Observer Based Estimation of Driving Resistance Load for Vehicle Longitudinal Motion Control

An estimation algorithm for vehicle driving load has been proposed in this paper. Driving load is an important factor in a vehicle's longitudinal motion control. An approach using an observer is introduced to estimate driving load based on inexpensive RPM sensors currently being used in production vehicles. Also, a torque estimation technique using nonlinear characteristic functions has been incorporated in this estimation algorithm. Using a nonlinear full vehicle simulation model, we study the effect of the driving load on longitudinal vehicle motion, and the performance of the estimation algorithm has been evaluated. The proposed estimation algorithm has good performance and robustness over uncertainties in the system parameters. An accurate estimate of the driving load can be very helpful in the development of advance vehicle control systems such as intelligent cruise control systems, CW/CA systems and smooth shift control systems.