Robust vehicle handling dynamics of light-weight vehicles against variation in loading conditions

This paper proposes a vehicle dynamics control system to compensate the change in vehicle handling dynamics of light-weight vehicles due to variation in loading conditions. Considering the electrification of future mobility, a light-weight vehicle equipped with in-wheel-motors is a target vehicle of this research and it can generate additional direct yaw moment control input, so-called “DYC input”, by transverse distribution of driving/braking forces to control vehicle yawing as well as side slip motions. First, the change in vehicle handling dynamics against variation in loading conditions is analyzed by using linear two-wheel vehicle model in planar motions. Next, the control law of DYC system is proposed as a feedforward of steering angular velocity and a feedback of vehicle yaw rate. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed DYC system is verified by simulation of nonlinear vehicle model with a nonlinear tire force model.