Comparative Study on Performance and Energy-Efficient Operation of the Steering Valves Used in Articulated Steering System

The present article compares the Proportional Directional Control Valve (PDCV) and the Stepper Motor-Driven Orbitrol Valve (SMDOV) coupled to the steering system of the articulated steered vehicles. Simulation models of both valve coupled steering systems are developed in a MATLAB (r2019b) environment, and results are well validated with the experimental data. Comparison analysis is performed between the PDCV and SMDOV steering systems by controlling the desired position demand using a conventional PID controller. From the comparative study, it is observed that the SMDOV provides almost 50% energy reduction, but the valve response is low compared to PDCV. However, the steering response provided by the SMDOV is quite enough for performing steering operations in mining conditions. Overall, the orbitrol valve-assisted steering system offers more efficient and smooth steering than the PDCV valve. The future work of the present study extends to the development of autonomous steering operation using an orbitrol valve-operated articulated steering system.