Leaning Vehicle Speed-Dependent Lateral Acceleration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional leaning vehicles struggle to effectively control lateral acceleration during turning, leading to imbalanced turning states that can compromise vehicle stability and handling, especially at varying speeds.
Innovation Solution
A leaning vehicle equipped with a control device that adjusts the steered angle and lean angle of the vehicle body to create an imbalanced turning state with a controlled rate of change in lateral acceleration, where the rate of change is lower in the highest speed region compared to the lowest speed region, using a combination of steering and leaning actuators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the control device maintains a higher lateral acceleration during turns at all speeds, then vehicle stability and handling are improved, but the rate of change in lateral acceleration becomes too high at low speeds causing instability
Solution Approach 1:
The control device dynamically adjusts the rate of change in lateral acceleration based on vehicle speed. At low speeds, it limits the rate of change to prevent instability, while at high speeds, it allows a higher rate of change to maintain stability and handling. This speed-dependent dynamic control resolves the contradiction between maintaining high lateral acceleration for stability and preventing excessive rate of change that causes instability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device changes the parameter of lateral acceleration rate of change based on vehicle speed conditions. By adjusting this parameter dynamically - lowering it at low speeds and maintaining higher values at high speeds - the system achieves both stability across all speed ranges and optimal handling performance where needed.
2Productivity
If the control device increases lateral acceleration at high speeds, then turning performance is improved, but vehicle stability deteriorates due to excessive lateral forces
Solution Approach 1:
The control device employs dynamic control that adapts to vehicle speed. At high speeds, it increases lateral acceleration to improve turning performance while simultaneously monitoring and controlling the rate of change to prevent excessive lateral forces that would compromise stability. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to achieve both improved turning performance and maintained stability at high speeds.
3Reliability
If the control device reduces the rate of change in lateral acceleration at low speeds, then vehicle stability is maintained, but turning responsiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control device changes the lateral acceleration rate of change parameter based on speed conditions. At low speeds, it reduces the rate of change to maintain stability, accepting some reduction in turning responsiveness. At high speeds, it increases the rate of change parameter to restore responsiveness while maintaining stability through the overall control strategy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances vehicle stability and handling by maintaining a higher lateral acceleration during turns, particularly at higher speeds, by dynamically adjusting the steered and lean angles based on vehicle speed, thereby improving overall turning performance.
Implementation Method 1
a leaning actuator that is configured to change a lean angle of a vehicle body when the leaning vehicle turns
Implementation Method 2
a steering actuator that is configured to change a steered angle of the two front wheels when the leaning vehicle turns
Implementation Method 3
a lateral acceleration of the leaning vehicle when the leaning vehicle turns is larger than a lateral acceleration acting on the vehicle body in the balanced turning state
Data Source
AI summary
A leaning vehicle comprising: a leaning actuator that changes a lean angle of a vehicle body when the leaning vehicle turns; a steering actuator that changes a steered angle of two front wheels when the leaning vehicle turns; and a control device that controls the leaning actuator and the steering actuator. The control device controls the leaning actuator and the steering actuator such that, when five regions into which a speed region of the leaning vehicle up to a maximum speed is equally divided are defined, a rate of change in a lateral acceleration in an imbalanced turning state relative to a vehicle speed changes at lower rate in a highest speed region than in a lowest speed region.