Vehicle Combination Control Limits for Rollover and Jack-Knife Prevention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of coordinating and maneuvering multiple vehicle units in multi-unit vehicle combinations poses challenges in ensuring safe and precise control, particularly due to complex interactions and dynamic behaviors.
Innovation Solution
A system that acquires longitudinal velocity of the vehicle combination and determines upper and lower limits for control parameters for each unit, enabling unit-level control, which allows for enhanced control such as stretch braking and roll-over prevention, and considers different side slip angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If unit-level control with different limits for different units is implemented, then control precision and safety are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into multiple independent control units, each managing a specific vehicle unit (tractor, trailer, etc.). Each unit receives customized control limits based on its individual characteristics, enabling precise control without requiring a monolithic complex control system. The segmentation allows parallel processing and reduces the computational burden on a single controller.
Solution Approach 2:
Different control limits and parameters are applied to different vehicle units based on their local characteristics (mass, dimensions, braking capability, etc.). The tractor unit may have different longitudinal velocity limits compared to trailer units, and each unit's control parameter is optimized for its specific operational requirements, achieving high precision control through localized parameter adjustment.
2Reliability
If different control limits are set for different units, then safety and stability are improved, but control coordination difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control limits for each unit are made dynamic rather than static. The processing circuitry continuously adjusts the control parameters based on real-time operational conditions, including the longitudinal velocity of the vehicle combination, current load conditions, and environmental factors. This dynamic adjustment enables automatic coordination between units without requiring manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where each control unit monitors its own performance and the performance of adjacent units. The processing circuitry receives data from all units, processes this information centrally, and sends updated control limits back to individual units. This feedback mechanism ensures coordinated operation while maintaining the flexibility of unit-specific control parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system has processing circuitry to acquire a longitudinal velocity of a vehicle combination comprising a tractor unit and at least one trailing unit; and determine an upper limit and/or a lower limit for a control parameter for at least one unit of the vehicle combination based on the acquired longitudinal velocity; and transmit the upper and/or lower limit to a controller of the at least one unit of the vehicle combination.