DIRAVI
Encyclopedia
DIRAVI is the name given by Citroën
to its proprietary power steering
system, first seen in 1970.
DIRAVI is an acronym for "Direction à rappel asservi" literally meaning "steering with controlled return" more accurately described in English as "power steering with power assisted return". In the UK, it was marketed as VariPower and in the U.S. as SpeedFeel.
This was the first commercially available variable assist power steering
arrangement, allowing the motorist power assist when parking, but recognizing that less steering assistance was needed at high speed. This feature is now spreading to mainstream vehicles.
This DIRAVI system is an addition to the integrated Citroën hydropneumatic suspension and braking system and apart from its hydraulic power supply is independent of it.
This unique Citroën power operated self centring steering system is fitted to: Citroën SM
, Citroën CX
(most), Citroën XM
(early Left Hand drive V6), Maserati Quattroporte
II, Maserati Khamsin
The steering wheel is connected to the hydraulic control unit, which contains a slide valve, the control gears and linkage, and the centring piston and cam. The steering rack pinion is connected to the hydraulic control unit through an adjuster, to allow setting of the centre point of the steering. This then drives one of the control gears, the other being driven by the steering wheel. The control linkage consists of two gears coupled with rods through ball-joints. When the gears are turned relative to each other, the rods move the slide valve, allowing fluid in or out of the rack. This moves the rack, which in turn moves its pinion, turning the control gears back to their centre position. Compare this with a conventional power steering system, which relies on the flexing of a strong spring to control the valve.
When there is no pressure available to operate the ram, the steering wheel will mechanically move the rack directly but with significant play through a split shaft. One side from the steering wheel drives a pin which mates with a slot on the output shaft connected to the rack. The free play in this emergency mechanical system is necessary for the normal play free pressure operated Diravi system to operate its feedback control loop. In practice this heavy & inaccurate manual steering character of Diravi is only required when the hydraulic system has failed, whence emergency system prioritisation firstly sacrifices the steering system.
Because the DIRAVI system is much more sensitive than conventional systems, something must be done to prevent the driver over-controlling at high speeds. This is the job of the heart shaped centring cam inside the unit. A pressure loaded piston with a roller on the end runs against the edge of this cam. This pressure comes from a centrifugal governor proportioning valve driven from the gearbox (on manual gearboxes - on automatic gearboxes the gearbox's internal governor pressure controls the centring pressure). At low speeds, the centring piston pressure is 290 psig, to provide a light degree of self centring when parking etc. Proportionally the self centring pressure rises to a maximum of about 800 psig. at 80 km/h, at which self centring forces become a maximum, stiffening the steering but not excessively so.
Citroën
Citroën is a major French automobile manufacturer, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.Founded in 1919 by French industrialist André-Gustave Citroën , Citroën was the first mass-production car company outside the USA and pioneered the modern concept of creating a sales and services network that...
to its proprietary power steering
Power steering
Power steering helps drivers steer vehicles by augmenting steering effort of the steering wheel.Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver needs to provide only modest effort regardless of conditions. Power steering helps considerably when a...
system, first seen in 1970.
DIRAVI is an acronym for "Direction à rappel asservi" literally meaning "steering with controlled return" more accurately described in English as "power steering with power assisted return". In the UK, it was marketed as VariPower and in the U.S. as SpeedFeel.
This was the first commercially available variable assist power steering
Power steering
Power steering helps drivers steer vehicles by augmenting steering effort of the steering wheel.Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver needs to provide only modest effort regardless of conditions. Power steering helps considerably when a...
arrangement, allowing the motorist power assist when parking, but recognizing that less steering assistance was needed at high speed. This feature is now spreading to mainstream vehicles.
This DIRAVI system is an addition to the integrated Citroën hydropneumatic suspension and braking system and apart from its hydraulic power supply is independent of it.
This unique Citroën power operated self centring steering system is fitted to: Citroën SM
Citroën SM
The Citroën SM is a high-performance coupé produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1970 to 1975. The SM placed third in the 1971 European Car of the Year contest, trailing its stablemate Citroën GS, and won the 1972 Motor Trend Car of the Year award in the U.S. in 1972.-History:In 1961,...
, Citroën CX
Citroën CX
The Citroën CX is an automobile produced by the French automaker Citroën from 1974 to 1991. Citroën sold nearly 1.2 million CXs during its 16 years of production. The CX was voted European Car of the Year in 1975....
(most), Citroën XM
Citroën XM
The Citroën XM is an executive car that was produced by the French automaker Citroën between 1989 and 2000. Citroën sold 333,775 XMs during the model's 11 years of production...
(early Left Hand drive V6), Maserati Quattroporte
Maserati Quattroporte
The Maserati Quattroporte is a luxury four-door saloon made by Maserati in Italy. The name translated from Italian literally means "four doors". There have been five generations of the car, each separated by a period of roughly five years....
II, Maserati Khamsin
Maserati Khamsin
The Maserati Khamsin was a sports car introduced as a Bertone prototype in 1972 at the Turin Auto Show. In 1973 it was put on display at the Paris Motor Show, where it was badged as a Maserati...
How It Works
The steering rack is almost conventional. As with a normal power-assisted steering setup, there is a rack-and-pinion, and a stepped hydraulic ram with a dividing plate (the piston) in the middle. On one side of the plate, the piston area is half the area of the other, giving twice the area for the fluid to work on. Thus, with full system pressure on the small area side of the ram, and half system pressure on the large area side, the ram remains perfectly balanced and centred. This is because the lower pressure is working on a larger surface area. The smaller side of the piston is at constant hydraulic pressure, the other side only varies in pressure. NOTE: The author seems to be describing the DS power steering piston and rod, on which the piston is in the middle of the rod. The SM's steering cylinder has the piston on the end of the rod, which rod's cross-sectional area is half the area of the other side of the piston. Full hydraulic pressure is admitted to the rod side at all times while the pressure on the other side of the piston (its "head") is regulated.The steering wheel is connected to the hydraulic control unit, which contains a slide valve, the control gears and linkage, and the centring piston and cam. The steering rack pinion is connected to the hydraulic control unit through an adjuster, to allow setting of the centre point of the steering. This then drives one of the control gears, the other being driven by the steering wheel. The control linkage consists of two gears coupled with rods through ball-joints. When the gears are turned relative to each other, the rods move the slide valve, allowing fluid in or out of the rack. This moves the rack, which in turn moves its pinion, turning the control gears back to their centre position. Compare this with a conventional power steering system, which relies on the flexing of a strong spring to control the valve.
When there is no pressure available to operate the ram, the steering wheel will mechanically move the rack directly but with significant play through a split shaft. One side from the steering wheel drives a pin which mates with a slot on the output shaft connected to the rack. The free play in this emergency mechanical system is necessary for the normal play free pressure operated Diravi system to operate its feedback control loop. In practice this heavy & inaccurate manual steering character of Diravi is only required when the hydraulic system has failed, whence emergency system prioritisation firstly sacrifices the steering system.
Because the DIRAVI system is much more sensitive than conventional systems, something must be done to prevent the driver over-controlling at high speeds. This is the job of the heart shaped centring cam inside the unit. A pressure loaded piston with a roller on the end runs against the edge of this cam. This pressure comes from a centrifugal governor proportioning valve driven from the gearbox (on manual gearboxes - on automatic gearboxes the gearbox's internal governor pressure controls the centring pressure). At low speeds, the centring piston pressure is 290 psig, to provide a light degree of self centring when parking etc. Proportionally the self centring pressure rises to a maximum of about 800 psig. at 80 km/h, at which self centring forces become a maximum, stiffening the steering but not excessively so.
Features
- Fully hydraulic (no direct mechanical connection between the steering wheel shaft and the steering pinion during normal operation).
- Power operated unlike conventional power assisted steering systems.
- Automatic return to straight ahead position -whenever the engine is running the steering wheel will centralise, even when parked.
- Artificial feel inbuilt - centering force varies in proportion to vehicle speed and/or steering wheel deflection.
- Power for the system from a regulated high pressure hydraulic pump which also operates the brakes and suspension system.
- The steering is operated by a rack and pinion system which normally only works as a feedback loop.
- The rack takes the form of a double acting hydraulic ram, but is capable of taking over full steering function in the event of a hydraulic failure. During normal operation the rack and pinion merely provides a position indication to the steering control valve through the pinion shaft. The rack and pinion do the actual steering only in the absence of system hydraulic pressure.
- A hydraulic power safety prioritisation valve sets hydraulic fluid availability to each circuit in the Citroën system.
- The steering is first to lose hydraulic power in a hydraulic system failure, whence it falls back to an inbuilt manual backup.
Advantages
- Requires minimal physical exertion
- Devotees find DIRAVI a delight to use. Exasperating to those not willing to accustom themselves, especially on the SM.
- Very fast – 2.0 turns lock to lock in SM configuration, 2.5 in the CX and
- Can be set up permitting vehicle to travel in a straight line without driver input on a constant camber road in still conditions.
- Blowouts, chuckholes, ruts, etc. cannot affect the steering wheel or the direction of the steered wheels which can only be moved by steering wheel input.
Disadvantages
- No feedback to the driver - apparent feedback is entirely artificial and bears no relation to the actual forces on the front wheels from the vehicle's inertia and the roadway
- Driver must survey visual cues to determine approach of roadholding limit
- Requires familiarization - novices find DIRAVI too fast and sensitive