Sliding Mode Based Analysis and Identification of Vehicle Dynamics

Abstract

Vehicles are complex mechanical systems with strong nonlinear characteristicsand which can present some uncertainties due to their dynamic parameterssuch as masses, inertias, suspension springs, tires side slip coefficients,etc. A vehicle is composed of many parts, namely the unsprung mass,the sprung mass, the suspension which makes the link between thesetwo masses and therefore ensures passenger comfort, and also thepneumatic which absorbs the energy coming from the road and ensurescontact between the vehicle and the road. In addition to its complexityand the presence of many nonlinearities and uncertainties, the presenceof some external perturbations, such as the wind and the road inputswith its own characteristics (radius of curvature, longitudinal andlateral slop, road profile and skid resistance) can cause risks notonly to the vehicle but also to passengers and other road users.Many methods have been developed in order to understand the behaviorof a vehicle, control it and assist the driver in order to avoidpossible lane departures, rollover or jackknifing risks, to ensurea better passenger comfort by means of a suspension control and/orto estimate a safety speed and trajectory.The present book is an attempt to show how the sliding mode basedobservation, uncertainties identification and parameter estimationmay be applied in the control of vehicle dynamics as well as forparameter and perturbations estimation.This book is the first of long series of books in the field of variablestructure system in automotive application. Some other results andtools will be proposed and explained in the next publications.