Development of a Control Strategy for a Semi-Active Differential for a High Performance Vehicle

While VDC systems usually operate on the engine torque and on brake pressures, new automotive applications try to use semi-active or active differentials in order to optimize the torque distribution on the wheels for traction maximization, driving comfort, stability and safety of the vehicle. The system presented in the paper comes out from the cooperation of Ferrari S.p.A. and Politecnico di Milano in the development of a new semi-active differential. In the paper a description of the vehicle dynamic control strategy, its development, and experimental results are given.