Vehicle dynamic analysis using neuronal network algorithms

Abstract

Theoretical developments of certain engineering areas, the emergence of new investigation tools, which are better and more precise and their implementation on-board the everyday vehicles, all these represent main influence factors that impact the theoretical and experimental study of vehicle’s dynamic behavior. Once the implementation of these new technologies onto the vehicle’s construction had been achieved, it had led to more and more complex systems. Some of the most important, such as the electronic control of engine, transmission, suspension, steering, braking and traction had a positive impact onto the vehicle’s dynamic behavior. The existence of CPU on-board vehicles allows data acquisition and storage and it leads to a more accurate and better experimental and theoretical study of vehicle dynamics. It uses the information offered directly by the already on-board built-in elements of electronic control systems. The technical literature that studies vehicle dynamics is entirely focused onto parametric analysis. This kind of approach adopts two simplifying assumptions. Functional parameters obey certain distribution laws, which are known in classical statistics theory. The second assumption states that the mathematical models are previously known and have coefficients that are not time-dependent. Both the mentioned assumptions are not confirmed in real situations: the functional parameters do not follow any known statistical repartition laws and the mathematical laws aren’t previously known and contain families of parameters and are mostly time-dependent. The purpose of the paper is to present a more accurate analysis methodology that can be applied when studying vehicle’s dynamic behavior.

A method that provides the setting of non-parametrical mathematical models for vehicle’s dynamic behavior is relying on neuronal networks. This method contains coefficients that are time-dependent. Neuronal networks are mostly used in various types’ system controls, thus being a non-linear process identification algorithm. The common use of neuronal networks for non-linear processes is justified by the fact that both have the ability to organize by themselves. That is why the neuronal networks best define intelligent systems, thus the word ‘neuronal’ is sending one’s mind to the biological neuron cell. The paper presents how to better interpret data fed from the on-board computer and a new way of processing that data to better model the real life dynamic behavior of the vehicle.