Composite Nonlinear Feedback with Disturbance Observer for Active Front Steering

Saruchi, Sarah 'Atifah; Zamzuri, Hairi; Zulkarnain, Noraishikin; Wahid, Norbaiti; Mohammed Ariff, Mohd Hatta · 2017 · Crossref

DOI: 10.11591/ijeecs.v7.i2.pp434-441

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Summary

This paper addresses the challenge of maintaining vehicle handling performance in Steer-By-Wire (SBW) systems equipped with Active Front Steering (AFS). While AFS enhances maneuverability and stability by independently controlling front wheel angles, previous research indicated that Composite Nonlinear Feedback (CNF) controllers, though effective for fast yaw rate tracking, are vulnerable to external disturbances such as side winds. To resolve this robustness issue, the authors propose a combined control strategy integrating CNF with a Disturbance Observer (DOB). The objective is to achieve rapid yaw rate tracking with minimal overshoot while simultaneously rejecting external disturbances. The study employs a simulation-based experimental design using Matlab/Simulink. The system modeling includes a detailed SBW front wheel mechanism (comprising steering, motor, rack, pinion, and wheels) and a 2-degree-of-freedom linear vehicle model representing lateral and yaw motions. The control structure utilizes CNF for both wheel synchronization and yaw rate tracking, combining linear feedback for fast rise time and nonlinear feedback to reduce overshoot. The DOB is designed to estimate and compensate for side wind disturbances via a negative feedback loop, using a second-order low-pass filter to ensure causality. The proposed CNF-DOB strategy is evaluated against Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) and Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) controllers, both also integrated with DOB. Simulations were conducted at a constant speed of 80 km/h during J-curve and lane change maneuvers, with a 2000 N side wind disturbance applied to test robustness. The results demonstrate that the CNF-DOB combination outperforms the PID-DOB and LQR-DOB systems. Specifically, the CNF-DOB controller achieved the fastest rising and settling times for yaw rate tracking with the smallest steady-state error margin. Crucially, the integration of the DOB reduced the impact of side wind disturbance on the yaw rate response by 87%, effectively overcoming the sensitivity issues identified in prior CNF-only studies. The CNF-DOB system maintained superior tracking performance compared to the reference model under disturbed conditions, whereas other controllers showed greater deviation. The significance of this work lies in validating a control strategy that enhances SBW vehicle handling by combining fast transient response with high disturbance rejection. The findings confirm that integrating CNF with DOB provides a robust solution for AFS systems, ensuring stability and precise path tracking even in the presence of external forces like side winds. The authors conclude that this approach improves overall vehicle handling performance and suggest future work should involve real-time experimental validation to confirm these simulation results.

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• steering pattern