Novel integrated control for vehicle traction and steering systems

TSB KTP Grant, PI – Professor T X Mei, in collaboration with GGS Engineering

The increased awareness for the need for low carbon based transport has helped to accelerate the development of both public transport vehicles and personal cars. It is expected that the next generation of the vehicles must not only be energy efficient and produce less (direct and indirect) pollution,  but also improve their attractiveness to the public through for example enhanced performance, safety, comfort and ease of use etc.

This project is in collaboration with GGS Engineering in Derby to develop a high performance and ultra efficient control system for the integrated provision of traction and steering with the use of in-wheel electric motors, i.e. motors built into wheels. The use of the wheel motors offers advantages  of mechanical simplicity and power loss reduction, but this study also seeks to control the electric motors on the two sides of a vehicle independently for the provision of vehicle steering/guidance in a new form of steer-by-wire. The technology developed in this project will be suitable for applications  in both railway and automotive industries.

This project is jointly funded by TSB (Technology Strategy Board, UK) through the Knowledge Transfer Partnership Scheme and the industrial partner GGS Engineering.