Trailer Brake Pressure Peak Control for Coupling Force Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Agricultural vehicles, particularly tractors with trailers, lack on-board systems like electronic trailer suspension, ABS, and ESP, making it difficult to determine trailer coupling forces effectively, leading to issues like jack-knifing and skidding during braking, especially when using Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT) without driver input.
Innovation Solution
A control system for trailer brakes that determines driver deceleration demand and generates a brake signal based on a preliminary pressure peak, using existing tractor parameters to control the trailer brake system independently of trailer-specific sensors, incorporating a 3-point controller for responsive brake actuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electronic braking systems with on-board assistant systems (electronic trailer suspension, ABS, ESP, ASR) are used to determine coupling force, then the stability and control of the vehicle-trailer combination is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of determining coupling force from complex on-board assistant systems and implements it using only the existing transmission control unit and available sensor data from the tractor, eliminating the need for additional trailer-specific sensors and electronic systems
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission control unit is made multi-functional by enabling it to perform both transmission control and trailer brake control functions, allowing a single existing component to serve multiple purposes and reducing overall system complexity
2Reliability
If trailer brakes are activated to reduce coupling force during deceleration, then the stability of the vehicle-trailer combination is improved, but excessive braking may destabilize the combination by stretching it and applying yaw moment to the towing vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the coupling force and transmission state, using feedback from the transmission control unit to dynamically adjust brake activation timing and intensity, ensuring brakes are applied only when appropriate and at optimal moments to maintain stability
Solution Approach 2:
The system determines the optimal timing for brake activation in advance by monitoring transmission state and coupling force trends, preparing to apply brakes at the precise moment when they will be most effective in reducing coupling force without causing excessive stretching or destabilization
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for controlling operation of a trailer brake system associated with an agricultural vehicle-trailer combination. Using a driver deceleration demand a pressure level and/or duration for a preliminary pressure peak to be provided in one or more fluid lines of the trailer brake system is determined. A trailer brake signal is generated for controlling the trailer brake system in accordance with the preliminary pressure peak.