An Active Control Device Based on Differential Braking for Articulated Steer Vehicles

In this study, application of differential braking strategy to remove the oscillatory instability or snaking behavior of an articulated steer vehicle is presented. First, a linearized model of the vehicle is described that is used to represent the equations of motion in the state-space form. Then, this model is utilized for designing a sliding mode controller to adjust the differential braking on the rear axle to stabilize the vehicle during the snaking. The performance of the resulting active control system is evaluated in different driving conditions by using the linearized model. Finally, the control system is incorporated into a virtual prototype of the vehicle in ADAMS, and its operation is examined. The results from the linear model analysis and simulations in ADAMS are reasonably consistent.