The aim of the IRC project is to find control strategies for a complete braking system and gear box in a lorry. The focus is on situations where there is low power retardation (constantly under 400kw). A typical example is when cruising downhill in a lorry, which is a challenging task for the driver from the point of view of transport efficiency and safety. The driver must first decide on a suitable speed depending on the load and the incline of the road. Subsequently s/he must manually set both the service (foot) brakes (disc brakes) and auxiliary brakes (exhaust brakes and hydraulic retarder) as well as choose a suitable gear. As the driver has no information on such things as the disc brake temperature or vehicle mass it is difficult for him or her to drive in a safe and efficient manner. There is therefore a risk of overheating both the disc and auxiliary brakes due to a high speed in combination with heavy load and poor distribution of retardation force.
Project budget: SEK 3.5 million
whereof state subsidy: SEK 1.4 million (1.4 million)
University / Institute: SEK 0.3 million
Partners: AB Volvo (applicant), Chalmers University of Technology.