Steering Torque Control for Hydraulic Abnormality Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing steering devices fail to accurately determine hydraulic abnormalities during both automatic and manual driving, leading to potential steering instability.
Innovation Solution
A control unit with a hydraulic abnormality determiner that detects hydraulic abnormalities based on the total torque of steering and motor assist torque exceeding a predetermined threshold, increasing motor assist torque to stabilize steering in both driving modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hydraulic abnormality determination is based on steering torque only, then the determination can be made during manual driving, but the determination fails during automatic driving when steering torque is zero
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter used for abnormality determination from steering torque alone to total torque (steering torque + motor assist torque). This parameter change enables the system to detect hydraulic abnormalities during both manual driving (when steering torque is non-zero) and automatic driving (when steering torque is zero but motor assist torque is applied), resolving the contradiction between determination accuracy and adaptability across driving modes.
2Stability of the object's composition
If motor assist torque is increased to compensate for hydraulic abnormality, then steering stability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control mechanism where the control unit continuously monitors total torque and compares it against expected values to detect hydraulic abnormalities. When an abnormality is detected, the system adjusts motor assist torque accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that energy is only consumed when necessary to compensate for actual hydraulic failures, rather than continuously increasing motor assist torque regardless of system condition.
Data Source
AI summary
A steering device includes a control unit that includes a hydraulic abnormality determiner. The hydraulic abnormality determiner is configured to determine a hydraulic abnormality to be present in a pair of liquid chambers of a power cylinder of the steering device, in response to satisfaction of a condition that a total torque of a steering torque measured by a torque sensor and a motor assist torque provided by an electric motor is greater than a predetermined threshold torque. The control unit is configured to increase the motor assist torque in response to satisfaction of a condition that the hydraulic abnormality determiner determines the hydraulic abnormality to be present.