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Definitions

Dynamics: Control of the car movement
Steering: Turn wheels for directional control
Wheel track: Distance between two parallel wheels
Wheel Base: Distance between two colinear wheels
Camber: Angle of wheel pitch image-20240809-143709.png
Toe: Angle of wheel yaw image-20240809-143859.png
Tire slip angle: Difference between direction of car and angle of wheel

Types of steering

Different types of steering explored here are characterized purely based on the angle of the two wheels the mechanism controls (could be front or back)

Parallel

Both wheels turn at the same angle.

image-20240809-145129.png

If both the wheels were turned by the same amount, the inside wheel would slip (effectively sliding sideways) and lessen the effectiveness of the steering, increasingly prominent at tighter turns. This tire slip also creates unwanted heat and wear.

Ackerman

Inner wheel turns more than outer wheel.

image-20240809-151459.png

This setup mitigates the inside wheel slip during turns. Most commercial cars use Ackerman steering and it is especially favored for off-road cars.

Anti-Ackerman

The outer wheel turns more than the inner wheel.

image-20240809-151947.png

Anti-Ackerman is typically used for high speed cars (Formula 1). High speed cornering has an uneven distribution of force. When turning, inertial forces tend to deform the tire construction in an "attempt" to push the vehicle towards the outside of the corner. Having a higher slip angle on the outside tire combats this, allowing the vehicle to stay at higher speeds.

MSXV (and probably most other cars we’ve made) use Ackerman steering, and it is likely what we’ll iterate on for MSXVI (?)

Other research on this (not by me) can be found here: https://uwmidsun.atlassian.net/wiki/x/PYCWsw .

Subsystems

There are 3 major subsystems wherein most components fall under.

Steering Column

The steering column is intended primarily for connecting the steering wheel to the steering mechanism. It can serve other purposes such as mounting for smaller parts as well, but the main purpose is to transfer energy from the driver to the gear. In most commercial cars, the column is designed to collapse on collision to protect the driver.

Steering Gear

The steering gear is the central component of a car's steering system. This mechanism converts rotary motion to a sweeping/angular motion. This is typically a rack and pinion but can in some cases be a gearbox.

Steering Linkage

Transfers energy from steering gear to steering knuckles which is what ultimately turns the wheels.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265755401_Design_of_an_Ackermann_Type_Steering_Mechanism

https://www.irjet.net/archives/V7/i7/IRJET-V7I7723.pdf

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