Tracked Vehicle Drive Speed Control for Steering Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tracked vehicles with individual or central drives face instability in steering behavior when one drive fails, leading to uncontrolled cornering or straight-line movement due to inability to maintain specified curve radii.
Innovation Solution
A failure control module that adjusts the operational drive's speed based on the actual speed of the failed drive, using sensor data and steering signals to maintain curve radii, and includes redundant sensors for reliable speed detection and braking mechanisms to ensure stable operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If individual drives are used for each crawler chain to enable independent speed control for cornering, then cornering capability is improved, but steering stability deteriorates when one drive fails
Solution Approach 1:
The control device continuously monitors the actual speeds of both crawler chains via sensors and compares them with the desired speeds. When a drive failure is detected, the system uses feedback from the operational chain's speed sensor to dynamically adjust the operational drive's speed, maintaining the intended curve radius despite the failure of one drive unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts its control strategy based on the operational state. In normal operation, both drives operate independently for precise cornering control. Upon detecting a drive failure, the control device switches to a degraded mode where the operational drive's speed is dynamically adjusted based on real-time sensor data from the failed side, transforming the static control architecture into a dynamic, failure-adaptive system.
2Ease of operation
If a central drive with superimposed steering gear is used to coordinate both crawler chains, then steering control is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drive system is segmented into independent modular units, each crawler chain having its own drive motor and control circuitry. This segmentation allows each unit to operate autonomously and fail independently without affecting the other, simplifying the overall system architecture compared to a centralized drive mechanism while maintaining steering control capability through coordinated control of the segmented units.
3Reliability
If speed sensors are installed on both crawler chains for redundant speed detection, then measurement reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Speed sensors are pre-installed on both crawler chains as a preliminary measure, even though one may become redundant upon drive failure. This preliminary action ensures that when a failure occurs, the system immediately has the necessary speed data from the operational chain to maintain control, avoiding the need for additional emergency sensors or complex sensor switching mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a tracked vehicle having at least two drivable crawler tracks (2, 3), a sensor device (19) for detecting the actual speed of each of the at least two crawler tracks (2, 3) and a control apparatus (14) for controlling the drive speeds of the at least two crawler tracks (2, 3), wherein the control apparatus has a cam control module (15) for adjusting different drive speeds for the at least two crawler tracks (2, 3) for traveling curves as a function of a steering signal of a steering signal encoder. According to one first aspect of the invention, in the case of an individual drive of the at least two crawler tracks (2, 3), in the event of a failure of a drive motor (5), the still functional other drive motor (5) no longer follows the target speed specified for normal operation, but rather the track or drive train speed of the failed drive (5) detected by sensor in consideration of the steering signal and of the speed difference between the left and right track side required for the commanded curve.