prevent jackknifing, then vehicle stability improves, but the system complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex hydraulic equipment with an electric wheel motor actuation system. Instead of using hydraulic dampers and flow control valves to manage articulation, the system uses wheel motors to directly generate the required moment based on control calculations, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining stability control capability.
3Ease of operation
If the articulated vehicle is driven backwards in narrow spaces without control assistance, then the driver has full manual control, but the likelihood of collision and parking difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides continuous feedback control during backward movement in narrow spaces by monitoring the hitch angle and comparing it with the desired value calculated from steering angle and vehicle speed. The corrective moment generated based on this feedback prevents excessive articulation and potential collisions, while the driver retains manual steering control for precise positioning during parking maneuvers.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for controlling articulation of an articulated vehicle may prevent jackknifing of the articulated vehicle driven backwards. The apparatus includes a hitch angle calculator configured to calculate a desired hitch angle based on a steering angle and a speed of the articulated vehicle, an error calculator configured to calculate an error between the desired hitch angle and an actual hitch angle of the articulated vehicle, a moment generator configured to generate a moment for controlling the articulation of the articulated vehicle based on the error, and an articulation controller configured to control the articulation of the articulated vehicle based on the moment.