Research on a Chassis Stability Control Method for High-Ground-Clearance Self-Propelled Electric Sprayers

• Published in: Applied Sciences
• Main Authors: Lingxi Zhou, Chenwei Hu, Yuxiang Chen, Peijie Guo, Jinyi Liu, Yu Chen, Jiayu Cao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2024-09-01
• Subjects: self-propelled electric sprayer; chassis stability control; sliding-mode coordinated control; torque distribution control; four-wheel independent drive
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/17/7734

In response to the complex working conditions and poor driving stability of high-clearance self-propelled sprayers, a nonlinear model of the chassis power system was established based on the independently controllable torque of each wheel of the developed electric sprayer. A layered-architecture chassis drive control strategy was formulated, and a stability control framework comprising an instability judgment module, an upper controller, and a lower controller was constructed based on the analysis of the impact of the centroid slip angle, the yaw rate, and the wheel slip rate on driving stability. An ideal reference model was established based on the seven-degree-of-freedom model of the sprayer, and the current state of the sprayer body was determined using the instability judgment module. A drive anti-slip controller and a yaw moment controller based on fuzzy PID theory and sliding mode control theory were designed. Additionally, an optimal torque distribution algorithm was developed based on tire characteristics to rationally allocate drive torque to each wheel, ensuring the stability of the sprayer during operation. Simulation tests were conducted using MATLAB/Simulink to evaluate the sprayer under four different driving conditions during transport and field operations. The test results showed that the “SMC + optimal distribution” control method in the chassis stability control strategy reduced the maximum deviations of the yaw rate and centroid slip angle by an average of 89.5% and 13.6%, respectively, compared to no control. The wheel slip rate during straight driving was well maintained at around 15%, enhancing the driving stability of the sprayer.