Rollover Mitigation Controller Development for Three-Wheeled Vehicle Using Active Front Steering

Abstract

Three-wheeled vehicles are agile, less complex, but relatively more prone to rollover. The current study focuses on the rollover mitigation control design using active front steering for such vehicles. A lateral load transfer ratio (LLTR) adapted for a three-wheeled platform is presented. Sliding mode control design strategy has been devised which results in pseudo-direct control for roll dynamics of the vehicle. The lag in vehicle roll angle response has been managed using adaptive sliding surface. This concept can be extended for other vehicle configurations. The proposed control scheme is investigated for efficacy using a full vehicle simulation model of CarSim software and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s proposed Fishhook maneuver. The controller is able to limit the rollover propensity even with vehicle parameter uncertainties.