Embodiments presented herein relate to a method, a system, and a computer program for determining a modified slip target for a vehicle engine speed controller. Embodiments presented herein further relate to a vehicle comprising such a system.
In general terms, split friction (or μ (mu)-split) is a road condition that occurs when the friction significantly differs between the left and the right wheel path of a vehicle. The road may then not be perceived as hazardous when accelerating, cruising or even braking softly. But in a case of hard (emergency-) braking, the vehicle will start to rotate over the wheel path offering highest grip. Split friction may cause jack-knifing of articulated trucks, while trucks with towed trailers may experience trailer swing phenomena. Split friction may be caused by an improper road spot repair that results in high variance of texture and colour (for example due to that thin ice on newly paved black spots thaws faster than ice on old greyish asphalt) across the road section.
In more detail, due to the mechanical function of an open differential, the wheel speeds between right and left might spin in different speeds as well over the first or second driven axle, even at straight driving in case of traction loss due to different normal loads, friction, conditions, tyre wear etc.
Once one of the wheels spins above the peak of the tyre curve, most of the propulsive torque is likely be transmitted to the most spinning wheel and become “one-wheel drive per driven axle” system. The wheel will also have higher speed than the differential ingoing cardan axle as the outgoing speeds are mechanically ensured to be a mean of the input speed. For a wheel slip controller that uses the output shaft speed to control the slip due to its benefits of fast signal response and resolution this becomes problematic once the wheel speeds start to differ from left to right or between the first or second driven axle, due to the mechanical characteristics as per stated previously.
An object of the embodiments disclosed herein is to address the issues noted above.
A particular object of the embodiments disclosed herein is to provide techniques for adapting a requested slip target for a vehicle engine speed controller.
According to a first aspect, the object is achieved by a method for determining a modified slip target for a vehicle engine speed controller. The method comprises comparing a difference between a maximum wheel speed and a minimum wheel speed for wheels of open differential and driven axles controlled by the vehicle engine speed controller to a preconfigured wheel speed offset. The method comprises setting, at least when the difference exceeds the preconfigured wheel speed offset, the modified slip target to be lower than a requested slip target for the vehicle engine speed controller.
According to a second aspect, the object is achieved by a system for determining a modified slip target for a vehicle engine speed controller. The system comprises processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to cause the system to compare a difference between a maximum wheel speed and a minimum wheel speed for wheels of open differential and driven axles controlled by the vehicle engine speed controller to a preconfigured wheel speed offset. The processing circuitry is configured to cause the system to set, at least when the difference exceeds the preconfigured wheel speed offset, the modified slip target to be lower than a requested slip target for the vehicle engine speed controller.
According to a third aspect, the object is achieved by a vehicle comprising a system according the second aspect.
According to a fourth aspect, the object is achieved by a computer program for determining a modified slip target for a vehicle engine speed controller, the computer program comprising computer program code which, when run on a system, causes the system to perform a method according to the first aspect.
According to a fifth aspect there is presented a computer program product comprising a computer program according to the fourth aspect and a computer readable storage medium on which the computer program is stored. The computer readable storage medium could be a non-transitory computer readable storage medium.
Advantageously, these techniques enable all driven wheels to have the wheel slip below the peak.
Further advantageously, by ensuring that the wheel slip of all driven wheels is below the peak, not only the tractive force of the most spinning wheel is increased, but also the slip of the slower wheels can potentially be increased. In turn, this can increase the tractive force on the slower wheels as well.
Advantageously, these techniques therefore increase vehicle safety in situations of traction loss due to road conditions but also different normal loads, friction, tyre wear, etc.
Further advantageously, by monitoring wheel slips, the herein disclosed techniques are robust against differential lock engagement.
According to an embodiment, the modified slip target is set be lower than a requested slip target for the vehicle engine speed controller when the difference is larger than 0.
According to an embodiment, the modified slip target is set to at most be equal to the requested slip target when the difference fails to exceed the preconfigured wheel speed offset.
Further advantages and advantageous features of the inventive concept are disclosed in the following description and in the dependent claims.
Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to “a/an/the element, apparatus, component, means, module, step, etc.” are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of the element, apparatus, component, means, module, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless explicitly stated.
The inventive concept is now described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The inventive concept will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which certain embodiments of the inventive concept are shown. This inventive concept may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive concept to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout the description. Any step or feature illustrated by dashed lines should be regarded as optional.
The issues addressed by the present disclosure concern situations where the wheel speed differs, such as in the above split friction (or u (mu)-split) road conditions, but also other road conditions, loads, tyre wear, etc. Due to the mechanical function of an open differential, the wheel speeds between the right wheel and the left wheel of the same axle might spin in different speeds. For the same reasons, the wheel speeds of the wheels of a first driven axle might be different from the wheel speeds of a second driven axle, even at straight driving in case of traction loss due to road conditions but also different normal loads, friction, tyre wear, etc.
As an illustrative example, for the same given output shaft speed (for example given by the mean of all the driven wheels), the wheel slips of one axle might become zero whereas all torque transfers to the other axle hence ending up with substantial higher slip value. This will not only reduce the tractive force, but also be a safety concern, especially at higher speeds as excessive longitudinal slip will reduce lateral force capability considerably.
Reference is here made to
According to the present disclosure, to ensure optimal startability and tractive force for vehicles with open differential and multiple driven axles in situations of traction loss due to road conditions but also different normal loads, friction, tyre wear, etc., a requested slip target μreq for the vehicle engine speed controller is replaced by a modified slip target μtrgt.
In
The method is based on using a difference between the maximum and minimum wheel speeds ωmax, ωmin for wheels of an open differential and driven axles as controlled by the vehicle engine speed controller. In general terms, the maximum wheel speed ωmax is determined as:
and the minimum wheel speed ωmin is determined as:
where ωi is the wheel speed for wheel i of the open differential and driven axles of the vehicle.
A difference between the maximum wheel speed ωmax and the minimum wheel speed ωmin for the wheels of open differential and driven axles controlled by the vehicle engine speed controller is compared (step S102) to a preconfigured wheel speed offset ΔS.
Different actions are taken depending on whether the difference ωmax−ωmin exceeds the preconfigured wheel speed offset ΔS.
At least when the difference ωmax−ωmin exceeds the preconfigured wheel speed offset ΔS, the modified slip target μtrgt is set (step S104) to be lower than a requested slip target μreq for the vehicle engine speed controller.
Embodiments relating to further details of determining the modified slip target μtrgt for a vehicle engine speed controller will now be disclosed.
In some embodiments, when the difference ωmax−ωmin is larger than 0, the modified slip target μtrgt is set (step S106) to be lower than a requested slip target μreq for the vehicle engine speed controller.
In some embodiments, when the difference ωmax−ωmin fails to exceed the preconfigured wheel speed offset ΔS, the modified slip target μtrgt is set (step S108) to at most be equal to the requested slip target μreq.
In some embodiments, the modified slip target μtrgt is, with respect to a reference wheel speed ωref, converted (step S110) to an engine speed limit vlim. In
In some embodiments, the wheel speeds of the wheels of the open differential and driven axles are controlled (step S112) according to the engine speed limit vlim. In
Further aspects of the modified slip target μtrgt will be disclosed next.
The modified slip target μtrgt can be mathematically related to the requested slip target μreq. Since μtrgt≤μreq it follows that the modified slip target μtrgt can be related to the requested slip target μreq using a reduction factor K. In particular, in some embodiments, the modified slip target is determined as:
where K≥1 is a reduction factor. In
The reduction factor K is a function of the difference ωmax−ωmin and the preconfigured wheel speed offset ΔS. In some examples, the reduction factor K is determined according
where θ is an offset value, where c1 and c2 are constants, and where 1≤c1<c2. In
In some examples, c2≤ 2. In some examples, c1=1, and c2=2.
The offset value θ can be used to offset the compensation avoiding the reduction factor K to change on a very small speed difference ωmax−ωmin.
Further aspects of the offset value θ will be disclosed next.
In case θ=0, then the condition (ωmax−ωmin)>ΔS (as in S104) needs to be fulfilled for any compensation to be made to the requested slip target μreg. That is, for the example where θ=0, where c1=1, and where c2=2 it follows that:
In case θ=−1, then the condition (ωmax−ωmin)>2ΔS needs to be fulfilled for any compensation to be made to the requested slip target μreq. That is, for the example where θ=−1, where c1=1, and where c2=2 it follows that:
On the other hand, in case θ=+1, then the condition (ωmax−ωmin)>0 (as in step S106) needs to be fulfilled for any compensation to be made to the requested slip target μreq. That is, for the example where θ=+1, where c1=1, and where c2=2 it follows that:
Therefore, the offset value θ acts as a hysteresis component, or filter. It is here noted that the offset value θ can take other values than −1, 0, +1.
In case θ=−1, then there will not be any compensation made to the requested slip target βμreq for speed variations up to (c1−θ) ΔS (i.e., not until (ωmax−ωmin)>(c1−θ) ΔS). On the other hand, in case θ=+1, then any very small variation in the wheel speed (i.e., (ωmax−ωmin)>0) will result in a compensation being made to the requested slip target μreq.
According to a first numerical example, assume that θ=−1, c1=1, c2=2, and ΔS=4 [km/h]. Then, the relation between (ωmax−ωmin) and the compensation factor K will be as disclosed in Table 1.
According to a second numerical example, assume that θ=+1, c1=1, c2=2, and ΔS=4 [km/h]. Then, the relation between (ωmax−ωmin) and the compensation factor K will be as disclosed in Table 2.
By monitoring the wheel speeds w over the open differential and driven axles, a reduction factor K can be calculated as a function of the wheel speed offset ΔS. When the highest speed difference, as given by ωmax−ωmin, between the wheels reaches the value ΔS, the maximum reduction factor becomes K=2 (assuming 0=1 and c2=2) in the above equation. This results in that the modified slip target μtrgt is equal to half of the requested slip target μreq. That is:
The modified slip target μtrgt is sent to the wheel slip controller.
In some examples, the slip target is allowed to instantly decrease but only to gradually increase. In particular, in some embodiments, the reduction factor K is limited to, over time, change differently depending on whether the difference ωmax−ωmin is increasing or decreasing over time. In this respect, if the difference ωmax−ωmin is increasing over time, then dk/dt>0, where dk/dt is the time derivative of the reduction factor K. Likewise, if the difference ωmax−ωmin is decreasing over time, then dk/dt<0. In particular, in some examples, the reduction factor K is limited to, over time, change at most according to a rate of change, r, that is limited to:
where dk/dt thus describes how much the reduction factor K changes over time, and where KRtLim<0 is a constant. Therefore, in some examples, the value of K used in the calculation of the modified slip target μtrgt is replaced by
Therefore, the preconfigured wheel speed offset ΔS acts as a proportional control term whilst the rate limitation, as defined by the rate of change r, mimics a human driver behavior. For example, upon experiencing a sudden increase in slip, a driver is likely to release the accelerator pedal, and then press it carefully as the slip seems under control (given that the actual friction level is pretty unknown and proven to be not reliably high as the wheels were slipping moments ago).
The herein disclosed systems 700 are suitable for use in a vehicle, such as a heavy-duty vehicle.
Particularly, the processing circuitry 710 is configured to cause the system 700 to perform a set of operations, or steps, as disclosed above. For example, the storage medium 730 may store the set of operations, and the processing circuitry 710 may be configured to retrieve the set of operations from the storage medium 730 to cause the system 700 to perform the set of operations. The set of operations may be provided as a set of executable instructions.
Thus, the processing circuitry 710 is thereby arranged to execute methods as herein disclosed. The storage medium 730 may also comprise persistent storage, which, for example, can be any single one or combination of magnetic memory, optical memory, solid state memory or even remotely mounted memory. The system 700 may further comprise an interface 720 at least configured for communications with other functions, nodes, and devices. The processing circuitry 710 controls the general operation of the system 700 e.g., by sending data and control signals to the interface 720 and the storage medium 730, by receiving data and reports from the interface 720, and by retrieving data and instructions from the storage medium 730. Other components, as well as the related functionality, of the system 700 are omitted in order not to obscure the concepts presented herein.
In the example of
It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings; rather, the skilled person will recognise that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2022/059111 | 4/6/2022 | WO |