Automatic Traction Control for Articulated Off-Road Vehicles

Construction equipment is designed to maintain good traction while operating in difficult off-road conditions. To curb wheel slip, the vehicles are equipped with differential locks. The locks may be engaged/disengaged to switch between two distinct operating modes: the closed mode is characterized by greater off-road passability, while the open mode allows better manueverability. This brief compares three on/off differential lock control algorithms. The algorithms are based on the same kinematic vehicle model, but each relies on the availability of output signals from different sensors. The validity of the kinematic model and the algorithms’ sensitivity to the values assumed by a couple of unobservable states, the wheel slip angles, is investigated by comparison to a realistic articulated hauler model in the multibody physics simulator MSC ADAMS.