Design, implementation, and evaluation of vehicle control systems using a side slip estimator

Abstract

Vehicle control systems have been integral to the performance and stability of a vehicle. In this thesis, two vehicle control strategies namely, the yaw controller and the yaw-beta controller, were presented. The control algorithm was based on the model predictive control method. A simulation environment developed using a two track vehicle model coupled with a tire model based on the magic tire formula was used to test the controllers in different test scenarios. These tests were carried out to evaluate the performance of the two controllers with respect to performance and stability. The results showed small differences between the performance of the controllers, but enough to indicate the initial assumptions on the behaviour. The yaw-beta controller was more stable than the yaw controller at the expense of the vehicle performance. However, the results did not show significant enough differences to determine the magnitude of any potential gains.