Tyre parameter estimation based on control of individual wheel drives

This paper describes a method to estimate tyre parameters for traction control applications based on control of individual wheel drives. The tyre parameters that are estimated are the rolling radius in driven mode (i.e. the rolling radius when the input torque to the wheel is zero) and the tyre longitudinal elasticity factor. The rolling radius in driven mode and the tyre longitudinal elasticity factor depend on several factors, among them the normal load. An important property of the method is that no transfer of load occurs during the estimation phase since the actual velocity of the vehicle is kept constant. Results from tests with ArtiTRAX, a 240 kg electric vehicle that carries 80 kg extra weight in three different front axle and rear axle distributions, are presented.