Electric Power Steering - experience?
Electric Power Steering - experience?
(OP)
I'm working on a three-wheeled vehicle and am concerned about the force required for steering. I'd like to use an electric power steering system, such as e-steer by Delphi. This is current used on Fiat Punto.
Does anyone have experience with this system or a similar one? I'd like to know how much force is generated and any specific engineering knowledge of it use. Anyone?
Regards,
Glenn
Does anyone have experience with this system or a similar one? I'd like to know how much force is generated and any specific engineering knowledge of it use. Anyone?
Regards,
Glenn





RE: Electric Power Steering - experience?
Is your vehicle single front wheel or twin? What is the weight per wheel? What size are the tyres?
Cheers
Greg Locock
RE: Electric Power Steering - experience?
The arrangement is two wheels up front. It is a city car in a motorcycle weight class, initially 125cc. I'm using vespa suspension for the front wheels, 3.5 x 10. It is a tilting vehicle where the lean provides the turning, like a BMW skateboard. Because the weight distribution changes the steering force needed, and the loads are high at the rim of the steering wheel, I think an electric power system would help. Since it is a two-place side-by-side arrangement it really needs self centering as well. Any ideas?
RE: Electric Power Steering - experience?
But yours sounds an unusual application where the normal 'rules' may not apply. The necessary motor torque or rack force can be achieved by changing gearing ratios and king pin lever lengths etc. The question is what % of time are you going to operate at a given torque level. Most elec steering systems output performance is limited by internal heating. When worked hard the ecu will detect the temp rise and cut back the power automatically to self protect. So using a system that is too "small" in normal automotive terms can be tuned to work reasonably well in 'normal' driving, but will start to let you down in a 'carpark test'. After a minute or two of abusive steering wheel twirling you will start to notice a gradual increasing steering effort is required.
Gerry
RE: Electric Power Steering - experience?
RE: Electric Power Steering - experience?
All automotive electric systems will be integrated into the car. Its the only way to control its integrity, performance and safety.
To use the steering system out of a car you'd have to either feed the original ecu with dummy inputs or drive the column directly from a much simpler box of electronics.
RE: Electric Power Steering - experience?