5kW BLDC Motor Characterization for Plugging Brake Application in Electric Vehicle

In advancing electric vehicle technology, the braking system is a vital component with significant impacts on driver safety features. Numerous factors, such as high speeds, adverse weather conditions, human mistakes, and system malfunctions, play a role in the large number of vehicle accidents that happen each year. This has prompted vehicle manufacturers to develop advanced braking systems with the objective of reducing the likelihood of such incidents. The objective of this research is to implement a plugging braking system in electric vehicles, given the importance of the combination of electric and mechanical braking torque in ensuring the safe stopping of a vehicle. The methodology employed involved plugging brake modeling of a BLDC motor, the experiments of plugging brake, and the utilization of PWM as a regulator of plugging brake. The findings demonstrate that an increase in the PWM duty cycle of 58% (150), 78% (200), 98% (250) and 100% (255 full) can reduce the time required to stop the motor up to 2 seconds from the initial speed of 500 rpm, thereby underscoring the significance of PWM duty cycle variation in altering the braking current and thus the braking force.