Method and apparatus for controlling differentially driven wheel-slip for an articulated machine

Abstract

An anti-spin apparatus for a machine is disclosed. The machine is articulated and has at least one axle set with at least two driven wheels. The anti-spin apparatus includes braking mechanisms which controllably apply braking forces to each of the driven wheels. A controller produces a slip signal having a value responsive to the difference in rotational velocity between the wheels of the axle set. A transducer produces an articulation signal having a value responsive to the angle of articulation of the machine. Further, a microprocessor receives the slip signal and the articulation signal, and produces a braking control signal. One of the braking mechanisms receives the braking control signal and responsively applies the braking forces to the faster rotating wheel.

Claims

2. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the value of said slip signal includes:

a value representing the ratio of the faster rotating wheel to the slower rotating wheel; and

a value representing the faster rotating wheel.

3. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 2, including means for determining a desired speed ratio signal having a value representative of a desired ratio of the faster rotating wheel to the slower rotating wheel in response to the magnitude of the articulation angle signal, the desired ratio having a value representative of substantially no wheel slippage.

4. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 3, including means for determining an error value representative of the difference between the values of the slip and desired speed ratio signals.

5. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 4, including means for comparing the error value to a first predetermined reference value and applying the braking force in response to the error value being greater than the first predetermined reference value.

6. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 5, including means for determining a desired amount of braking force to apply to the faster rotating wheel using Proportional+Integral+Derivative (PID) control, said braking control signal having a magnitude proportional to the desired amount of braking force.

8. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 7, wherein the value of said slip signal includes:

a value representing the ratio of the faster rotating wheel to the slower rotating wheel; and

a value representing the faster rotating wheel.

9. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 8, including means for determining a desired speed ratio signal having a value representative of a desired ratio of the faster rotating wheel to the slower rotating wheel in response to the magnitude of the articulation angle signal, the desired ratio having a value representative of substantially no wheel slippage.

10. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 9, including means for modifying said slip signal in response to said desired speed ratio signal, the modified slip signal having a value equal to the difference of said slip signal and desired speed ratio signal.

11. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 10, including means for determining a desired amount of braking force to apply to the faster rotating wheel using Proportional+Integral+Derivative (PID) control, said braking control signal having a magnitude proportional to the desired amount of braking force.

12. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 7, wherein said vehicle includes at least one additional axle set with at least two driven wheels, said slip signal producing means including respective wheel speed transducers connectable to each of said vehicle wheels and adapted to produce respective signals having values responsive to the rotational velocity of each of said wheels.

13. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 12, wherein said slip signal producing means determines the difference in rotational velocity between the wheels of each wheel set.

14. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 13, wherein said braking means controllably applies braking forces to the faster rotating wheel of each wheel set.

15. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 14, wherein said braking means applies said braking forces which are variably incrementally modulated in proportion to the difference in rotational speeds between the wheels in response to the slip signal.

17. A method, as set forth in claim 16, wherein the step of producing said slip signal includes the steps of:

calculating a value representing a ratio of the faster rotating wheel to the slower rotating wheel; and

determining a value that represents the faster rotating wheel.

18. A method, as set forth in claim 17, including the step of determining a desired speed ratio signal having a value representative of a desired ratio of the faster rotating wheel to the slower rotating wheel in response to the magnitude of the articulation angle signal, the desired ratio having a value representative of substantially no wheel slippage.

19. A method, as set forth in claim 18, including the steps of subtracting the desired speed ratio signal from the slip signal and responsively producing an error signal.

20. A method, as set forth in claim 19, including the steps of comparing the error value to a first predetermined reference value and applying the braking force in response to the error value being greater than the first predetermined reference value.

21. A method, as set forth in claim 20, including the steps of determining a desired amount of braking force to apply to the faster rotating wheel using Proportional+Integral+Derivative (PID) control in response to the error signal and producing said braking control signal with a magnitude proportional to the desired amount of braking force..Iadd.22. An anti-spin apparatus for a vehicle, the vehicle having vertical axis, front and rear wheeled sections hinged together by an articulation mechanism for relative movement about the vertical axis, and at least one axle set with at least two driven wheels, comprising:

braking means for controllably applying braking forces to each of said driven wheels;

a wheel speed transducer associated with each wheel for producing a wheel speed signal having a value responsive to the rotational velocity of the respective wheel of said axle set;

means for producing an articulation signal having a value responsive to the angle of articulation of said vehicle;

control means for receiving said wheel speed signals and said articulation signal, producing a slip signal in response to the values of said wheel speed and articulation signals, comparing said slip signal with a first predetermined reference value, and producing a braking control signal in response to said slip signal value exceeding said first predetermined reference value; and

wherein said braking means receives said braking control signal and responsively applies said braking forces to the slipping wheel..Iaddend..Iadd.23. An anti-spin apparatus having at least one axle set, as set forth in claim 22, wherein said slip signal represents the difference in rotational velocity between the wheels of each axle set..Iaddend..Iadd.24. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 23, wherein at least one of the at least two driven wheels is an outside wheel and at least one other wheel of the at least two driven wheels is an inside wheel, and the control means modifies the slip signal by reducing the value of the slip signal when the outside wheel is rotating faster than the inside wheel in response to the value of the articulation signal not being equal to zero..Iaddend..Iadd.25. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 23, wherein at least one of the at least two driven wheels is an outside wheel and at least one other wheel of the at least two driven wheels is an inside wheel, and the control means modifies the slip signal by increasing the value of the slip signal when the inside wheel is rotating faster than the outside wheel in response to the value of the articulation signal not being equal to zero..Iaddend..Iadd.26. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 23, wherein the braking means apply the braking forces with variable incremental modulation in proportion to the difference in rotational speeds between the wheels in response to the slip signal..Iaddend..Iadd.27. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 23, wherein the control means compares the slip signal with a plurality of slip reference bands each having defined limits, and producing a braking control signal in response to the slip signal value corresponding to one of the slip reference bands..Iaddend..Iadd.28. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 26, wherein said braking control signal is a pulse-width modulated signal, said braking control signal being modulatable according to the slip reference band to which the slip signal value corresponds..Iaddend..Iadd.29. An anti-spin apparatus for a vehicle, the vehicle having a vertical axis, front and rear wheeled sections hinged together by an articulation mechanism for relative movement about the vertical axis, and at least one axle set with at least two driven wheels wherein at least one of the driven wheels is a slipping wheel, comprising:

braking means for controllably applying braking forces to each of said driven wheels;

a wheel speed transducer associated with each wheel for producing a wheel speed signal having a value responsive to the rotational velocity of the respective wheel of said axle set;

means for producing an articulation signal having a value responsive to the angle of articulation of said vehicle;

control means for receiving said wheel speed signals and said articulation signal and producing a braking control signal in response to the magnitudes of the wheel speed and articulation signals; and

wherein said braking means receives said braking control signal and responsively applies said braking forces to the slipping wheel.

.Iaddend..Iadd.30. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 29, wherein one of the driven wheels is a faster rotating wheel and another one of the driven wheels is a slower rotating wheel and the control means produces an actual speed ratio signal having:

a value representing the ratio of the faster rotating wheel to the slower rotating wheel; and

a value representing the faster rotating wheel..Iaddend..Iadd.31. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 30, wherein the control means produces a desired speed ratio signal having a value representative of a desired ratio of the faster rotating wheel to the slower rotating wheel in response to the magnitude of the articulation angle signal, the desired ratio having a value representative of substantially no wheel slippage..Iaddend..Iadd.32. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 31, wherein the control means determines an error value representative of the difference between the values of actual and desired speed ratio signals..Iaddend..Iadd.33. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 32, wherein the control means compares the error value to a first predetermined reference value and produces the braking control signal in response to the error value being greater than the first predetermined reference value..Iaddend..Iadd.34. An anti-spin apparatus, as set forth in claim 33, wherein the control means determines a desired amount of braking force to apply to the slipping wheel using Proportional+Integral+Derivative (PID) control, the braking control signal having a magnitude proportional to the desired amount of braking force.

.Iaddend..Iadd.35. A method for controllably equalizing the torque delivered to an axle set of a vehicle, the vehicle having front and rear wheeled sections being hinged together by an articulation mechanism for relative movement about a vertical axis, the axle set having at least two driven wheels where each of the wheels have an associated braking mechanism, comprising the steps of:

producing a wheel speed signal having a value responsive to a rotational velocity of each wheel of said axle set;

producing an articulation signal having a value responsive to the angle of articulation of said vehicle;

receiving said wheel speed signals and said articulation signal and producing a braking control signal in response to the magnitudes of the wheel speed and articulation signals; and

receiving said braking control signal and responsively operating said

braking mechanism..Iaddend..Iadd.36. A method, as set forth in claim 35, including the step of producing an actual speed ratio signal having:

a value representing a ratio of the faster rotating wheel to the slower rotating wheel; and

a value that represents the faster rotating wheel..Iaddend..Iadd.37. A method, as set forth in claim 36, including the step of producing a desired speed ratio signal having a value representative of a desired ratio of the faster rotating wheel to the slower rotating wheel in response to the magnitude of the articulation angle signal, the desired ratio having a value representative of substantially no wheel slippage..Iaddend..Iadd.38. A method, as set forth in claim 37, including the steps of subtracting the desired speed ratio signal from the actual speed ratio signal and responsively producing an error signal..Iaddend..Iadd.39. A method, as set forth in claim 38, including the steps of comparing the error value to a first predetermined reference value and applying the braking force in response to the error value being greater than the first

predetermined reference value..Iaddend..Iadd.40. A method, as set forth in claim 39, wherein at least one of the driven wheels is a slipping wheel and including the steps of determining a desired amount of braking force to apply to the slipping wheel using Proportional+Integral+Derivative (PID) control in response to the error signal and producing the braking control signal with a magnitude proportional to the desired amount of braking force..Iaddend..Iadd.41. An anti-spin apparatus for a vehicle, the vehicle having a vertical axis, front and rear wheeled sections hinged together by an articulation mechanism for relative movement about the vertical axis, and at least one axle set with at least two driven wheels wherein at least one of the driven wheels is a slipping wheel, comprising:

a brake associated with each driven wheel, each brake being capable of controllably applying braking forces to each of the driven wheels;

a wheel speed transducer associated with each driven wheel, each wheel speed transducer providing a wheel speed signal having a value responsive to the rotational velocity of the respective wheel of the axle set;

an angular position transducer associated with the articulation mechanism, the angular position transducer producing an articulation signal having a value responsive to the angle of articulation of the vehicle;

a controller electrically connected to the wheel speed transducer and angular position transducer, the controller adapted to receive the wheel speed signals and the articulation signal and provide a braking control signal to the brake in response to the wheel speed and articulation signals; and

wherein the brake receives the braking control signal and responsively

applies said braking forces to the slipping wheel..Iaddend..Iadd.42. An anti-spin apparatus for a vehicle, the vehicle having vertical axis, front and rear wheeled sections hinged together by an articulation mechanism for relative movement about the vertical axis, and at least one axle set with at least two driven wheels, comprising:

a brake associated with each driven wheel, each brake being capable of controllably applying braking forces to each of the driven wheels;

a wheel speed transducer associated with each driven wheel, each wheel speed transducer providing a wheel speed signal having a value responsive to the rotational velocity of the respective wheel of the axle set;

an angular position transducer associated with the articulation mechanism, the angular position transducer producing an articulation signal having a value responsive to the angle of articulation of the vehicle;

a controller electrically connected to the wheel speed transducer and angular position transducer, the controller adapted to receive the wheel speed signals and the articulation signal, produce a slip signal in response to the values of the wheel speed and articulation signals, compare the slip signal with a first predetermined reference value, and produce a braking control signal in response to the slip signal value exceeding the first predetermined reference value; and

wherein the brake receives the braking control signal and responsively applies the braking forces to the slipping wheel..Iaddend.