An active trailer steering design for long combination vehicles

• Tushita Sikder ^[1] ; Saurabh Kapoor ^[1] ; Qinghui Zhou ^[2] ; Ying Jiang ^[2] ; Yuping He ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Ontario Institute of Technology

     University of Ontario Institute of Technology

     Canadá

     
  2. [2] Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture

     Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture

     China

     
• Localización: Mechanics based design of structures and machines, ISSN 1539-7734, Vol. 53, Nº. 4, 2025, págs. 2548-2581
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • This article proposes a trailer-axle arrangement for a long combination vehicle, i.e., a B-train double with trailer tridem-axle groups, in which the lead-axle of each group is an active trailer steering axle, and the two rear-axles are passive trailer steering axles. Given this trailer-axle arrangement, a cost-effective active trailer steering system is devised. It is assumed that in low-speed curved-path negotiations, a passive trailer steering system, e.g., self- or command-steering, will operate, while in high-speed operations, the active trailer steering system is to be activated. For the active trailer steering control, three controllers are evaluated, which are designed using the linear quadratic regulator, linear quadratic Gaussian, and µ-synthesis techniques. The performance of these designs is assessed using closed-loop simulation. The insightful findings from this study will provide guidelines for designing active trailer steering systems for long combination vehicles.