Simulation-based assessment of wheel torque allocation strategies on heavy vehicles with drivetrains on multiple axles

Battery electric heavy vehicles with a drivetrain on each axle and friction brake on each wheel offer significant opportunities to enhance vehicle performance and energy efficiency. This paper presents three actuator coordination algorithms for an all-wheel driven heavy vehicle to influence the wheel torque with the aim of optimising the power efficiency and vehicle stability. Two of these algorithms exploit the principle of instantaneous power loss minimisation by using the power loss models of actuators. The wheel force limits were included as a constraint to ensure safe vehicle operation. These strategies were simulated using a high-fidelity vehicle model, including simplified models for the powertrain and friction brakes. Measures such as the power loss of the actuators, longitudinal tyre slip losses, and energy consumption of the coordination strategies during a realistic drive cycle were analysed. Results show that the power loss minimisation algorithm including idle losses in the decision logic, can reduce the energy consumption by up to 7% compared to a strategy only maximising tyre grip. • Wheel torque allocation strategies for a heavy vehicle with multiple drivetrains. • Power loss minimisation of electric machines and friction brakes. • Wheel force limits included to ensure safe performance. • Inclusion of idle (no load) loss in the power loss minimisation algorithm.