Trailer Hitch Force Control for Sway-Stable Active Suspension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control systems struggle to effectively manage trailer sway and cornering stability when towing trailers, as they do not adequately account for the complex forces acting at the hitch during various driving conditions.
Innovation Solution
A trailer sway control system that includes active suspension actuators and electric motors for each wheel, controlled by an actuator control module that adjusts target vertical forces and torque outputs based on hitch forces in longitudinal, lateral, and vertical directions, as well as steering angle and yaw rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If existing vehicle control systems are used, then the system complexity is low, but the cornering stability and trailer sway control are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into multiple independent active suspension actuators (front left, front right, rear left, rear right) that can be individually controlled based on hitch force measurements. This allows targeted stabilization of different vehicle corners without requiring a complete system overhaul, resolving the contradiction by providing enhanced cornering stability through localized control actions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control by continuously measuring hitch forces in longitudinal, lateral, and vertical directions, then using these measurements to dynamically adjust suspension actuator forces and wheel torques. This closed-loop feedback mechanism enables the system to automatically maintain cornering stability and minimize trailer sway without requiring complex manual intervention.
2Reliability
If active suspension actuators and wheel torque control are implemented, then the trailer sway control is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The active suspension actuators serve multiple functions: they control ride height, isolate vehicle body vibrations, and provide trailer sway control by adjusting vertical forces at each corner. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve reliable trailer sway control without adding dedicated hardware, as the existing actuators are repurposed for additional stabilization functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system controls trailer sway by dynamically changing the vertical force parameters of the suspension actuators and the torque parameters of the wheel motors. By adjusting these physical parameters in real-time based on hitch force measurements, the system achieves reliable sway control without requiring complex mechanical structures, resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.
3Stability of the object's composition
If hitch forces are measured and used for control, then the vehicle stability is improved, but the measurement precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system measures hitch forces locally at the hitch connection point in three specific directions (longitudinal, lateral, and vertical) using dedicated sensors. By focusing measurements only at the critical hitch interface rather than throughout the entire vehicle, the system achieves sufficient measurement precision for stability control without requiring high-precision measurements across all vehicle components.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system uses the measured hitch forces as an intermediary variable to indirectly control vehicle stability. Rather than directly measuring complex stability parameters, the system measures the intermediate hitch force quantities and uses these as control inputs to adjust suspension and steering, achieving vehicle stability improvement with manageable measurement precision requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A trailer sway control system for a vehicle includes: a front left active suspension actuator; a front right active suspension actuator; a rear left active suspension actuator; a rear right active suspension actuator; and an actuator control module configured to: based on (a) a first hitch force at a trailer hitch in a longitudinal direction, (b) a second hitch force at the trailer hitch in a lateral direction, and (c) a third hitch force at the trailer hitch in a vertical direction, determine target vertical forces for the front left active suspension actuator, the front right active suspension actuator, the rear left active suspension actuator, and the rear right active suspension actuator, respectively; and selectively adjust the front left active suspension actuator, the front right active suspension actuator, the rear left active suspension actuator, and the rear right active suspension actuator based on the target vertical forces, respectively.