Steering Assembly Redundant Control Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current steering systems for vehicles, particularly large ones like buses and trucks, face issues with inconsistent operation due to time differences in motor control, leading to unpleasant steering behavior, and diagnostic challenges arise from the complexity of redundant systems where it's difficult to identify faulty subsystems accurately.
Innovation Solution
A steering arrangement with two independent control devices, each assigned distinct functionalities and equipped with failure diagnosis modules, allows for redundant operation, self-monitoring, and fail-silent capabilities, enabling continuous system integrity checks and error resolution by redistributing tasks between the control devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If two motors are used to implement steering with assisting force, then steering reliability is improved through redundancy, but steering behavior becomes unpleasant due to time differences in operation
Solution Approach 1:
The steering system is divided into two independent control devices (37, 38), each controlling one motor (26, 27). This segmentation allows each control device to operate autonomously with its own control logic, eliminating synchronization issues between motors while maintaining redundant steering capability through independent control channels.
2Reliability
If redundant control devices are implemented, then steering safety is improved, but system complexity increases making diagnosis difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Each control device (37, 38) includes its own failure diagnosis module (39, 40) that autonomously monitors its assigned motor and control circuitry. This self-service approach allows each redundant unit to independently diagnose its own status without requiring complex external diagnostic systems, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high safety through redundancy.
3Measurement precision
If each control device controls a separate functionality, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but control coordination becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented such that control device 37 controls motor 26 and control device 38 controls motor 27, with each device having dedicated failure diagnosis modules (39, 40). This clear functional segmentation enables precise diagnosis by isolating faults to specific control-motor pairs, while the modular architecture simplifies coordination through independent control channels rather than increasing complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
Vehicle steering systems often rely on sensor data, with the actual steering being performed by actuators. Such steering systems must be fail-safe in operation. A steering arrangement (2) for steering a vehicle is proposed, comprising a first control unit (5) and a second control unit (6), wherein the first control unit (5) has an input interface (7) for receiving a first input data from the vehicle and an output interface (8) for outputting a first output data based on the first input data, wherein the second control unit (6) has an input interface (7) for receiving a second input data from the vehicle and an output interface (8) for outputting a second output data based on the second input data, comprising a steering axis (14), wherein the steering axis (14) has at least one actuator (10) for changing the steering angle, with a steering control unit.wherein the steering control is configured to control the actuator (10) for steering based on two different functionalities (16, 17), wherein the two different functionalities (16, 17) comprise a first functionality (16) and a second functionality (17), wherein the steering control is configured to assign the first output date or the second output date to the first functionality (16) and to assign the remaining output date of the first and second output dates to the second functionality (17).