This article focuses on the development of an active braking control system
tailored for electric vehicles. The essence of this system lies in its ability
to regulate the slip coefficient to optimize traction during braking, thereby
maximizing energy recuperation. In the context of the simulation on enhancing
regenerative energy capture in electric vehicles, the use of integral sliding
mode control (ISMC) as an alternative for regulating braking performance can be
understood through a comparison of two key output variables in braking control
systems: wheel deceleration and wheel slip. Traditionally, wheel deceleration
has been a controlled variable in braking systems, and it is still utilized in
some anti-lock braking systems (ABS). It can be easily measured using a basic
wheel encoder. However, the dynamic performance of wheel deceleration control
may suffer when there are rapid changes in the road surface. On the contrary,
regulating wheel slip offers high robustness from a dynamic perspective. Despite
its robustness, accurately measuring wheel slip poses a challenge as it
necessitates estimating the vehicle speed. Nonetheless, despite this challenge,
controlling wheel slip remains the most suitable option for designing braking
controllers that can adapt to variations in road surface conditions. Therefore,
integrating ISMC into the braking system as an alternative enables more
effective regulation of wheel slip, enhancing the overall performance and
resilience of the braking system, which is particularly crucial in electric
vehicles where optimizing regenerative braking is a significant concern.
The article explores the theoretical dynamics of electric vehicle braking
maneuvers and introduces the concept of an ISMC for managing the slip
coefficient. Utilizing a robust control law in conjunction with this controller
guarantees the exponential convergence of slip error. Afterward, we explore the
visualization and simulation of the braking process performed by the ISMC, as
well as the storage of the recovered energy in a supercapacitor system using
MATLAB/Simulink.
