Direct Tilt Controller Design with Disturbance Compensation and Implementation for a Narrow Tilting Electric Vehicle

Abstract

Three-wheeled electric city vehicles are becoming popular because they have lower cost and enable motorcycle driving feeling with electric powertrain performance. These vehicles need a driver assistant system, also known as an active tilting stability controller, to provide a safe cornering manoeuvre. Active tilt control methods are direct tilt control (DTC), steering tilt control (STC) and a combination of these methods. In this study, DTC system design with a servo motor actuator with simulation and experimental results are presented. State feedback control with pole placement design has been improved with disturbance compensation control. This novel controller structure enhances the response of DTC and enables a faster-tilting response. Simulation results are given up to 10 m/s speed. Experimental results of the developed method are given up to 3.05 m/s (11 km/h) speed on a three-wheeled electric vehicle. The speed control loop of the servo motor drive unit (SMDU) stabilizes the DTC system. In the state of the art, a proportional derivative controller is commonly used as a tilt controller. By including the speed control loop of SMDU in the tilt control system, the use of the derivative term can be eliminated. The stability effect of the speed control loop is shown by MATLAB analysis, simulations in Simulink and experimental step response test as well.