Holistic Process-Oriented Approach to Test Bench Control for Mobile Machines

Abstract

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The requirements for modern drivetrains are increasing across all industries. Even mobile working machines such as agricultural and construction machinery are subject to increasingly higher demands in terms of efficiency and CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. To verify these requirements and drive further development, it is necessary for testing processes to comprehensively evaluate the machine and its operational processes. For this purpose, the MOBiL testing approach was developed at the Institute of Mobile Machines. This approach incorporates parallel drivetrains, information flow and the environment of the driving and working task. To implement this approach in a complete vehicle testbench, a framework was developed that enables fully individual driving and working tasks of a mobile working machine to be replicated on a test bench. The basis for this framework is the Robot Operating System (ROS), which runs various nodes. Individual nodes control the different testing subsystem, such as the 4-WD-Acoustic-Chassis Dynamometer, the driving robot, or a PTO test stand. Starting from a simulation node, the subsystems are controlled and reflect their respective measured variables back into the system. These variables are then returned to the simulation and collected along with data from the simulation. All nodes are interchangeable, allowing suitable specifications, simulations, and hardware to be used depending on the scenario: For instance, a tractor with a PTO-driven implement like a baler or a rotary harrow driving on a field. This allows tests on the powertrain and its controls to be reproducibly researched on a test bench. Therefore, efficient, and customized testing processes for a wide range of applications and vehicles are enabled.</div></div>