Super-twisting sliding-mode traction control of vehicles with tractive force observer

Abstract

This paper utilizes the super-twisting algorithm (STA) to obtain a traction controller for road vehicles. The control objective is to operate the vehicles such that a desired wheel slip ratio is achieved. The controller comprises a STA-based sliding-mode control law and a nonlinearity observer. Simulation and experimental studies illustrate the success of the controller. The controller successfully drove the vehicle to operate at the desired wheel slip ratio and efficiently handled the sudden changes of tire–road frictions. The results are compared to those obtained with a conventional sliding-mode controller. It is shown that the STA-based controller yields better control performance.