Advanced System and Control Solutions

During the last twenty years the demands on the functionality of drivelines for heavy off-road vehicles have continuously increased. Operators today expect highly comfortable driving characteristics, easy operation and a reasonably priced and maintenance friendly system. Last but not least, the new system solutions sought must provide a high level of energy efficiency, which will lead to reduced emissions and lower direct operating costs.One approach to build a highly powerful and versatile transmission system for heavy working vehicles is the so called design of the Multiple Motor Concept. In comparison to other designs, the a Multiple Motor Hydrostatic Transmission can be built with a minimum number of mechanical parts, leading to a cost effective solution. Nevertheless, a number of control problems must be solved to fully utilize the possible benefits offered by the concept.This project focuses on the investigation of the problems around driver-machine-interaction and control problems of Multi-Motor Hydrostatic Transmissions with a disengage-able motor. Compared to a conventional hydrostatic circuit the system is more complex, in a sense of actuators in the system, and an efficient Transmission Management System is needed to safely and comfortably operate the system. Special consideration has to be given to the disconnectable motor, which calls for effective methods for shutdown and re-engagement.