Real-Time Control Interface for a Steered and Braked Converter Dolly for High Capacity Transport Vehicles

Abstract

To improve the dynamic behaviour and maneuverability of high capacity transport vehicles, the converter dolly can be equipped with steered and braked axles. By improving the actuation and steering strategy, the combinations performance can be increased drastically. This thesis modified an existing steered dolly to accommodate a rapid prototpying system, so that previously developed steering algorithms can be executed in real-time and evaluated in a hardware-in-the-loop simulation as well as on-track testing further on. The main-outcomes are a ready-to-use interface for algorithm development in MATLAB/Simulink that allows to request steering angles individually for each axle and supplies feedback for all relevant parameters (e.g. articulation angle between different units of combination, steering angle of tractor) for their computation in real-time. On top of that a concept for requesting braking torques from the dolly's braking system for future projects was developed. To ensure safety of the whole combination, especially during track-tests, a supervisor system was implemented to limit the request based on hardware limitations. Additionally an inertial measurement unit setup was developed and implemented for use on the combination to gather suficient data for each of the combination's independently moving units dynamic behavior during testing to calibrate and parametrize the tested algorithms. In the scope of this thesis the dolly was modified to conduct hardware-in-the-loop simulations. All necessary systems to achieve this were built as prototypes for a workshop test-environment limiting the use-case to a standing-system. Reliable track-proof solutions were developed and commissioned for manufacturing, so that track-testing is possible soon after.