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Use of individual wheel steering to improve vehicle stability and disturbance rejection

The main aim of this research project is to extend theories of four-wheel-steering as developed by J. Ackermann to include an individually steered four-wheel steering system for passenger vehicles. Ackermann’s theories, including theories available in this subject area, dwell much on vehicle system dynamics developed from what is called single track model and some call it a bicycle model. In the bicycle model, the front two wheels are bundled together. Similarly, the rear wheels are bundled together. The problem with this is that it assumes two front wheels or two rear wheels to be under the same road, vehicle and operating conditions. The reality on the ground and experiments that are conducted are to the contrary. Therefore this study discusses vehicle disturbance rejection through robust decoupling of yaw and lateral motions of the passenger vehicle. A mathematical model was developed and simulated using Matlab R2008b. The model was developed in such a way that conditions can be easily changed and simulated. The model responded well to variations in road and vehicle conditions. Focus was in the ability of the vehicle to reject external disturbances. To generate yaw moment during braking, the brake on the left front wheel was disconnected. This was done because lateral wind generators, as used by Ackermann, were not available. The results from both simulations and experiments show disturbance rejection in the steady state. Copyright / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering / unrestricted

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:up/oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/28064
Date20 September 2010
CreatorsKasanalowe Nkhoma, Richard Chimkonda
ContributorsTheron, Nicolaas J., rnkhoma@gmail.com
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeDissertation
Rights© 2009, University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.

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