A New Approach to the Electronic Wedge Brake

The aim of this research is to develop a new electronic braking system based on an electric powered controlled friction brake with high self-reinforcement capability which has performance advantages over the conventional electromechanical brake systems. To avoid jamming, a special control technology was developed. Thus, by intelligently controlling a brake wedge, the kinetic energy of a vehicle is transformed into braking power. The physical effects involved, lead to a significant reduction of energy consumption of the brake actuator compared to “conventional” brake-by-wire systems. The performance of the “Electronic Wedge Brake” (EWB) in a vehicle was studied using a quarter vehicle model. A sliding mode controller was designed for an optimum wheel slip control, and the control simulation results show significant shorter braking distance in comparison to other conventional braking systems.