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Procedia
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Advanced in Control Engineering and Information Science

Study on Electric Power Steering System Based on ADAMS

Hao Chena*, YaliYanga, Ruoping Zhanga
a
Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai 201620, China

Abstract

Electric Power Steering (EPS) is a full electric system, which reduces the amount of steering effort by
directly applying the output from an electric motor to the steering system. This research aims at
developing EPS boost curve embody into the assist characteristics, improving steer portability and
stability. A model for the EPS system has been established, including full vehicle mechanical system,
EPS mechanical system, and EPS electric control system. Based on this model, a straight line boost curve
was designed and evaluated in this environment to improve the performance of EPS system. Results
showed that EPS system with the designed boost curve reduced reacting time and overshoot value, thus
ensure the dynamic reaction and stability.

© 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of [CEIS 2011]

KEYWORDS: Boosting curve, Electric power steering, simulation, ADAMS

0. Introduction

Electric power steering (EPS) system is a very important component for improving automotive
handling and stability [1]. An EPS system includes mechanical subsystem and electronic and control
subsystem, and it has to work in the full vehicle mechanical system. In the development process of the
EPS system, different subsystems have to be developed in parallel so as to reduce time and cost of system
development. Cooperation between engineers for developing different subsystems is also needed.
Therefore, a model-based development is a rational way for this parallel developing and cooperation [2-4].

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +86 13585901312; fax: +86 21 67791152.

E-mail address: pschenhao@163.com.

1877-7058 © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2011.08.090
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One of the most important parts of the EPS system is the electric control system, which receives signals
collected by sensors for vehicle speed, steering angle, steering torque and controls the assistant motor for
giving required assistant torque. The key of this control system is to find a boosting curve to embody the
assist characteristic. Most researchers of EPS emphasize on the control strategy. Few of assist
characteristics is studied. In Refs. [5] and [6] , a boost curve is given but without calculation formula.
Refs. [7] and [8] study the steering assist value just from road feel.
A model-based development method for EPS system has been explored. A model for the EPS system
has been established in a full vehicle mechanical system environment. A straight line boost curve was
designed and evaluated in this environment to improve the performance of EPS system.

1. Modeling

1.1. Full vehicle model

The system-level model includes a mechanical subsystem model for a full vehicle, and for steering
system in detail. This mechanical model for the full vehicle and the steering system is established in the
software MSC.ADAMS. It includes suspensions for the four corners. The steering system’s mechanical
model includes steering wheel, steering column, steering rack/pinion, and some connection poles. The
chassis model is coupled with the road surface by tire model, which is built based on the
MSC.ADAMS/TIRE module. This method is used in vehicle dynamics modeling, and the full vehicle
model is shown in Fig. 1.The model consisted of 15 degrees of freedom, including 6 for vehicle body, 2
for front suspension, 2 for rear suspension, 4 for wheels and 1 for steering wheel.

Fig.1 Full vehicle’s mechanical system model Fig.2 A steering mechanism with EPS

1.2. EPS model

The EPS subsystem model is described by the angular rate and position of the steering column and motor,
the linear velocity and displacement of the steering rack. Fig. 2 shows the schematic diagram of a steering
mechanism equipped with EPS.
It can be formally subdivided into three subsystems: 1) mechanical steering system consisting of steering
wheel, steering column, torsion bar, and steering rack; 2) brush-type direct current (DC) motor, which
provides assisting torque; 3) electronic control unit (ECU) with related sensors, such as steering torque,
steering angle sensor, and motor current sensor.
The principal mode of operation can be summarized as follows. If driver turns the steering wheel, the
torsion bar is twisted and a steering torque is generated, which in turn moves steering rack. The change of
the vehicle direction depends on the change of steering rack position, which causes the change of the rack
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force. In order to assist driver and provide a good steering feeling, a certain amount of rack force is
compensated by the servo force generated by assistant motor.

2. Design of boost curve

The power-assisted characteristic of EPS has curves of sorts. Among the three kinds of power-assisted
characteristic curves, the straight-line boost curve is the most widely used one. The assist torque is
proportional to the torque of steering wheel. Thus, road feel intensity is a constant, which is convenient to
design and adjust the control system easily. The assist torque for straight line type is calculated as follow.
⎧ 0 0 ≤ Td < Td 0 ⎫
⎪ ⎪ (1)
Tm = ⎨ KV (V ) ⋅ (Td − Td 0 ) Td 0 ≤ Td < Td max ⎬
⎪ Tmax Td ≥ Td max ⎪⎭
⎩
Where Tm is assist torque, Td is steering wheel torque, Td0 is steering wheel torque when assist torque
begin to generate, Tdmax is the steering wheel torque when maximum assist torque is applied, KV(V) is
assist coefficient, Tmax is the maximum torque for steering wheel.
Td0 and Tdmax are related to the feeling of driver. Thus, their values can be obtained by experiment, on
the basis of steering portability and road feel. According to Ref [9], assist torque generated for cars when
Td0=1.0N.m, while the maximum assist torque Tdmax is 7.0N.m.
Based on the model established, the maximum torque for steering wheel was gained through simulation.

2.1. Assist torque when velocity is 0km/h

The maximum assist torque under 0km/h velocity can be calculated by Eq.2.
(2)
In which, is the maximum steering resistance force when velocity is 0km/h, which can be
calculated by Eq.3.

(3)
In which, f is coefficient of sliding friction, G1 is load for the front axle, P is tire pressure, i is
steering gear angle ratio,η is the efficiency of steering gear.

2.2. Assist torque when velocity is 20km/h, 40km/h, 60km/h,80km/h and 100km/h

The torque of steering wheel was recorded by rotating uniformly to one side limit position, under the
velocity of 20km/h, 40km/h, 60km/h, 80km/h and 100km/h. The maximum value for each velocity
represented its Tmax, shown in Table 1.
The assist torque range is 1.0 N.m to 7.0 N.m. Therefore, the assist torque in this range can be obtained
by using interpolation methods. The assist torque can be calculated by Eq. 4.
(Td − Td 0 )(Tmax − Td max )
Tm =
Td max − Td 0 (4)
Taking all these values into the above equations, the assist coefficient KV(V) was calculated under
different velocities, shown in Table 1.
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Table 1 Maximum steering wheel torque and assist coefficient under different velocities

Velocity 0[km/h] 20[km/h] 40[km/h] 60[km/h] 80[km/h] 100[km/h]

Tmax 28.1 20.3 16.7 11.4 8.9 5.3

KV(V) 3.52 2.23 1.62 0.73 0.32 ―

Along with the increase in velocity, the value of assist coefficient was reduced. When velocity was
100km/h, Tmax<Tdmax, there was no need for assist torque.

2.3. Boosting curve

By using polynomial regression, the assist coefficient was obtained.

KV (V ) = 3.4754 − 0.0606v + 0.0003v 2 (R2=0.9928) (5)
Therefore, the straight line boost curve can be established, shown in Fig.5.

⎧ 0 0 ≤ Td < Td 0 ⎫
⎪ 2 ⎪ (6)
Tm = ⎨(3.4754 − 0.0606v + 0.0003v ) ⋅ (Td − 1) Td 0 ≤ Td < Td max ⎬
⎪ Tmax Td ≥ Td max ⎪⎭
⎩

Fig.3 showed the assist force curve in different velocities.

3. Simulation and results

Based on the designed straight line

Assist Torque/N

boosting curve, simulation

experiment was done to illustrate its
effect on assist characteristics. Angle
step function response experiment
was done in ADAMS software. The
initial velocity was 80 km/h. The
input is 100 degree angle step, which
imitated the angle input of steering
wheel, shown in Fig.4.
Output was the angular velocity of Fig.3 Straight line boost curve under different velocities
the whole vehicle, which can show
the stability of vehicle. Simulation
result with and without EPS were
shown in Fig.5. As time went by,
angular velocity for the curve without
EPS system was obviously higher
than that with EPS system using the
straight line boosting curve. Both
reacting time and overshoot value
reduced when using straight line boost
curve EPS system, which can ensure
the dynamic reaction and stability Fig.4 Angle step input of steering wheel
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when car was moving.

Conclusion

On the basis of whole-vehicle model,

the straight line type boost curve
was designed and evaluated in a
whole vehicle model condition.
Simulation showed that the designed
boost curve reduced reacting time
and overshoot value, thus ensure the
dynamic reaction and stability when
Fig.5 Angular velocity response curve with and without EPS
car was moving. Further research is
under way on application of electronic control with the aim of further improving functions and
performance.

Acknowledgement

This research is supported by ‘085’ Knowledge Innovation Project of Universities in Shanghai, Project
for Excellent Young Teacher in Shanghai (gjd09012) and Start-up Scientific Research Fund of Shanghai
University of Engineering Science(09-12) . The financial supports from above funds and organization are
gratefully acknowledged.

References

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[3] M. Kristine, H.Tanaka, and N. Inoue: SAE (2002) .
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[5] C. Chabaan Rakan, L.Y. Wang: JSAE Review Vol. 22 (2001), 435-444.
[6] Takayuki Kifuku , Shun′ichi Wada: Mitsubishi Electric Advance, March (1997) .
[7] A. Zaremba , R. Davis, in: Proceeding of ACC, Seattle , Washington (1995), 4253-4257.
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