This article presents the design and the analysis of a control logic capable of
optimizing vehicle’s energy consumption during a braking maneuver. The idea
arose with the purpose of enhancing regeneration and health management in
electric vehicles with electro-actuated brakes. Regenerative braking improves
energy efficiency and allows a considerable reduction in secondary emissions,
but its efficiency is strongly dependent on the state of charge (SoC) of the
battery. In the analyzed case, a vehicle equipped with four in-wheel motors (one
for each wheel), four electro-actuated brakes, and a battery was considered.
The proposed control system can manage and optimize electrical and energy
exchanges between the driveline’s components according to the working
conditions, monitoring parameters such as SoC of the battery, brake temperature,
battery temperature, motor temperature, and acts to optimize the total energy
consumption. The solution devised allows first to maximize the effects of
regenerative braking when the battery SoC is too high to regenerate efficiently,
then to safeguard the condition of the battery for both the battery’s long life
and overheating and safeguard the condition of the brakes to prevent their
overheating.
