ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Wheel slip control systems can substantially reduce emergency stopping distances of heavy vehicles when compared to conventional anti-lock braking systems, by accurately regulating wheel slip to a reference value. However, the optimum reference slip which maximizes braking force is not easily determined. This paper investigates the use of an extremum seeking algorithm to generate the reference for a pneumatic wheel slip control system for heavy vehicles. Computer simulations using a validated model of the pneumatic braking system show that, with no prior knowledge of the road surface, the algorithm can drive wheel slip to a value which produces near maximum brake force. The system is robust to sensor noise and parameter errors, achieves good results on a rough road surface and is feasible for real time implementation. Future plans are in place to conduct Hardware-in-the-Loop simulations using real brake hardware.
