A state-of-the-art review on torque distribution strategies aimed at enhancing energy efficiency for fully electric vehicles with independently actuated drivetrains

© 2019, Levrotto and Bella. All rights reserved. Electric vehicles are the future of private passenger transportation. However, there are still several technological barriers that hinder the large scale adoption of electric vehicles. In particular, their limited autonomy motivates studies on methods for improving the energy efficiency of electric vehicles so as to make them more attractive to the market. This paper provides a concise review on the current state-of-the-art of torque distribution strategies aimed at enhancing energy efficiency for fully electric vehicles with independently actuated drivetrains (FEVIADs). Starting from the operating principles, which include the "control allocation" problem, the peculiarities of each proposed solution are illustrated. All the existing techniques are categorized based on a selection of parameters deemed relevant to provide a comprehensive overview and understanding of the topic. Finally, future concerns and research perspectives for FEVIAD are discussed

UltraSwarm: A Further Step Towards a Flock of Miniature Helicopters

We describe further progress towards the development of a MAV (micro aerial vehicle) designed as an enabling tool to investigate aerial flocking. Our research focuses on the use of low cost off the shelf vehicles and sensors to enable fast prototyping and to reduce development costs. Details on the design of the embedded electronics and the modification of the chosen toy helicopter are presented, and the technique used for state estimation is described. The fusion of inertial data through an unscented Kalman filter is used to estimate the helicopter’s state, and this forms the main input to the control system. Since no detailed dynamic model of the helicopter in use is available, a method is proposed for automated system identification, and for subsequent controller design based on artificial evolution. Preliminary results obtained with a dynamic simulator of a helicopter are reported, along with some encouraging results for tackling the problem of flocking

Control of electric vehicles with autonomous corner modules: implementation aspects and fault handling

In this paper, vehicle dynamics for electric vehicles equippedwith in-wheel motors and individual steering actuators are studied adoptingthe principles of optimal tyre-force allocation. A simple method fordescribing the constraints owing to tyre and actuator limitations is described.The control architecture is evaluated by investigating its response to realisticfault conditions. The evaluation demonstrates that the control architecture’sability to ensure vehicle stability generally is good. However, during majorfaults and extreme driving situations, vehicle stability is not maintainedunless the constraints in the optimisation process used for tyre-force allocationare adapted to the specific fault

Acceleration-based wheel slip control realized with decentralised electric drivetrain systems

Traction control is one of the most important functions in vehicle drivetrain systems. When a vehicle is driven on a low-friction road surface, loss of traction force can cause the driven wheels to spin. This reduces vehicle acceleration performance and can even cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The high bandwidth of electric machine control in electric vehicles gives more possibilities to regulate driving torque on wheels and prevent wheel spin. An acceleration-based wheel slip control is designed and investigated. Compared to traditional slip-based traction control, the proposed method does not depend on the estimation of the vehicle speed and only relies on the driven wheel rotational acceleration. The control method is verified using the simulation of an electric vehicle with a decentralised electric drivetrain system. The vehicle and the electric drive are modelled in CarMaker and PLECS, respectively. The simulation results show that the proposed method is able to prevent the driven wheel from spinning when the vehicle is accelerated on an ice road. In addition, the control is fast enough and requires only half a second to reduce the wheel acceleration to a normal range

An Experimental Approach to a Rapid Propulsion and Aeronautics Concepts Testbed

Modern aircraft design tools have limitations for predicting complex propulsion-airframe interactions. The demand for new tools and methods addressing these limitations is high based on the many recent Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) concepts being developed for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) markets. We propose that low cost electronics and additive manufacturing can support the conceptual design of advanced autonomy-enabled concepts, by facilitating rapid prototyping for experimentally driven design cycles. This approach has the potential to reduce complex aircraft concept development costs, minimize unique risks associated with the conceptual design, and shorten development schedule by enabling the determination of many "unknown unknowns" earlier in the design process and providing verification of the results from aircraft design tools. A modular testbed was designed and built to evaluate this rapid design-build-test approach and to support aeronautics and autonomy research targeting UAM applications utilizing a complex, transitioning-VTOL aircraft configuration. The testbed is a modular wind tunnel and flight model. The testbed airframe is approximately 80% printed, with labor required for assembly. This paper describes the design process, fabrication process, ground testing, and initial wind tunnel structural and thermal loading of a proof-of-concept aircraft, the Langley Aerodrome 8 (LA-8)

Feasible, Robust and Reliable Automation and Control for Autonomous Systems

The Special Issue book focuses on highlighting current research and developments in the automation and control field for autonomous systems as well as showcasing state-of-the-art control strategy approaches for autonomous platforms. The book is co-edited by distinguished international control system experts currently based in Sweden, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom, with contributions from reputable researchers from China, Austria, France, the United States of America, Poland, and Hungary, among many others. The editors believe the ten articles published within this Special Issue will be highly appealing to control-systems-related researchers in applications typified in the fields of ground, aerial, maritime vehicles, and robotics as well as industrial audiences