A novel design of active accelerator pedal using linear electromagnetic actuator

This paper describes a novel design of an active accelerator pedal(AAP) using a linear electromagnetic actuator that transfers warning messages recognized by the automobile from the sensors to the driver. In an emergency driving situation, the electromagnetic actuator creates additional pedal forces such as active pedal force and vibration force. In a passive situation however, the actuator does not produce additional force. In the past, a system with a rotary actuator was developed for AAP but was found to have critical drawbacks such as inaccurate movement by backlash and torque occurrence due to the high gear ratio. This research, therefore, aims to solve these drawbacks and maximize car safety by optimizing the electromagnetic linear actuator. Finite element analysis is performed to analyze the coupled system of electric, magnetic, and mechanical subsystems, and to characterize the dynamic performance of the proposed actuator system. A novel design of the AAP system with the optimized electromagnetic linear actuator is developed. The dynamic characteristics of the AAP system are simulated by a 3D dynamic analysis software program. Satisfactory results were obtained. Finally, the test result and the simulation result of the AAP system are compared.