Title: Lyapunov exponents-based stability analysis and integrated control of rollover mitigation and yaw stabilisation of ground vehicles

Authors: Ali Reza Armiyoon; Christine Q. Wu

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Abstract: Yaw stabilisation and rollover prevention are two key factors in safety of vehicles. Designing a controller that can address both of the safety concerns and evaluating the performance of such a control system using a proper stability analysis tool is of interest. The complexities in dynamics of vehicles, such as tyre dynamics, make the stability analysis of such systems more challenging. In addition, maintaining both of the above objectives, the yaw motion control and rollover mitigation, is contradictory when a vehicle experiences high lateral accelerations. In this research, a T-S fuzzy controller is proposed which prioritises the concern that must be addressed at each time instant based on the state of the vehicle. The controller compromises between the two contradictory objectives of tracking a desired value for the yaw rate and maintaining the rollover index within a limit to ensure wheel lift-off does not occur. A novel method using the concept of Lyapunov exponents is employed to perform system and structural stability analysis. Results of the stability analysis together with simulations demonstrate the advantages of the proposed controller.

Keywords: vehicle yaw stabilisation; rollover prevention; stability analysis; Lyapunov exponents.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVSMT.2016.083757

International Journal of Vehicle Systems Modelling and Testing, 2016 Vol.11 No.4, pp.343 - 362

Received: 26 Aug 2016
Accepted: 02 Dec 2016

Published online: 21 Apr 2017 *

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