Four-Wheel Independent Control for Steering Failure Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicles with independently controlled wheels face challenges in maintaining driving performance when a failure occurs in one of the steering devices, leading to potential control issues.
Innovation Solution
A control apparatus and method that compensates for insufficient cornering force by controlling the steering, driving, and braking devices of the remaining wheels based on the location and speed of the vehicle, using a processor to determine the failure and implement corrective actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a vehicle is equipped with independently controlled wheels with steering devices, driving devices, and braking devices on each wheel, then the vehicle can be driven and steered independently, but when a failure occurs in any one steering device, problems occur in controlling the driving direction of the vehicle
Solution Approach 1:
The control apparatus pre-calculates and stores compensation control strategies for various failure scenarios before they occur. When a steering device failure is detected, the system immediately activates the pre-prepared compensation control algorithm, which redistributes steering commands to functional wheels and adjusts driving/braking forces to maintain intended vehicle trajectory, thereby resolving the reliability issue without sacrificing independent wheel control capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements redundant control pathways and compensation mechanisms that are prepared in advance. When a steering device fails, the compensation control algorithm acts as a cushion by redistributing control authority to remaining functional components, preventing complete loss of directional control and maintaining vehicle safety despite the failure
2Force
If the processor controls the steering device to additionally steer a normal wheel to compensate for insufficient cornering force, then cornering force is compensated, but vehicle speed is reduced to less than or equal to a threshold value
Solution Approach 1:
The control apparatus dynamically adjusts the compensation strategy based on real-time vehicle speed. At high speeds, it prioritizes stability by reducing steering angles and using differential braking/driving forces. At low speeds (≤ threshold), it enables more aggressive additional steering of normal wheels to compensate for cornering force deficiency, thereby optimizing the balance between cornering force and vehicle speed across different operating conditions
3Force
If the processor controls the driving device to increase driving force of a normal wheel or reduce driving force of the failed wheel to compensate for insufficient cornering force, then cornering force is compensated, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control apparatus modifies multiple parameters simultaneously to achieve cornering force compensation with minimized energy consumption. It adjusts driving force distribution, braking force application, and steering angles in an optimized combination, using regenerative braking when possible to recover energy, and selecting the most energy-efficient compensation mode based on vehicle state and failure type
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are a control apparatus of a four-wheel independent control vehicle (10) and a method thereof. The control apparatus of a four-wheel independent control vehicle includes a plurality of wheels (21-24) each installed with a steering device (150), a driving device (160), and a braking device (170), and a processor (110) configured to, when a failure occurs in any one steering device of the plurality of wheels, determine a location of a failed wheel, calculate an insufficient cornering force of the failed wheel, and compensate for the insufficient cornering force by controlling at least one of the steering device, the driving device, and the braking device installed on each of the plurality of wheels. Even though a failure occurs in the steering device of any one wheel, traveling performance can be maintained by compensating for an insufficient cornering force.