Ground vehicle steering systems: modelling, control, and analysis of hydraulic, electric and steer-by-wire configurations

Abstract

Recent advances in ground transportation technologies and emerging vehicle safety requirements have fostered research and innovation in steering systems. The availability of cost effective sensors, actuators, and microprocessors enable vehicle steering upgrades. This paper investigates servo-motor based steering systems for improved vehicle lateral responsiveness and manoeuvrability, as well as reduced driver steering effort. Mathematical models and control algorithms for operator commanded tracking will be presented for hydraulic, electric, front steer-by-wire, front/rear steer-by-wire, and distributed steer-by-wire steering systems. Representative numerical results will be presented and discussed for these vehicle steering systems undergoing transient manoeuvres at two speeds to facilitate performance comparisons.