【正文】
ast in 1970s with the technologies of microputers and electronics [1]. ABS is recognized as an important contribution to road safety. It is now available in almost all types of vehicles. The automotive industry is continuously developing new generations of ABS. The technologies of ABS are also applied in TCS (Traction Control System) and VDSC (Vehicle Dynamic Stability Control) It is well known that wheels will slip and lockup during severe braking or when braking on a slippery road surface (wet, icy, etc.). This usually causes a long stopping distance and sometimes the vehicle will lose steering stability. The objective of ABS is to prevent wheels from lockup and achieve minimum stopping distance while maintaining good steering stability during braking. The wheel slip is defined as: VRS V??? ( ) where S, ω, R and V denote the wheel slip, the wheel angular velocity, the wheel rolling radius, and the vehicle forward velocity, respectively. In normal driving conditions, V ≈ ωR therefore S ≈ 0. In severe braking, it is mon to have ω = 0 while V ≠ 0 , or S = 1, which is called wheel lockup. Wheel lockup is undesirable since it prolongs the stopping distance and causes the loss of direction control. A Class of Truck ABS Problems The objective of ABS is to manipulate the wheel slip so that a maximum friction force is obtained and the steering stability (also known as the lateral stability) is maintained. That is, to make the vehicle stop in the shortest distance possible while maintaining the directional control. It is well known that the friction coefficient, μ, is a nonlinear function of the slip, S. The ideal goal for the control design is to regulate the wheel velocity, ω, such that an optimal slip, which corresponds to the maximum friction, is obtained. For the sake of simplicity, however, it is very mon in industry to set a desired slip to .2. Given the vehicle velocity, V, and the wheel radius R, the ABS control problem bees regulating ω such that the slip in () reaches a desired value, such as .2 In this paper, the control design is focused on a class of truck ABS problems, which pose a few unique challenges, different from passenger cars. 1. The actuator of the truck ABS is a pneumatic brake system, which is typically sl