Comparison of two strategies for optimal regenerative braking, with their sensitivity to variations in mass, slope and road condition

Abstract A three wheels recreational vehicle is studied for the purpose of regenerative braking control. Most of the existing literature propose optimal methods which consist in defining the braking torque as a function of the vehicle speed. The originality of this study is to propose a new strategy based on the control of the rear wheel slip. A simulator based on Matlab/Simulink and validated with experimental measurements compares the two strategies and their sensitivities to variation in mass, slope and road condition. Numerical simulations show that the regenerative braking based on a slip controller is less affected by parametric changes. It thus becomes possible to ensure optimal recovery of energy and vehicle stability even in case of parametric fluctuations.