Simulation and experimental investigation of vehicle braking system employing a fixed caliper based electronic wedge brake

Abstract

This paper presents an investigation into the performance of a fixed caliper based electronic wedge brake (FIXEWB) in a vehicle braking system. Two techniques were used as assessment methods, which are simulation via MATLAB Simulink software and experimental study through hardware-in-the-loop-simulation (HILS). In the simulation study, the vehicle braking system was simulated by using a validated quarter vehicle traction model with a validated FIXEWB model as the brake actuator. A proportional–integral–derivative controller was utilized as the brake torque control, whereas proportional–integral and proportional controllers were used as the position and speed control of the actuator, respectively. To study the effectiveness of the FIXEWB, the response of the vehicle using the FIXEWB is compared with the responses of a vehicle using a conventional hydraulic brake. A dynamic test, namely braking in the sudden braking at constant speeds of 40 and 60 km/h was then used as the testing method. The simulation results show that the usage of the FIXEWB with an appropriate control strategy produces similar behavior to that of a hydraulic brake in terms of the produced desired braking torque but with faster time response. To study the performance of the FIXEWB when implemented on a real vehicle, an experimental rig using HILS was designed and the results are analyzed using the same dynamic tests. The performance areas evaluated are vehicle body speed, wheel speed, tire longitudinal slip, and the stopping distance experienced by the vehicle. The outcomes from this study can be considered in the design optimization of an antilock braking system control in a real car in the future.