Current Research

Articulated Heavy Truck Electronic Stability Control HIL Simulation and Adaptive Control

Principal investigators:

Harry Law and Thomas R. Kurfess

Department:

Mechanical Engineering
(864) 283-7219
kurfess@clemson.edu

Graduate student:

John Limoth

Sponsors:

Michelin, National Transportation Research Center Inc.

Brief abstract: 

Increasingly, new heavy trucks are being equipped with electronic driver aids such as electronic stability control systems (ESC) to augment driver input and ensure vehicle stability in extreme maneuvers. While heavy truck vehicle and tire dynamic models are well understood and can be readily simulated today using computers, commercial ESC systems employ proprietary control algorithms developed by their suppliers. Therefore, the effect of these systems on the overall vehicle dynamics cannot be readily simulated on the computer. Dynamic simulation is required to understand the effect of the system during accident avoidance maneuvers such as rapid lane change or J-turn, which involve transient dynamics with high lateral accelerations. The aim of this project is to develop a real-time simulation system that includes actual ESC system hardware to enable the study of the performance of heavy trucks equipped with such systems.

Impact:

The system will be used to study the impact of vehicle hardware modifications on truck performance with regard to stability in general and rollover stability in particular.  In addition the system will be used to investigate advanced ESC algorithms that provide improved vehicle performance for particular vehicle configurations.  Today, heavy truck ESC system and tire suppliers develop their vehicle components independently of one another.  Ultimately this research will enable these suppliers to work together to develop these components to be complementary and provide better overall system performance with regard to stability.  A key benefit of the test system will be the subsystem supplier’s ability to maintain the confidentiality of their respective proprietary algorithms, models, etc. 

Project schedule:

March 1, 2008, to April 30, 2009