Energy efficient driving: Tyre wear estimation and optimization

PhD-student: TBD
Start: 2020

Due to increased environmental issues and for economic reasons energy efficient driving is of high interest for the future. By using path planning and thereby knowing which route the vehicle will drive, control strategies can be developed so that the vehicle can drive to its destination as energy efficient as possible while taking into account comfort and safety. In order to develop these energy efficient control strategies there is a need of a tyre model that models for example the losses related to the tyre such as the rolling resistance as well as the tyre wear. Tyre wear is costly for the vehicle owner but it is also an environmental issue, as it results in larger waste of used tyres as well as particle emissions that are unhealthy for humanity as well as the ecological system. The aim with this work is to develop a tyre model that can estimate tyre wear and can be implemented in a full vehicle model in order to simulate how tyre wear is changing during different driving conditions and vehicle settings. Introduction of advanced drive systems with multiple actuators, such as in wheel motors, active suspension, individual steering and camber control enable a higher number of control outputs than required to control a given number of degrees of freedom, i.e. over-actuation. The intention is to get an insight in how an over-actuated vehicle shall be controlled when driving to minimise wear, while taking into account energy efficiency, comfort and safety, since it is of major importance both for the consumers and the environment.