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PEMP

AEL2501

Wheel Alignment, Steering Systems and


Steering Control

Lecture delivered by:


Prof. Ashok C.Meti
MSRSAS--Bangalore
MSRSAS

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M.S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies - Bangalore

PEMP
AEL2501

Session Objectives
• To study various wheel alignment related issues
• To understand the steering system in an
automobile
• To study the components of steering systems and
their configurations
• To identify the need for the electronic control in
power steering and its importance.
• To
T studyd working
ki off Hydraulic
H d li power steering i andd
EPS

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AEL2501

Topics
• Wheel alignment
• Steering systems
• Power assisted steering systems
• Hydraulic Power Assisted Steering
• EPS

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AEL2501

Wheel alignment
• At today’s increased driving speeds, it most important to
have swift and positive response from the steering system.
• To accomplish this, the wheels must be in alignment.
• It allows the wheels to roll without scuffing, dragging, or
slipping on different types of road conditions.
• Proper alignment in both front and rear wheels ensures-
– Greater safety in driving
– Easier steering
– Longer
g tire life
– Reduction in fuel consumption
– Less strain on steering system and suspension components

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AEL2501

The alignment geometry


• The proper alignment f a
suspension/ steering system
depends on the accuracy of the
following:
– Caster
– Camber
– Toe
– Thrust line alignment
– Steering Axle Inclination
(SAI)
– Turning radius
– Tracking
– There are host of gauges and
electronic equipment to check
and adjust these parameters.
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AEL2501

• Caster
– Is the angle of the
steeringg axis of a wheel
from the vertical, as
viewed from the side
of the vehicle
– It designed to provide
steering stability
– Caster is not related to
tire wear

Camber AND Castor Gauge


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AEL2501

• Camber
– It is the angle represented
by thetilt of either the
front or rear wheels
inward outward from the
vertical as viewed from
the front of the car
– It is designed to
compensate for road
crown,
crown passenger weight,
weight
and vehicle weight

Camber and Castor Gauge


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AEL2501

• Toe
– It is the distance
comparison between the
leading edge and trailing
edge of the front tires
– If the leading edge distance
is less, then there is toe-in
– If greater, it is toe-out
– Toe is critical as a tire
wearing angle
– Wheels that do not track
straight ahead have to drag
as they travel forward

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AEL2501

• Thrust Line Alignment


– The vehicle must run
straight down the road with
the rear tires tracking
directly behind the front
tires when steering wheel is
in the straight-ahead
position
– The geometric centerline of
the vehicle should parallel
the road direction
– If not, the vehicle tends to
travel in the direction of the
thrust line, rather than
straight ahead

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AEL2501

• Steering Axle Inclination


(SAI)
– It locates the inside or
outside of the vertical
centerline of the tire
– Is the angle between true
vertical and a line drawn
between the steering pivots
as viewed from the front of
the vehicle
– The SAI helps the vehicle’s
steering system return to
straight--ahead after a turn
straight
– SAI angles
• FWD 12-18 degrees
• RWD 6-8 degrees

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AEL2501

• Turning Radius
– Is the amount of toe-out present in
turns
– It is also called ‘toe-out on turns’
‘ i angle’
or ‘turning l ’
– As the car goes round the corner,
the inside tire must travel in a
smaller radius circle than the
outside tire
– This is accomplished by designing
the steering geometry to turn the
inside wheel sharper than the
outside wheel
– This toe-out eliminates the tire
scrubbing on the road surface by Turning radius is affected in turns
keeping the tires pointed in the
direction they have to move

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AEL2501

• Tracking
– All vehicles are built around a geometric centerline that runs
through the center of the chassis from the back to the front
– An
A idideall alignment
li has
h allll 4 wheels
h l parallel
ll l to the
h centerline
li
making the thrust line parallel to the centerline (tracking)

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AEL2501

Wheel alignment equipment

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AEL2501

Steering System
• The purpose of the steering system is to turn the front
wheels(normally).
• The wheels constantly change direction, while switching
l
lanes, rounding
di sharp
h turns,
t andd when
h avoiding
idi roadway
d
obstacles.
• The manual steering is consisting of –
– Steering linkages
– Steering gear
– Steering column and wheel
Working:
Wo g:
• As the steering wheel is turned by the driver, the steering
gear transfers this motion to the steering linkages
linkages.
• The steering linkage turns the wheels to control the
vehicle’s direction.
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AEL2501

• Steering Linkage:
– It is the system of pivots and connecting parts placed between the
steering gear and the steering arms that are attached to the front or
rear wheels that control the direction of the vehicle travel.
– It transfers motion of the steering gear output shaft to the steering
arms, turning the wheels to maneuver the vehicle.
arms
– Parallelogram Steering linkage:
• Provides good steering and suspension geometry
• Used in conjunction with IFS
• Can be configured for placing behind or ahead of the front-wheel
suspension
• Uses components like-
like
– Pitman Arm
– Idler Arm
– Links (Center, drag, or steering links)
– Tie-rods

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AEL2501

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• Pitman arm
– Connects the linkage to the steering column through a steering gear
located at the base of the column
– Transmits
i the
h motion
i iti receives
i from
f gear to the
h linkage,
li k causing
i
the linkage to move left or right to turn the wheels
• Idler arm
– It is normally attached on the opposite side of the center link, from
pitman arm and the car frame, supporting the center link at the
correct height
– A ppivot built into the arm or assemblyy permits
p sideways
y movement
of the linkage

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AEL2501

• Links
– Depending on the design application, can be referred to as –
• Center link
• Drag link
• Steering links
– Their purpose is to control sideways linkage movement, which
changes the wheel directions
• Tie rods
– Are usually assemblies that make final connections between the
steering linkage and steering knuckle
– They consists of
of-
• Inner tie-rod ends, which are connected to the opposite sides of the
center linkage
• Outer tie-rods, which are connected to the steering knuckle
• They also have provision for varying lengths for correct settings

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AEL2501

• Steering Gear box


– The purpose of the steering gear is
to change the rotational motion of
the steering wheel to a
reciprocating motion to move
steering linkage.
– Different style of steering gear
boxes used-
• Recirculating ball steering gear
• Worm and roller type steering
gear box
• Rack and pinion type
– A recirculating ball type is
generally found in large cars.

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AEL2501

• Rack and Pinion


– It is lighter in weight and has few
components
– Rack
• Is a toothed bar contained in a metal
housing
• The rack is similar to the parallelogram
center link in that its sideways
movement in the housing is what pulls or
pushes the tie-rods to change wheel
directions
– Pinion
• It is a toothed or worm gear mounted at
the base of the steering column assembly
where it is moved by steering wheel
• The pinion gear meshes with the teeth in
the rack so that the rack is propelled
sideways in response to the turning of
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AEL2501

– Steering input is received from the pinion gear


attached to the steering column. This gear
moves a toothed rack that is attached to the tie
tie--
rods.
rods
– The movement of the rack pushes or pulls the
tie-rods to change the wheel’s direction.
– The driver gets greater feeling of the road with
rack & pinion as this assembly has less friction
points. (reduced isolation and vibrations
damping)

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AEL2501

• Steering wheel and column


– The role of the steering wheel and column is to produce
the necessaryy force to turn the steeringg ggear.
– The steering wheel is used to produce the turning effort
effort.
– Types of steering columns:
• Fixed column
• Telescopic column
• Tilt column, and so on…
– The steering column is made collapsible that allows the
column to fold into itself , upon impact
impact.
– The driver’s side Air bag assembly is contained in the
center portion of the steering wheel.

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PEMP
AEL2501

Power Assisted Steering


– It is designed to reduce the amount of effort required to turn the
steering wheel.
– It also reduces the driver fatigue on long drives and makes it easier
to steer the vehicle at low road speeds, particularly while parking.
parking.
– At higher steering efforts are required at higher speeds to provide
the improved down-to-road feel.
– Two design arrangements
arrangements:
• Conventional
– Hydraulic power is used to assist the driver. Some of the variants:
» Integral piston linkage
» Power assisted rack and pinion
» External piston linkage (older version)
• Electronically controlled
– An electrical motor and an electronic control are used to provide the
assistance.

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AEL2501

Variable-assist steering
• Application of electronic control technology
to vehicle steering system is still in the
d l
development t stage.
t
• Several techniques have been suggested by
several designers and implemented on
vehicles by manufacturers.

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AEL2501

Fundamentals of Electronically controlled power


steering:
• Electronically controlled steering:
– Improves steering feel
– Improves power-saving effectiveness
– Increases steering performance.
• The intent of an electronic control is to-
– Reduce the steering effort when driving at low speeds
– Supply feedback for the appropriate steering reaction force when
drivingg at high
g speeds.
speeds
p
• The vehicle speed sensors are used to sense the vehicle
speed in order to make smooth and continuous changes in
the steering assist rate under conditions ranging from
steering maneuvers at zero speed to those at high speeds.
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AEL2501

Electronically controlled Hydraulic System:


• The system consists of –
– A linear solenoid valve
– A vehicle speed sensor
– Other electronic devices as part of hydraulic system
• Based on the signals from the speed sensor, the flow and
pressure of the hydraulic fluid is controlled by means of
the operation of the solenoid valves.
valves

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AEL2501

Flow Control Method:


• Solenoid valve is located
at the pump discharge
port.
• Controller regulates the
solenoid valve opening at
high speeds to reduce the
pump discharge volume,
thus increasing the
required steering effort
effort.
Vehicle Speed-responsive pump discharge
flow volume control type

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AEL2501

Cylinder Bypass Control Method:


• A solenoid valve and a bypass line are located
between both chambers of the power cylinder.
cylinder
• The opening of the valve is extended by electronic
control equipment in accordance with increase in
vehicle speed, thus reducing the hydraulic
pressure in the power cylinder and increasing the
steering
g effort.
effort

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AEL2501

Hybrid System:
• Utilize a flow control method in which the hydraulic power
steering pump is driven by an electric motor
motor.
• The steering effort is controlled by controlling the rotating
speed of the pump.
pump
• The drive efficiency of the generator and motor are low
compared to that of the hydraulic pump, which is driven by
the vehicle engine.
• But because any residual flow is not discharged, the power
loss is lower than that of the engine pump when driving at
high speeds.
speeds
• There is large degree of freedom in mounting location
selection.

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AEL2501

Driving Mode Response method:


• Control system consists of –
– Vehicle speed sensor
– Steering angular velocity sensor
– El t i control
Electronic t l unit
it
– Motor driven hydraulic pump
• Driving conditions are
automatically judged, and the
Driving mode responsive-type hybrid pump flow rates is controlled
power steering
in accordance with this
condition in order to provide
the appropriate steering effort
for the driving conditions.

Driving mode and pump flow rate


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AEL2501

Steering wheel speed responsive Method:


• System consists of components such as-
– Vehicle speed sensor
– Steering wheel angular velocity sensor
– ECU
– Motor driven hydraulic pump
• The pump flow is controlled in accordance with the angular
velocity of the steering wheel and vehicle speed
• The discharge flow volume of the pump is reduced and the
steering response drops when the vehicle is driven at high
speeds
• In this system, therefore, the speed of the motor is increased
in accordance with the detected angular velocity of the
steering wheel in order to increase the discharge flow
volume to solve the problem.
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PEMP
AEL2501
Steering Speed-responsive-type hybrid power steering

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AEL2501

Basic Control

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AEL2501

Electric Power Steering (EPS):


• Electric power steering is a fully electric system which
reduces the amount of steering effort by directly applying
the output from an electric motor to the steering system.
system
• The system consists of:
– Vehicle speed sensor
– A steering sensor (torque, angular velocity)
– ECU
– Drive unit
– Motor

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AEL2501

Structure of EPS System (Rack assist-type ball screw drive)


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AEL2501

• The signals outputs from each of the sensors are input to


the ECU where necessary steering assistance is calculated
and applied by the drive unit to control the operation of the
motor.
motor
• In this system, setting range for the steering effort is large
and also because it is possible to supply only the amount of
power that is necessary when the steering wheel is turned,
a large reduction in power requirements can be effectively
achieved with no power losses.

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AEL2501

Column shaft drive method

Pinion shaft drive method

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AEL2501

• Rack
Rack--and
and--pinion steering mechanisms, the EPS system
applies the motor power to the pinion gear shaft or to the
rack shaft.
shaft
• Several reduction gears are employed to increase the
torque of the motor.
motor
• The maximum amount of assist, the smoothness of steering
feel and the degree of noise level during steering are the
determined by power transmission systems.
• In ggeneral,, it is ppossible to obtain a ggreater amount of assist
from the rack assist method than from pinion assist
method.

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AEL2501

Sensors:
• The EPS uses variety of sensors to control the motor.
– Torque sensor – detects the steering effort
– Wheel angular sensor – determines angular velocity of the steering
wheel
– Battery sensor – determines the battery voltage
– Current sensor – determines the motor current & battery current

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AEL2501

Torque sensors:
• Pinion shaft in the rack-and-pinion steering
mechanism is divided into two sections.
sections
– Input shaft
– Pinion gear
• It consists of a torsion bar that connects the two
sections.
• A differential transformer is used to to generate an
electrical signal.

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AEL2501

Angular velocity sensor:


• It consists of a gear train which is located around
the input shaft and a DC generator
generator, which is
driven at an increased speed by the gear train.
• The turning direction and angular velocity of the
steering wheel are detected by the turning
direction and angular velocity of this DC
generator
generator.

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AEL2501

Torque Sensor and Angular


Velocity Sensor

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AEL2501

Torque sensor operation

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AEL2501

Electronic Control Unit:


• The ECU consists of an interface circuit that coordinates
the signals from the various sensors, an A/D converter and
a PWM unit it – all
ll built
b ilt into
i t one 8-bit
8 bit one
one--chip
hi
microprocessor, a watchdog timer(WDT)
microprocessor timer and a PWM
drive circuit.
circuit
• The ECU conducts a search for data according to a table
lookup method based on the signals input from each sensor
and carries out a prescribed calculation using this data to
obtain the assist force.
• Trouble diagnosis for the sensors and the microprocessor is
also carried out and when problem is detected, power to
motor is interrupted, an indicator lamp is illuminates, and
the DTC is stored in memory.
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AEL2501

Power unit:
• The power unit consists of a power MOSFET bridge
circuit which drives the motor in a forward or reverse
direction.
• A drive circuit which controls the respective power
MOSFET of this bridge circuit, a current sensor and a
relay which turns the motor current ON and OFF.
• Depending on the magnitude of the current, some systems
are pprovided with an integrated
g ECU and ppower unit,, while
other systems have each section separate.

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AEL2501

ECU and Drive Unit

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AEL2501

Motor Control Methods:


• Current control method:
– The target value for the motor current,
current which
corresponds to the motor assist torque, is set so that it is
equal to the vehicle speed response type derived from
the signal of the vehicle speed sensor.
• Voltage control method:
– Both the motor torque and the motor speed can be
controlled by the output from the torque sensor and the
steering wheel angular velocity sensor.

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AEL2501

Trends in R&D
– The demands that are continuously increasing:
• Faster speeds
• Higher quality
• Reduced power requirement
– In order to respond to these demands, R&D is
happening in application of electronic control systems
with the aim of further improving functions and
performances.
– Proposed feature include:
• Introduction of fuzzy logic
• Adaptive power steering
• Active reaction power steering
• ESP concepts
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AEL2501

Summary
• Various wheel alignment related issues have
been discussed
• The steering systems in an automobile have
been discussed
• The components of steering system
including power assisted steering systems
and their arrangements have been discussed
• Working of EPS has been discussed

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