FIELD OF THE ART
This invention relates to a vehicle test device, a vehicle test method and a
program for vehicle test device.
BACKGROUND AR5 T
As shown in the patent document 1, this kind of the vehicle test device
comprises a rotating body on which a vehicle is placed and a control device that
controls a motor connected with the rotating body, and tests performance of the vehicle
or a part of the vehicle while rotating a wheel under the same condition as that of the
10 actually running vehicle.
This vehicle test device is so configured to control the motor as considering
rotational speed of the rotating body as the rotational speed of the wheel. Concretely
the vehicle test device further comprises a speed detecting device that detects the
15 rotational speed of the rotating body, and the control device controls torque applied to
the rotational axis of the motor so as to make the rotational speed detect ed by the speed
detecting device coincide with a target speed of the wheel.
For example, a case of testing the performance of the vehicle running at a
20 ground speed of 100 km/h is considered. In this case, since there is a skid between a
road surface and the wheel of the actually running vehicle, the wheel rotates at a
rotation number corresponding to a speed (for example, the ground speed is 103 km/h)
that is faster than the ground speed (100 km/h) of the vehicle. In other words, the
ground speed of the vehicle differs from a vehicle speed calculated based on the
25 rotation number of the wheel. Under this running condition, the control device
controls the torque applied to the rotational axis of the motor to make the rotation
number detected by the speed detecting device, namely the rotation number of the
rotating body correspond to the ground speed of 103 km/h.
30 However, practically there is a skid between the rotating body and the wheel
on the rotating body. As a result of this, in the above-mentioned case, the wheel on
the rotating body fails to rotate at the same rotation number corresponding to the
ground speed of 103 km/h, and rotates at the rotation number corresponding to, for
example, the ground speed of 106 km/h. In case of decreasing the speed of the
3
vehicle, a converse phenomenon is occurred. In other words, in accordance with
above-mentioned arrangement, a gap generates between the rotating number of the
actually running wheel and the wheel on the rotating body so that there is a problem
that it becomes impossible to reproduce the actually running state accurately because
of the gap5 .
PRIOR ART DOCUMENT
PATENT DOCUMENT
Patent document 1:Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No.
10 2009-300432
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION
The present claimed invention intends to solve all of the problems and a main
15 object of this invention is to control the rotational speed of the wheel accurately so as
to make it equal to the target value and to reproduce the actually running state with
high accuracy.
MEANS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS
20 More specifically, the vehicle test device in accordance with this invention
tests performance of a vehicle or a part of the vehicle by rotating a wheel placed on a
rotating body, and is characterized by obtaining a rotation related value that indicates
rotational speed of the wheel or torque applied to the wheel, and controlling the
rotational speed of the rotating body or the torque applied to the rotating body so as to
25 make the rotation related value equal to a predetermined target value.
In accordance with the vehicle test device having the above-mentioned
arrangement, since the rotation related value of the wheel is obtained and the rotating
body is controlled so as to make the rotation related value equal to the target value,
30 unlike control by considering the rotational speed of the rotating body as the rotational
speed of the wheel, no influence is exerted by the gap between the rotational speed of
the rotating body and the rotational speed of the wheel.
With this arrangement, the rotation related value of the wheel can be
4
controlled to be the target value accurately and the actual running can be reproduced
with high accuracy. As a result of this, it is possible to accurately evaluate the
performance of the vehicle or a part of the vehicle.
As a concrete embodiment to control the rotation related value of the whee5 l
placed on the rotating body to be the rotation related value of the actually running
wheel represented is that the predetermined target value is the rotational speed of the
wheel or the torque applied to the wheel obtained at an actual running time, or the
rotational speed of the wheel or the torque applied to the wheel calculated by the use of
10 a running data obtained at the actual running time.
It is preferable to have a rotational speed detecting part that detects the
rotational speed of the wheel in a state of being contact or contactless with the wheel.
15 In accordance with this arrangement, it is possible to directly detect the
rotational speed of the wheel so that the rotational speed of the wheel can be controlled
with high accuracy.
In order to make it possible to eliminate the need for the above-mentioned
20 rotational speed detecting part, it is preferable to have a control device that calculates
the rotational speed of the wheel based on a signal obtained through a network loaded
on the vehicle and controls the rotational speed of the rotating body or the torque
applied to the rotating body so as to make the rotational speed of the wheel equal to the
predetermined target value.
25
As a concrete embodiment of the vehicle test device in accordance with this
invention represented is that a chassis dynamometer is used, and the rotating body is a
chassis roller.
30
EFFECT OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with this invention having the above-mentioned arrangement, it
is possible to control the rotational speed of the wheel accurately to be the
predetermined target value and to evaluate the performance of the vehicle or a part of
5
the vehicle accurately by reproducing the actual running state accurately.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a pattern diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle test device i5 n
accordance with this embodiment.
Fig. 2 is a pattern diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle test device in
accordance with another embodiment.
Fig. 3 is a pattern diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle test device in
10 accordance with another embodiment.
Fig. 4 is a pattern diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle test device in
accordance with another embodiment.
EXPLANATION OF CODES
15 100 … vehicle test device
V… vehicle
W … wheel
10 … chassis dynamometer
11 … roller
20 20 … control device
30 … rotational speed detecting part
BEST MODES OF EMBODYING THE INVENTION
One embodiment of a vehicle test device in accordance with this invention
25 will be explained with reference drawings.
The vehicle test device 100 in accordance with this embodiment tests
performance of a vehicle (V) or a part of the vehicle (V) by pseudo running the vehicle
(V) under a condition that is the same as an actual running condition (running on an
actual road), and concretely as shown in Fig. 1, comprises a chassis dynamometer 10
30 on which the vehicle (V) is loaded and a control device 20 that controls the chassis
dynamometer 10.
6
The chassis dynamometer 10 functions as a driving device that drives the
vehicle (V) by working as an electric motor in accordance with a driving condition at
the actual running time, and also functions as a loading device that imparts a load to
the vehicle (V) by working as a generator.
5
Concretely, the chassis dynamometer 10 has a chassis roller 11 (hereinafter
also called as a roller 11) as being a rotating body on which a driving wheel (W)
(hereinafter also called just as a wheel (W)) such as a front wheel is placed and a motor,
not shown in drawings, that is connected with the roller 11 and that rotates the roller11.
10
The roller 11 is, for example, a rotational drum or an endless belt (a flat belt).
The control device 20 comprises a CPU, a memory, an A/D converter, a D/A
converter or the like, and controls rotational speed of the roller 11 by cooperating the
15 CPU and its peripheral devices based on programs stored in a predetermined area of
the memory. The control device 20 controls the rotational speed of the roller 11 by
controlling an output of the motor.
The control device 20 in accordance with this embodiment obtains a rotation
20 related value indicating rotational speed of the wheel (W) or a torque that is applied to
the wheel (W), and controls the rotational speed of the roller 11 so as to make the
rotation related value equal to a predetermined target value that is stored in the
memory.
25 The target value is the rotational speed of the wheel (W) at the actual running
time, and is, for example, a value calculated by the use of a vehicle speed obtained by
the actual running or a running data such as a road surface state, an over -time value
based on a running pattern previously obtained by the actual running, or a value based
on a running pattern input by an operator by means of an input interface.
30
In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle test device 100 further
comprises a rotational speed detecting part 30 that detects the rotational speed of the
wheel (W), and the control device 20 obtains the rotational speed of the wheel (W)
detected by the rotational speed detecting part 30 as the rotation related value.
7
More specifically, the control device 20 controls the chassis dynamometer 10
so as to make the rotational speed of the wheel (W) equal to the rotational speed of the
wheel at the actual running time. In this embodiment, the rotational speed of the
wheel obtained by the actual running or the rotational speed or the rotational speed o5 f
the wheel (W) calculated by the use of the running data obtained by the actual running
is stored in the memory as the target value, and the control device 20 performs a
feedback control on the rotational speed of a surface of the roller 11 by controlling the
output of the motor so as to make the rotational speed obtained by the rotational speed
10 detecting part 30 coincide with the above-mentioned target value.
The rotational speed detecting part 30 directly detects the rotational speed of
the wheel (W) in a state of being contact or contactless with the wheel (W), and uses,
for example, a proximity sensor, a photoelectric sensor, a magnetic sensor, a rotary
15 encoder or the like.
More concretely, the rotational speed detecting part 30 detects the rotational
speed of the wheel (W) based on a number of a pulse signal per unit time generated in
accordance with the rotation of the wheel (W), and outputs a rotational speed signal
20 indicating the rotational speed to the above-mentioned control device 20.
In accordance with the vehicle test device 100 having the above-mentioned
arrangement, since the rotational speed of the wheel (W) is detected and the rotational
speed of the roller 11 is controlled so as to make the detected rotational speed of the
25 wheel (W) equal to the rotational speed of the wheel (W) at the actual running time, it
is possible to control the running speed of the wheel (W) without being influenced by a
gap of the running speed between the wheel (W) and the roller 11.
As a result of this, it is possible to make the rotational speed of the wheel
30 (W) coincide with the rotational speed that corresponds to the running speed of the
vehicle (V) at the actual running time, namely the rotational speed of the wheel (W) at
the actual running time so that it is possible to reproduce the actual running with high
accuracy and to evaluate the performance of the vehicle (V) or of a part of the vehicle
(V) accurately.
8
In addition, since the rotational speed of the wheel (W) can be controlled
without being influenced by the gap of the rotational speed between the wheel (W) and
the roller 11, there is no need of controlling the wheel (W) by the use of a slip ratio
between the wheel (W) and the roller 11 so that the program can be simplified5 .
Furthermore, since the rotational speed of the wheel (W) is detected by the
rotational speed detecting part 30, it is possible to control the rotational speed of the
wheel (W) with high accuracy.
10
The present claimed invention is not limited to the above-mentioned
embodiment.
For example, the control device 20 obtains the rotational speed of the wheel
15 (W) detected by the rotational speed detecting part 30 and controls the rotational speed
of the roller 11 so as to make the rotational speed of the wheel (W) equal to the target
value in the above-mentioned embodiment, however, as shown in Fig. 2, a torque
detected by a torque sensor 40 arranged for an axle of the wheel (W) may be obtained
and control the rotational speed of the roller 11 so as to make the torque equal to the
20 target value.
Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 3, the control device 20 may calculate the
rotational speed of the wheel (W) based on a signal obtained through an onboard
network such as a control area network (CAN) or the like from an electronic control
25 unit (ECU) and control the rotational speed of the roller 11 so as to make the rotational
speed of the wheel (W) equal to the target value.
It is a matter of course that the control unit 20 may obtain a signal indicating
the rotational speed of the wheel (W) through the onboard network from the ECU and
30 control the rotational speed of the roller 11 so as to make the rotational speed of the
wheel (W) equal to the target value.
In addition, as shown in Fig. 4, the chassis dynamometer 10 may be so
configured that the wheel (W) is loaded on two rollers 11. In this case, the controller
9
20 may control both rollers 11, or may control either one of the rollers 11.
Furthermore, the vehicle test device is not necessarily to test a finished vehicle, and
may test a wheel mounted on an engine or a power train.
In addition, the control device of the above-mentioned embodiment control5 s
the rotational speed of the roller by controlling the output of the motor, however, the
rotational speed of the roller may be controlled by controlling torque applied to the
rotation axis of the motor.
10 Furthermore, in addition to the chassis dynamometer of the above-mentioned
embodiment, in order to make it possible to correspond to 4WD, the chassis
dynamometer may be a chassis dynamometer comprising a pair of rollers arranged in
the front and in the rear. In addition, a pair of rollers each of which corresponds to
each of the right and left wheels may be provided.
15
In this case, it is represented that the vehicle test device obtains the rotational
speed of each of the wheels locating on each roller respectively, and controls the
rotational speed of each wheel so as to make each rotational speed equal to the target
value respectively.
20
In addition, the control device of the above-mentioned embodiment is so
configured to control the chassis dynamometer to make the rotational speed of the
wheel on the roller equal to the rotational speed of the wheel at the actual running time,
however, an actual speed as being an actual speed (a ground speed) of the vehicle at
25 the actual running time may be obtained and the chassis dynamometer may be
controlled so as to make a surface speed of the roller equal to the above -mentioned
actual speed.
Furthermore, the vehicle test device in accordance with this invention may be
30 used together with an exhaust gas analyzer.
In accordance with this arrangement, it is possible to analyze an exhaust gas
in a state of imitating the actual running with high accuracy by the vehicle test device
and to highly approximate a measurement result of the exhaust gas discharged from the
10
vehicle on the roller to a measurement result of the exhaust gas actually discharged
from the actually running vehicle.
It is a matter of course that the present claimed invention is not limited to
the above-mentioned embodiment and may be variously modified without departin5 g
from a spirit of the invention.
POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS IN INDUSTRY
In accordance with the above-mentioned invention, the rotational speed of
10 the vehicle can be controlled accurately to the predetermined target value so that it is
possible to evaluate the performance of the vehicle or the performance of a part of the
vehicle with high accuracy by reproducing the actual running state.

WE CLAIM:
1. A vehicle test device that tests performance of a vehicle or a part of a vehicle by
rotating a wheel placed on a rotating body, wherein
the vehicle test device obtains a rotation related value that indicates rotationa5 l
speed of the wheel or torque applied to the wheel, and controls rotat ional speed of the
rotating body or torque applied to the rotating body so as to make the rotation related
value equal to a predetermined target value.
10 2. The vehicle test device described in claim 1, wherein
the predetermined target value is the rotational speed of the wheel or the
torque applied to the wheel obtained at an actual running time, or the rotational speed
of the wheel or the torque applied to the wheel calculated by the use of a running data
obtained at the actual running time.
15
3. The vehicle test device described in claim 1 or 2, and is characterized by having
a rotational speed detecting part that detects the rotational speed of the wheel
in a state of being contact or contactless with the wheel.
20 4. The vehicle test device described in claim 1 or 2, and is characterized by having
a control device that calculates the rotational speed of the wheel based on a
signal obtained through a network loaded on the vehicle and controls the rotational
speed of the rotating body or the torque applied to the rotating body so as to make the
rotational speed of the wheel equal to the predetermined target value.
25
5. The vehicle test device described in either one of claim 1 through claim 4, wherein
a chassis dynamometer is used, and
the rotating body is a chassis roller.
30 6. A vehicle test method that tests performance of a vehicle or a part of a vehicle by
rotating a wheel placed on a rotating body, wherein
a rotation related value that indicates rotational speed of the wheel or torque
applied to the wheel is obtained, and the rotational speed of the rotating body or the
torque applied to the rotating body is controlled so as to make the rotation related
12
value equal to a predetermined target value.
7. A program used for a vehicle test device that tests performance of a vehicle or a
part of a vehicle by rotating a wheel placed on a rotating body, wherein
a rotation related value that indicates rotational speed of the wheel or torqu5 e
applied to the wheel is obtained, and the rotational speed of the rotating body or the
torque applied to the rotating body is controlled so as to make the rotation related
value equal to a predetermined target value.