Stability Control of Articulated Steer Vehicles by Passive and Active Steering Systems

To remove the snaking mode of an articulated steer vehicle, an active steering system is proposed. First, the existing steering systems of articulated steer vehicles, including hydraulic-mechanical and hydrostatic steering systems, are reviewed. Then, a combined linearized model of the vehicle with a hydraulic-mechanical steering system is developed. By using this model, two passive methods to decrease the snaking, including an increase in the friction at the articulation joint and leakage across the cylinders are detailed. To overcome the shortcomings of these solutions, an active steering system is also introduced. It is shown that the proposed steering system not only removes the instability, but also improves the steering response of the vehicle.