Periodic Reporting for period 2 - RHODaS (Reinventing High-performance pOwer converters for heavy-Duty electric trAnSport)
Período documentado: 2023-11-01 hasta 2025-04-30
Classical road transport using fossil fuels in internal combustion engines (ICE) is one of the largest polluters, currently generating about 60 % of the total emissions released into the atmosphere from human activity. Almost 40% of these emissions are generated by light-duty and heavy-duty vehicles. Thus, electrification of heavy-duty vehicles is a promising strategy to reduce CO2 emissions and to conribute achieving EU efforts against climate change. However, heavy-duty vehicles electrification still faces important technical challenges in terms of performance, efficiency, reliability, cost-effectiveness and environmetal impact.
RHODAS project aims to improve the efficiency of electric Integrated Motor Drive (IMD) powertrains for multiple wheel drive architectures for heavy-duty long-haul vehicles, while reducing their size and cost by using novel semiconductor materials, optimal thermal management strategies and disruptive topologies of power converters in a modular approach. Also improved resilience is achieved thanks to the application of intelligent control and diagnostics techniques, as well as (datadriven) predictive maintenance of the powertrain system and components. In addition, relevant environmental, social and economic issues are considered from the design, to facilitate scalability while ensuring sustainability, circularity and social acceptance.
RHODAS project will last for a total of 42 months, and the different activities are divided in 7 workpackages covering the different technical aspects (definition of specifications, technological research & development, validation, management, and dissemination). A detailed management methodology has been also defined, allowing effective collaboration between all partners, ensuring proper coordination between the different tasks, and taking into account potential risks.
As a result of these activities, the RHODAS project will deliver a number of exploitable results that will contribute to enable the electrification of heavy-duty electric vehicles, such as:
- Innovative electric IMD Powertrain
- High power/high efficiency traction power converters
- Intelligent active gate drivers
- High voltage/high power PMSM traction motor
- Digital twins of electric powertrains for holistic modelling and simulation
Finally, the project will also contribute to scientific progress by disseminating non-confidential results following the principles of Open Science. Likewise, data generated during the project will be stored under the basis of FAIR principles, allowing its reutilization in future projects and, thus, contributing to foster european R&D capabilities.
RHODAS project aims to improve the efficiency of electric Integrated Motor Drive (IMD) powertrains for multiple wheel drive architectures for heavy-duty long-haul vehicles, while reducing their size and cost by using novel semiconductor materials, optimal thermal management strategies and disruptive topologies of power converters in a modular approach. Also improved resilience is achieved thanks to the application of intelligent control and diagnostics techniques, as well as (datadriven) predictive maintenance of the powertrain system and components. In addition, relevant environmental, social and economic issues are considered from the design, to facilitate scalability while ensuring sustainability, circularity and social acceptance.
RHODAS project will last for a total of 42 months, and the different activities are divided in 7 workpackages covering the different technical aspects (definition of specifications, technological research & development, validation, management, and dissemination). A detailed management methodology has been also defined, allowing effective collaboration between all partners, ensuring proper coordination between the different tasks, and taking into account potential risks.
As a result of these activities, the RHODAS project will deliver a number of exploitable results that will contribute to enable the electrification of heavy-duty electric vehicles, such as:
- Innovative electric IMD Powertrain
- High power/high efficiency traction power converters
- Intelligent active gate drivers
- High voltage/high power PMSM traction motor
- Digital twins of electric powertrains for holistic modelling and simulation
Finally, the project will also contribute to scientific progress by disseminating non-confidential results following the principles of Open Science. Likewise, data generated during the project will be stored under the basis of FAIR principles, allowing its reutilization in future projects and, thus, contributing to foster european R&D capabilities.
The RHODaS project, currently in its 36th month of a planned 42-month duration, has made substantial progress in its technical and scientific objectives, completing Work Packages WP1, WP2, and WP3 while advancing activities in WP4 and WP5. WP1 established the project's foundation by defining technical requirements and specifications for electrical, electronic, thermal, and software systems, alongside validation scenarios, metrics, environmental criteria, and circularity considerations. This phase concluded successfully, meeting milestones MS1 and MS2.
WP2 focused on the development of power converters. The low-power converter has been fully designed and validated, supporting studies on modulation techniques, protections, and operational modes. These systems have been successfully tested and confirmed to function correctly, paving the way for the development of the high-power converter, which remains underway and is expected to be completed shortly.
In WP3, the thermal management system has been designed, fabricated, and validated experimentally, demonstrating robust performance in meeting the project's thermal requirements.
WP4 has advanced the development of fault tolerance algorithms, which have been successfully tested using the low-power converter. Additionally, significant progress has been made in the design and partial programming of the IoT platform. However, validation of the decision-support system remains pending. WP5 has progressed with preparatory steps for system-level validation. The gearbox is ready for testing, and upcoming efforts will focus on validating the high-power converter in conjunction with the motor and gearbox. The construction and final validation of the integrated motor drive is expected to follow as a key milestone in the project's timeline.
WP2 focused on the development of power converters. The low-power converter has been fully designed and validated, supporting studies on modulation techniques, protections, and operational modes. These systems have been successfully tested and confirmed to function correctly, paving the way for the development of the high-power converter, which remains underway and is expected to be completed shortly.
In WP3, the thermal management system has been designed, fabricated, and validated experimentally, demonstrating robust performance in meeting the project's thermal requirements.
WP4 has advanced the development of fault tolerance algorithms, which have been successfully tested using the low-power converter. Additionally, significant progress has been made in the design and partial programming of the IoT platform. However, validation of the decision-support system remains pending. WP5 has progressed with preparatory steps for system-level validation. The gearbox is ready for testing, and upcoming efforts will focus on validating the high-power converter in conjunction with the motor and gearbox. The construction and final validation of the integrated motor drive is expected to follow as a key milestone in the project's timeline.
RHODAS project has set ambitious objectives involveing research activities in different technological fields that will lead to the following key innovations:
- Use of wide band gap semiconductor devices, such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride, to achieve voltages in the range of 1200V-1700V and hight switching frequencies over 30-60kHz
- Achievement of full integration of analogue and digital drivers with the high voltage WBG materials, including protections and fault detection circuits, to reduce the switching losses and the total EMI noise, while improving the reliability and control
- Demonstration of novel power converter architectures, such as high-power T-Type multilevel inverter topologies integrated with a three-level DC/DC hybrid buck-boost converter, allowing to withstand higher converter DC bus voltages required for the newest EV battery packs
- Advanced thermal management components and strategies to extend temperature ranges up to 175ºC for SiC MOSFET/GaN HEMT
- Direct connection of novel power converters with motor windings, allowing for a significant increasement of power density in the traction drive.
- IoT platform, including sensors integrated at material, component and system level, to provide real-time data to create models and algorithms that will comprise a digital twins of the system, allwing for real-time monitoring, control and health management
- Development of advanced AI-based functionalities to detect, identify and predict faults, to implement predictive maintenance schedules, fault tolerant operation and recommendations
- Development of integrated and modular IMD designs to be applied in “multiaxel traction” concepts for heavy-duty long-haul trucks, allowing 150kW – 200kW at 1200 VDC per axle and validation in a test bench.
Currently, the project has finished the definition of the technical specifications of each subsystem, and the research activities are still in progress. Therefore, planned innovations and progress beyond the state of the art have not been achieved yet.
- Use of wide band gap semiconductor devices, such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride, to achieve voltages in the range of 1200V-1700V and hight switching frequencies over 30-60kHz
- Achievement of full integration of analogue and digital drivers with the high voltage WBG materials, including protections and fault detection circuits, to reduce the switching losses and the total EMI noise, while improving the reliability and control
- Demonstration of novel power converter architectures, such as high-power T-Type multilevel inverter topologies integrated with a three-level DC/DC hybrid buck-boost converter, allowing to withstand higher converter DC bus voltages required for the newest EV battery packs
- Advanced thermal management components and strategies to extend temperature ranges up to 175ºC for SiC MOSFET/GaN HEMT
- Direct connection of novel power converters with motor windings, allowing for a significant increasement of power density in the traction drive.
- IoT platform, including sensors integrated at material, component and system level, to provide real-time data to create models and algorithms that will comprise a digital twins of the system, allwing for real-time monitoring, control and health management
- Development of advanced AI-based functionalities to detect, identify and predict faults, to implement predictive maintenance schedules, fault tolerant operation and recommendations
- Development of integrated and modular IMD designs to be applied in “multiaxel traction” concepts for heavy-duty long-haul trucks, allowing 150kW – 200kW at 1200 VDC per axle and validation in a test bench.
Currently, the project has finished the definition of the technical specifications of each subsystem, and the research activities are still in progress. Therefore, planned innovations and progress beyond the state of the art have not been achieved yet.