Curvilinear motion control laws for a semi-trailer caterpillar train for off-road cargo transportation

Cover Page

Cite item

Full Text

Abstract

BACKGROUND: For transport accessibility in areas with an undeveloped road network, the use of tracked trains that provide low ground pressure is a rational solution. To ensure the mobility of a semi-trailed, unmanned caterpillar train, which can be controlled remotely by a driver-operator or by an automatic unmanned driving system, traffic control laws are needed.

AIMS: Ensuring energy efficiency in curve control of a unmanned semi-trailer tracked train for off-road freight transport.

METHODS: The methods of simulation mathematical modelling and analytical methods based on the consideration of the quasi-stationary motion of the caterpillar train links are used to derive energy-efficient control laws and determine the mobility performance that can be achieved.

RESULTS: Control laws are obtained for two variants of tracked trains: a tracked train with independent drive control of driving wheels and a tracked train with a differential drive scheme of a semi-trailer link. The control laws are designed to improve the energy efficiency of travel which is achieved by rational distribution of traction forces on the driving wheels of the tracked train and use of the regulator which ensures adjustment of the traction on the semi-trailer driving wheels accord-ing to the sign and magnitude of force in the fifth-wheel coupling of the tractor.

A block diagram of a governing system of a caterpillar train and a mathematical description of its basic structural components (blocks) are given. Using the developed control laws the theoretical research of curvilinear movement by simulation mathematical modelling is carried out; the comparative analysis of the considered control laws of the semitrailer caterpillar train movement with two transmission variants is given.

CONCLUSIONS: The application of the developed caterpillar train motion control laws will enable the vehicle to move unmanned or follow the lead vehicle along a set path with high accuracy of turning manoeuvres and, consequently, will improve the safety of freight transportation.

About the authors

Kirill B. Evseev

Bauman Moscow State Technical University

Author for correspondence.
Email: kb_evseev@bmstu.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7193-487X
SPIN-code: 7753-2047

Associate Professor, Cand. Sci. (Tech.), Associate Professor of the Wheeled Vehicles Department

Russian Federation, Moscow

References

  1. Kotiev GO, Evseev KB, Gojaev ZA. Analysis of structural and layout designs of tracked trains for off-road container transportation. Mir transporta. 2021;19(5):23–34. (In Russ). doi: 10.30932/1992-3252-2021-19-5-3
  2. Zubov PP, Makarov VS, Zeziulin DV, et al. Overview of existing structures of articulated tracked vehicles and advice in choosing their parameters. Transactions of Nizhni Novgorod state technical university n.a. R.Y. Alexeev. 2015;(2):170–176. (In Russ).
  3. Barakhtanov LV, Vakhidov USh, Manyanin SE. The determination of resistance forces during the turning motion of caterpillar semi-section vehicles. Modern Problems of Science and Education. 2014;(6):56. (In Russ).
  4. Fuady S, Ibrahim AR, Trilaksono BR. Comparative experimental study of formation control of mobile robots. Procedia Technology. 2013;11:689–695. doi: 10.1016/j.protcy.2013.12.246
  5. Wang M, Geng Z, Peng X. Measurement-Based method for nonholonomic mobile vehicles with obstacle avoidance. Journal of the Franklin Institute. 2020;357(12):7761–7778. doi: 10.1016/j.jfranklin.2020.05.042
  6. Wu J, Wang G, Zhao H, Sun K. Study on electromechanical performance of steering of the electric articulated tracked vehicles. Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology. 2019;33(7):3171–3185. doi: 10.1007/s12206-019-0612-7
  7. Shin J, Huh J, Park Y. Asymptotically stable path following for lateral motion of an unmanned ground vehicle. Control Engineering Practice. 2015;40(1):102–112. doi: 10.1016/J.CONENGPRAC.2015.03.006
  8. Racelogic [Internet]. Experts in positioning, data logging and video. Available from: https://www.racelogic.co.uk/index.php/en/ Accessed: 15.10.2022.
  9. Chen T, Chen L, Xu X, Cai Y. Passive actuator-fault-tolerant path following control of autonomous ground electric vehicle with in-wheel motors. Advances in Engineering Software. 2019;134(6):22–30. doi: 10.1016/j.advengsoft.2019.05.003
  10. Evseev KB. Design of a control law for turning of a tracked train to follow a reference trajectory. Vestnik Moskovskogo avtomobil’no-dorozhnogo gosudarstvennogo tehnicheskogo universiteta (MADI). 2021;(3):67–75. (In Russ).
  11. Gorelov VA, Kosicyn BB, Miroshnichenko AV, Staduhin AA. The controller of the steering control system of a high-speed tracked vehicle with individual drive wheels. Izvestiya MGTU “MAMI”. 2019;(4):21–28. (In Russ). doi: 10.31992/2074-0530-2019-42-4-21-28
  12. Nikitin AO, Sergeev LV. Tank theory. Moscow: Publication of the Military Order of Lenin of the Academy of Armored Forces; 1962. 588 p. (In Russ).
  13. Shukhman SV, Solovyov VI, Prochko EI. Theory of power drive of wheels of high-pass vehicles. Moscow: Agrobiznestsentr; 2007. 336 p. (In Russ).
  14. Larin VV. Theory of movement of four-wheel drive wheeled vehicles: textbook. Moscow: Publishing House of Bauman Moscow State Technical University; 2010. 391 p. (In Russ).
  15. Yevseyev KB. Mathematical model of the movement of a tracked train for off-road container transportation. Tractors and agricultural machinery. 2021;88(5):18–29. (In Russ). doi: 10.31992/0321-4443-2021-5-18-29
  16. Evseev KB, Kositsyn BB, Kotiev GO, Stadukhin AA. Design of the double-jointed multi-tracked vehicle steering control law providing its motion along a reference trajectory. Journal of Physics Conference Series. 2021;2032(1):12064. (In Russ). doi: 10.1088/1742-6596/2032/1/012064
  17. Evseev KB, Kositsyn BB, Kotiev GO, Stadukhin AA. On the issue of caterpillar trains controllability evaluation at the design stage using a complex of natural-mathematical modeling. Trudy NAMI. 2022;(1):35–51. (In Russ). doi: 10.51187/0135-3152-2022-1-35-51

Supplementary files

Supplementary Files
Action
1. JATS XML
Download
2. Fig. 1. Construction and layout diagram of an unmanned caterpillar train made according to the single hinged saddle scheme with a total mass of 106 tons.

Download (224KB)
Indexing metadata
3. Fig. 2. Diagram of the turn of a two-link caterpillar train.

Download (45KB)
Indexing metadata
4. Fig. 3. Diagram of the turn of a two-link caterpillar train with different mass-dimensional parameters of the links.

Download (120KB)
Indexing metadata
5. Fig. 4. Scheme of turning of a semi-trailed caterpillar train.

Download (118KB)
Indexing metadata
6. Fig. 5. Block diagram of the semitrailer traction control system.

Download (230KB)
Indexing metadata
7. Fig. 6. Dependence of the ratio of specific capacities of the semitrailer and tractor on the turning radius of the caterpillar train.

Download (125KB)
Indexing metadata
8. Fig. 7. Control law of semitrailer with differential coupling of driving wheels of semitrailer link.

Download (83KB)
Indexing metadata
9. Fig. 8. Structure diagram of the force regulator in the fifth wheel coupling.

Download (48KB)
Indexing metadata
10. Fig. 9. Calculation scheme of semi-trailed caterpillar train movement along a given trajectory.

Download (113KB)
Indexing metadata
11. Fig. 10. Block diagram of the combined controller for controlling the motion of a semi-trailed caterpillar train.

Download (53KB)
Indexing metadata
12. Fig. 11. Structural diagram of controlling the rotation of a semi-trailed tracked train.

Download (158KB)
Indexing metadata
13. Fig. 12. Trajectories of movement of the point O of the caterpillar train with independent control of the drive wheels of the semi-trailer link.

Download (91KB)
Indexing metadata

Copyright (c) 2022 Evseev K.B.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
 


This website uses cookies

You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website.

About Cookies