A Novel Real-Time Center of Gravity Estimation Method for Wheel Loaders with Front/Rear-Axle-Independent Electric Driving

Estimation of the center of gravity (CG) is the basis for intelligent control of the front-and-rear-axis-independent electric driving wheel loaders (FREWLs). This paper presents a novel real-time method for estimating the CG of FREWLs, which is suitable for driving and spading conditions on bumpy roads. A FREWL dynamical model is proposed to set up the state-space model. The CG estimator is used to estimate the longitudinal tire force using the state-space model and the improved square-root unscented Kalman filter (ISR-UKF) algorithm. The simulation and experimental results indicate that this method is suitable for FREWL dynamics and operational characteristics, and the estimated value of CG basically converges to the reference value. Finally, the probable reasons for error occurring in two experiments and the practical challenges of this method are discussed. The research in this paper establishes a partial theoretical basis for intelligent control of construction machinery.