Development of an adaptive active trailer steering system for long combination vehicles

长组合车辆（lcv）越来越多地在加拿大的高速公路上使用。一辆LCV由一辆牵引车和两辆挂车组成，每辆挂车的长度为16.2米，车辆的总长度可达40米。轻型货车的两种主要配置是A列和b列。与牵引车/半挂车组合相比，LCV的使用可以减少45%的行驶里程，降低30%的燃油消耗和温室气体排放，减少40%的道路磨损。然而，a级列车横向稳定性低，b级列车机动性差，轻型货车定向性能不理想可能导致交通事故。现有公路匝道/立交的几何特征是在20世纪50年代至70年代设计的，没有充分考虑轻型汽车的性能指标。由于定向性能差，轻型商用车只允许在指定的安大略省高速公路路段行驶。加拿大漫长而严酷的冬季模式进一步降低了LCV的安全性。我们认为，为轻型货车开发自适应主动拖车转向（AATS）系统将对加拿大人产生多方面的影响，使卡车运输业和道路系统受益于这些车辆的积极影响，例如，降低运输成本，减轻环境影响，减少道路破坏，同时减轻交通事故和拥堵增加的不利风险。**本项目旨在发展AATS技术，以提高b级列车的低速机动性和a级列车的高速横向稳定性。基于我们之前对拖车主动转向的研究，AATS系统将在高可靠性、对工况变化的适应性和容错设计方面具有突出特点。我们将通过开展相关研究来开发创新的AATS技术：1)探索主动拖车转向的自适应和容错控制；2)基于驱动-硬件在环实时仿真，制作AATS原型并验证该技术。这项研究将解决阻碍AATS技术成为市场产品的问题。**********************************************************************************************

Long combination vehicles (LCVs) are increasingly used on highways across Canada. An LCV consists of a tractor and two trailers, the length of each trailer is 16.2 m, and the total length of the vehicle can be 40 m. Two main configurations of LCVs are A- and B-train. Compared with a tractor/semi-trailer combination, the use of an LCV can result in 45% reduction in mileage travelled, 30% drop in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, and 40% decrease in road wear. However, A-trains exhibit low lateral stability, B-trains show poor maneuverability, and the unsatisfactory directional performance of LCVs may lead to traffic accidents. The geometric features of existing highway ramps/interchanges were designed during the 1950s-70s without adequately considering the performance measures of LCVs. Due to the poor directional performance, LCVs are only allowed to travel on designated Ontario highway sections. Canada's long and severe winter patterns further degrade LCV safety. We believe that developing an adaptive active trailer steering (AATS) system for LCVs will have a multifold impact on Canadians by allowing the trucking industry and road systems to benefit from the positive effects of these vehicles, e.g., lower shipping costs, lighter environmental impact, and reduced road damage, while mitigating the adverse risks of increased traffic accidents and congestion.** The proposed project aims at developing the AATS technology to improve the low-speed maneuverability of B-trains and enhance the high-speed lateral stability of A-trains. Built upon our previous investigations on active trailer steering, the AATS system will be developed with distinguished features in terms of high reliability, adaptability to operating condition variation, and fault-tolerant design. We will develop the innovative AATS technology by performing interrelated investigations: 1) exploring adaptive and fault-tolerant control of active trailer steering; and 2) fabricating AATS prototypes and validating the technology based on driver-hardware-in-the-loop real-time simulation. The research will resolve the problems that are impeding the AATS technology from becoming a marketable product. **********************************************************************************************