A New Design Employing Eddy-Current Braking for Automotive Application

Sustainability and safety are at the core of modern mobility. Thus, the future of braking is a subject of great interest among large corporations and scholars alike. The principle of eddy current braking is common knowledge today. However, its realization as a standalone product for automotive applications is yet to materialize. This work intends to establish an application-oriented methodology of using eddy currents for automotive braking, especially in electric vehicles. The current brake system architectures depend on hydraulic (wet) and friction-based design. Friction-based brake systems have high wear and tear, leading to high particulate matter (PM) emissions via brake-pad and brake-shoe abrasion. On the other hand, the wet-brake systems lose their capability even in the case of a minor leak. They are also quite complex to assemble and ship. There are ongoing attempts to replace the mechanical brake actuation with electric actuation, eliminating wet-brake systems gradually, which will go a long way for sustainability. However, there is no promising alternative to frictional braking. This is particularly true when the deceleration request is too high for regenerative braking alone. Theoretically, eddy current brake systems can serve as a preferred alternative to frictional braking. They can serve as excellent retarders at high speeds. However, when it comes to low speeds, the brakeforce generated is almost non-existent. This study aims to overcome the above limitation of eddy current brake systems by introducing a novel concept via a rotating electromagnetic assembly and thus enabling eddy current as a standalone solution for automotive braking.