Description:TRACTION CONTROL DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE(S)
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure generally relates to a traction system. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to a traction system for an electric vehicle. Furthermore, the present disclosure relates to a method of traction control in electric vehicle.
BACKGROUND
Electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly used for daily commuting, errands, and travel, offering a clean and efficient alternative to traditional gasoline-powered cars. EVs provide lower operating costs, reduced emissions, and quieter rides.
The effective traction between an EV's wheels and the road is crucial for optimal grip, enabling acceleration, braking, and steering control. However, EVs can experience slippage issues, particularly in adverse conditions like wet or icy roads. The coefficient of friction between tires and the road decreases significantly in these conditions, increasing the likelihood of slippage. The immediate torque delivery of electric motors can exacerbate this problem, as it can cause the wheels to spin more easily on slippery surfaces if not properly managed.
To address slippage in EVs, sophisticated methods are integrated to ensure optimal traction and stability. Wheel speed sensors provide real-time data on the rotational speed of each wheel, allowing the system to detect discrepancies that suggest slippage, such as a wheel spinning faster than the others. Torque sensors measure the torque delivered to each wheel and monitor changes in torque relative to wheel movement, helping to identify slippage when wheels spin without corresponding changes in speed. Yaw rate sensors track the vehicle's rotation around its vertical axis, detecting slippage during sharp turns or evasive manoeuvres. Steering angle sensors, in conjunction with yaw rate and wheel speed sensors, provide a complete picture of the vehicle's intended versus actual direction, helping to adjust braking or torque distribution to counteract slippage. Accelerometers measure the forces acting on the vehicle, detecting slippage through deviations in acceleration patterns. Traction Control Systems (TCS) and Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) use data from these sensors to actively manage wheel slippage. TCS adjusts throttle, applies brake force, or modifies power distribution, while ABS prevents wheel lock-up during braking by modulating brake pressure. Together, these methods create a comprehensive slippage detection and management system, enhancing vehicle stability and safety in various driving conditions. While advanced slippage detection methods are integrated into EVs, each technique has limitations. Wheel speed sensors may suffer from damage or inaccuracies due to environmental factors, compromising system reliability. Torque sensors can be complex to maintain and may cause abrupt vehicle responses. Yaw rate sensors depend on precise calibration, with misalignment leading to incorrect stability adjustments. Steering angle sensors may degrade over time, affecting directional accuracy. Accelerometers are sensitive to load distribution and extreme manoeuvres, potentially impacting force measurements.
Therefore, there exists a need for an improved traction control mechanism that overcomes the one or more problems associated as set forth above.
SUMMARY
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a traction system for an electric vehicle.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a method of traction control of an electric vehicle.
In accordance with first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a traction system for an electric vehicle. The traction system comprises an electric motor operatively coupled to drive wheels of the electric vehicle, a slippage detection unit configured to detect an onset of slippage of the wheels of the electric vehicle, and a traction control unit configured to dynamically modulate a regenerative torque and a driving torque between the electric motor and the wheels in response to the detected slippage.
The traction system of the present disclosure is designed to provide smooth drivability and efficiency throughout its operation. Beneficially, the slippage is eliminated, from various driving modes and regenerative braking modes. Beneficially, the torque control is implemented through both speed limit control and gear-based control for different modes and gears. Beneficially, the power control is managed within the capabilities of the traction system to improve safety of the overall powertrain, ensuring safe and effective vehicle operation. Beneficially, the direct current control offers smoother performance and predictive fault detection for overcurrent conditions. More beneficially, the traction system also includes smoother speed limit control within the direct current control loop, enabling linear torque and power control.
In accordance with second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of traction control in electric vehicle. The method comprises detecting an onset of slippage of wheels of the vehicle, and modulating a regenerative torque and a driving torque in response to the detected slippage.
Additional aspects, advantages, features and objects of the present disclosure would be made apparent from the drawings and the detailed description of the illustrative embodiments constructed in conjunction with the appended claims that follow.
It will be appreciated that features of the present disclosure are susceptible to being combined in various combinations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The summary above, as well as the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, exemplary constructions of the disclosure are shown in the drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed herein. Moreover, those in the art will understand that the drawings are not to scale. Wherever possible, like elements have been indicated by identical numbers.
Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following diagrams wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a traction system for an electric vehicle, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 illustrates a flow chart of a method of traction control in electric vehicles, in accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure.
In the accompanying drawings, an underlined number is employed to represent an item over which the underlined number is positioned or an item to which the underlined number is adjacent. A non-underlined number relates to an item identified by a line linking the non-underlined number to the item. When a number is non-underlined and accompanied by an associated arrow, the non-underlined number is used to identify a general item at which the arrow is pointing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following detailed description illustrates embodiments of the present disclosure and ways in which they can be implemented. Although some modes of carrying out the present disclosure have been disclosed, those skilled in the art would recognise that other embodiments for carrying out or practising the present disclosure are also possible.
The description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of certain embodiments of a traction system of an electric vehicle and is not intended to represent the only forms that may be developed or utilised. The description sets forth the various structures and/or functions in connection with the illustrated embodiments; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the disclosure that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimised to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention.
While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure.
The terms “comprise”, “comprises”, “comprising”, “include(s)”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, system that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or system. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus preceded by “comprises... a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or apparatus.
In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.
The present disclosure will be described herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, well known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the description with unnecessary detail.
As used herein, the terms ‘electric vehicle’, ‘EV’, and ‘EVs’ are used interchangeably and refer to any vehicle having stored electrical energy, including the vehicle capable of being charged from an external electrical power source. This may include vehicles having batteries which are exclusively charged from an external power source, as well as hybrid-vehicles which may include batteries capable of being at least partially recharged via an external power source. Additionally, it is to be understood that the ‘electric vehicle’ as used herein includes electric two-wheeler, electric three-wheeler, electric four-wheeler, electric pickup trucks, electric trucks and so forth.
As used herein, the terms ‘data processing arrangement’ and ‘processor’ are used interchangeably and refer to a computational element that is operable to respond to and processes instructions that drive the system. Optionally, the data processing arrangement includes, but is not limited to, a microprocessor, a micro-controller, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, or any other type of processing circuit. Furthermore, the term “processor” may refer to one or more individual processors, processing devices and various elements associated with a processing device that may be shared by other processing devices. Furthermore, the data processing arrangement may comprise ARM Cortex-M series processors, such as the Cortex-M4 or Cortex-M7, or any similar processor designed to handle real-time tasks with high performance and low power consumption. Furthermore, the data processing arrangement may comprise custom and/or proprietary processors.
As used herein, the term ‘communicably coupled’ refers to a bi-directional connection between the various components of the system. The bi-directional connection between the various components of the system enables exchange of data between two or more components of the system. Similarly, bi-directional connection between the system and other elements/modules enables exchange of data between system and the other elements/modules.
As used herein, the term ‘traction system’ refers to system responsible for converting electrical energy into mechanical power to propel the vehicle. The traction system may comprise an electric motor, battery pack, traction inverter, transmission and drivetrain. The traction system works in conjunction with other vehicle systems such as the braking system, steering system, and suspension system to ensure safe and efficient operation.
As used herein, the term ‘electric motor’ refers to primary component of the traction system that converts electrical energy into mechanical torque.
As used herein, the term ‘slippage detection unit’ refers to component responsible for monitoring and identifying when a vehicle's wheels are losing traction with the road surface.
As used herein, the term ‘traction control unit’ refers to electronic control module that manages the traction control system in a vehicle. It receives data from various sensors and accordingly control the driving torque and the regenerative torque. The traction control unit comprises a data processing arrangement to process data obtained from the sensor arrangement and the slippage detection unit.
As used herein, the term ‘sensor arrangement’ refers to a combination of various sensors such as wheel speed sensor, torque sensor, yaw rate sensor, steering angle sensor, accelerometer and so on that helps in detecting slippage of the vehicle.
Figure 1, in accordance with an embodiment describes a traction system 100 for an electric vehicle. The traction system 100 comprises an electric motor 102 operatively coupled to drive wheels 108 of the electric vehicle, a slippage detection unit 104 configured to detect an onset of slippage of the wheels of the electric vehicle, and a traction control unit 106 configured to dynamically modulate a regenerative torque and a driving torque between the electric motor 102 and the wheels 108 in response to the detected slippage.
The traction system 100 of the present disclosure is designed to provide smooth drivability and efficiency throughout its operation. Beneficially, the slippage is eliminated, from various driving modes and regenerative braking modes. Beneficially, the torque control is implemented through both speed limit control and gear-based control for different modes and gears. Beneficially, the power control is managed within the capabilities of the traction system 100 to improve safety of the overall powertrain, ensuring safe and effective vehicle operation. Beneficially, the direct current control offers smoother performance and predictive fault detection for overcurrent conditions. More beneficially, the traction system 100 also includes smoother speed limit control within the direct current control loop, enabling linear torque and power control.
In an embodiment, the slippage detection unit 104 is configured to perform real-time analysis of wheel speed and acceleration of the vehicle to detect the slippage. Beneficially, the real-time analysis of the wheel speed and acceleration of the vehicle enables real-time slippage detection that may occur due to changing road surface conditions.
In an embodiment, the traction control unit 106 is configured to employ an adaptive algorithm to continuously recalibrate the regenerative torque and the driving torque based on variations in road surface conditions. Beneficially, the adaptive recalibration of the regenerative torque and the driving torque based on variations in road surface conditions enables smooth driving experience.
In an embodiment, the slippage detection unit 104 is communicably coupled to a sensor arrangement 110 to receive at least one sensor data. Beneficially, the sensor data is received in real time detect the slippage of the wheels of the vehicle.
In an embodiment, the sensor arrangement 110 comprises at least one of: a wheel speed sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope. Beneficially, the sensor arrangement 110 enables detection of slippage of the wheels of the vehicle.
In an embodiment, the traction control unit 106 is configured to employ a real-time feedback loop to monitor a slip ratio. Beneficially, the real-time feedback loop enables accurate control of the regenerative torque.
In an embodiment, the traction control unit 106 is configured to modulate the regenerative torque based on the slip ratio. Beneficially, the slip ratio feedback loop enables accurate modulation of the regenerative torque.
In an embodiment, the traction control unit 106 is configured to generate a warning signal when the detected slippage is greater than a predefined threshold. Beneficially, the generation of the warning signal enables the operator of the vehicle to control the vehicle in situation when the slippage is beyond the control of the traction control unit 106.
In an embodiment, the traction control unit 106 is configured to disengage regenerative braking when the detected slippage is greater than the predefined threshold. Beneficially, the disengagement of the regenerative braking enables control of the vehicle in situation when the slippage is beyond the control of the traction control unit 106.
In an embodiment, the traction system 100 comprises an electric motor 102 operatively coupled to drive wheels 108 of the electric vehicle, a slippage detection unit 104 configured to detect an onset of slippage of the wheels of the electric vehicle, and a traction control unit 106 configured to dynamically modulate a regenerative torque and a driving torque between the electric motor 102 and the wheels 108 in response to the detected slippage. Furthermore, the slippage detection unit 104 is configured to perform real-time analysis of wheel speed and acceleration of the vehicle to detect the slippage. Furthermore, the traction control unit 106 is configured to employ an adaptive algorithm to continuously recalibrate the regenerative torque and the driving torque based on variations in road surface conditions. Furthermore, the slippage detection unit 104 is communicably coupled to a sensor arrangement 110 to receive at least one sensor data. Furthermore, the sensor arrangement 110 comprises at least one of: a wheel speed sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope. Furthermore, the traction control unit 106 is configured to employ a real-time feedback loop to monitor a slip ratio. Furthermore, the traction control unit 106 is configured to modulate the regenerative torque based on the slip ratio. Furthermore, the traction control unit 106 is configured to generate a warning signal when the detected slippage is greater than a predefined threshold. Furthermore, the traction control unit 106 is configured to disengage regenerative braking when the detected slippage is greater than the predefined threshold.
Figure 2, describes a method 200 of traction control in electric vehicle. The method 200 starts at step 202 and completes at step 204. At step 202, the method 200 comprises detecting an onset of slippage of wheels of the vehicle. At step 204, the method 200 comprises modulating a regenerative torque and a driving torque in response to the detected slippage.
It would be appreciated that all the explanations and embodiments of the portable device 100 also applies mutatis-mutandis to the method 200.
In the description of the present invention, it is also to be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified or limited, the terms “disposed,” “mounted,” and “connected” are to be construed broadly, and may for example be fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally connected, either mechanically or electrically. They may be connected directly or indirectly through intervening media, or they may be interconnected between two elements. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention can be understood in specific cases to those skilled in the art.
Modifications to embodiments and combination of different embodiments of the present disclosure described in the foregoing are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the accompanying claims. Expressions such as “including”, “comprising”, “incorporating”, “have”, “is” used to describe and claim the present disclosure are intended to be construed in a non- exclusive manner, namely allowing for items, components or elements not explicitly described also to be present. Reference to the singular is also to be construed to relate to the plural where appropriate.
Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the present disclosure, the drawings and the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.
, Claims:WE CLAIM:
1. A traction system (100) for an electric vehicle, wherein the traction system (100) comprises:
- an electric motor (102) operatively coupled to drive wheels (108) of the electric vehicle;
- a slippage detection unit (104) configured to detect an onset of slippage of the wheels of the electric vehicle; and
- a traction control unit (106) configured to dynamically modulate a regenerative torque and a driving torque between the electric motor (102) and the wheels (108) in response to the detected slippage.
2. The traction system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slippage detection unit (104) is configured to perform real-time analysis of wheel speed and acceleration of the vehicle to detect the slippage.
3. The traction system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the traction control unit (106) is configured to employ an adaptive algorithm to continuously recalibrate the regenerative torque and the driving torque based on variations in road surface conditions.
4. The traction system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slippage detection unit (104) is communicably coupled to a sensor arrangement (110) to receive at least one sensor data.
5. The traction system (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the sensor arrangement (110) comprises at least one of: a wheel speed sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope.
6. The traction system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the traction control unit (106) is configured to employ a real-time feedback loop to monitor a slip ratio.
7. The traction system (100) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the traction control unit (106) is configured to modulate the regenerative torque based on the slip ratio.
8. The traction system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the traction control unit (106) is configured to generate a warning signal when the detected slippage is greater than a predefined threshold.
9. The traction system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the traction control unit (106) is configured to disengage regenerative braking when the detected slippage is greater than the predefined threshold.
10. A method (200) of traction control in electric vehicle, wherein the method (200) comprises:
- detecting an onset of slippage of wheels of the vehicle; and
- modulating a regenerative torque and a driving torque in response to the detected slippage.