An electric power steering system for an F-1 car was developed and fitted into a 2000-2001 model F-1 car. The purpose of this development was to reduce steering effort, which can exceed 350 N during a race. The new system achieves the assist performance required for the F-1 car and is compact and lightweight, with low energy consumption. To achieve this, the motor, the motor control unit driving the motor, the torque sensor, the steering gear box containing the reduction gear and the control systems were all redesigned. During development, assist performance and response were evaluated on bench tests, and stroking durability and reliability were evaluated by simulation using actual car data. Final configuration was determined using track tests. As a result, a system was developed which meets assist performance targets and satisfies the F-1 car durability and reliability requirements.
Article of Honda R&D Technical Review Vol.14 No.2 (45 - 50)