Hardware Architecture and Configuration Parameters of a Low Weight Electronic Differential for Light Electric Vehicles with Two Independent Wheel Drive to Minimize Slippage

Abstract

This article presents a design and performance analysis of an Electronic Differential (ED) system designed for Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs). We have developed a test tricycle vehicle with one front steering wheel and two rear fixed units in the same axis with a brushless DC (BLDC) motor integrated in each of them. Each motor has an independent controller unit and a common electronic Arduino CPU that can plan specific speeds for each wheel as curves are being traced. Different implementations of sensors (input current/torque, steering angle and speed of the wheels) are discussed related to their hardware complexity and performance based on speed level requirements and slipping on the traction wheels. Two driving circuits were generated (slalom and circular routes) and driven at different speeds, monitoring and recording all the related parameters of the vehicle. The most representative graphs obtained are presented. The analysis of these data presents a significant change of the behaviour of the control capability of the ED when the lineal speed of the vehicle makes a change of direction that passes 10 Km/h. In this situation, to obtain good performance of the ED, it is necessary to include sensors related to the wheels.

Keywords

• electronic differential
• light electric vehicles
• micro-controlled CPU
• torque control
• sensor feedback