Title: An energy-saving strategy for steering-motors of steer-by-wire vehicles

Authors: Huiyong Zhao; Guangde Zhang; Baohua Wang; Yuping He; Lin Zhao

Addresses: School of Automotive Engineering, Hubei University of Automotive Technology, Shiyan, 442002, China ' School of Automotive and Traffic Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430081, China ' School of Automotive Engineering, Hubei University of Automotive Technology, Shiyan, 442002, China ' Department of Automotive, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Ontario, L1H 7K4, Canada ' Department of Automotive, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Ontario, L1H 7K4, Canada

Abstract: In a steering process, the steering-motor of a steer-by-wire (SBW) vehicle consumes energy. To facilitate energy efficiency analyses, the steeringmotor energy consumption is split into two parts, which correspond to varied and constant steering-wheel angle operating condition, respectively. The former condition is a vehicle operational manoeuvre, in which steering-wheel angle varies continuously, whereas the latter is a constant-radius circular-curve negotiation, in which steering-wheel angle maintains constant. Analysing the relation of steering-wheel angle with a road curvature, we propose an energysaving strategy for steering-motors of SBW vehicles. The energy-saving strategy is featured with a concept, a hydro-mechanical locking device, and an SBW controller for the steering-motor unit. The feasibility and effectiveness of the energy-saving strategy is demonstrated using closed-loop simulations. To implement the closed-loop simulation, we combine the driver, vehicle, and curved road models generated in CarSim software with the steering-motor model and the SBW controller developed in Matlab/Simulink.

Keywords: steer-by-wire vehicles; steering-motors; energy-saving strategy; hydro-mechanical locking device; locked rotor torque; circular-curve negotiation; closed-loop simulation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVP.2020.106988

International Journal of Vehicle Performance, 2020 Vol.6 No.2, pp.234 - 262

Received: 12 Sep 2019
Accepted: 06 Jan 2020
Published online: 29 Apr 2020 *

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