Periodic Reporting for period 2 - OBELICS (Optimization of scalaBle rEaltime modeLs and functIonal testing for e-drive ConceptS)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2019-04-01 al 2020-11-30
Over the past hundred years engineers and scien-tists have worked hard to perfect the way cars are designed, developed and produced; cars that have been powered nearly exclusively by internal com-bustion engines. Since around 2010 the automotive market has been undergoing drastic changes and shifting towards large-scale launches of electric vehicles (EVs). In Norway, new registrations of electric cars already exceeded those of conventional vehicles in June 2017. In 2020, according to CAM (center of automotive management) the total of all e-cars sold in Norway was even greater than that of conventional cars.
Developing an EV is radically different from developing a traditional car. All components are completely new, very different from combustion engine drivetrains and interlinked, which means they can strongly affect each other’s performance, and it is complex to find the global design optimum as there is not so much experience as for cars with combustion engines. Also, the technology itself is still under development, which requires a flexible development process, as there is not yet as much experience as with cars with combustion engines. How can these hurdles be overcome and affordable yet reliable EVs be brought to the market as quickly as possible?
OBELICS helps solve these challenges by enabling what is known as frontloading: the use of virtual models to build and test new designs. Traditionally, vehicle design has been a (more or less) linear process: a design is created using preliminary data or expert knowledge, costly prototypes are built and tested and finally the design is corrected based on the test results. Instead, frontloading allows engi-neers to understand the impacts of design chan-ges and analyze a system before it is built. Using advanced and easy to scale models and simulations, engineers can test and validate the components very early in the development process. Prototypes do not have to be built until an advanced (and computer-tested) design is available. Frontloading makes it cheaper and faster to develop new EVs.
The goal of the OBELICS project was to develop a framework for te design and testing of electrical powertrains and vehicles. The innovations will reduce the development effort by 40%, improve the drivetrain efficiency by 20% and increase the safety by a factor of 10. The models and simulations developed in OBELICS include new scalable (real-time capable) models and new testing and safety analysis methods.
Developing an EV is radically different from developing a traditional car. All components are completely new, very different from combustion engine drivetrains and interlinked, which means they can strongly affect each other’s performance, and it is complex to find the global design optimum as there is not so much experience as for cars with combustion engines. Also, the technology itself is still under development, which requires a flexible development process, as there is not yet as much experience as with cars with combustion engines. How can these hurdles be overcome and affordable yet reliable EVs be brought to the market as quickly as possible?
OBELICS helps solve these challenges by enabling what is known as frontloading: the use of virtual models to build and test new designs. Traditionally, vehicle design has been a (more or less) linear process: a design is created using preliminary data or expert knowledge, costly prototypes are built and tested and finally the design is corrected based on the test results. Instead, frontloading allows engi-neers to understand the impacts of design chan-ges and analyze a system before it is built. Using advanced and easy to scale models and simulations, engineers can test and validate the components very early in the development process. Prototypes do not have to be built until an advanced (and computer-tested) design is available. Frontloading makes it cheaper and faster to develop new EVs.
The goal of the OBELICS project was to develop a framework for te design and testing of electrical powertrains and vehicles. The innovations will reduce the development effort by 40%, improve the drivetrain efficiency by 20% and increase the safety by a factor of 10. The models and simulations developed in OBELICS include new scalable (real-time capable) models and new testing and safety analysis methods.
A number of technical innovations and activities were necessary to achieve the ambitious goal:
1. Scalable real-time models & parameter identification that can be used along the entire development & test cycle
2. Model integration, so that the models can be combined with (partial) physical tests, so-called “in-the-loop” setups
3. Model based testing & validation, shortening the time between design and test by simplifying the handling of scalable real-time models for the purpose of testing and validation
4. Safety and reliability of e-components and electric vehicle
5. Second life battery usage, to assess the reliability, energy content and viable commercial applications for battery systems considering environmental and economic cost
The innovations were demonstrated in seventeen use cases. These use-cases were grouped into four use-case clusters (UCCs), that overlap with important engineering areas in the typical electrical vehicle development:
UCC 1: new e-drive concept & component sizing using scalable models
UCC 2: system integration, model-based testing and validation
UCC 3: battery design and testing for improved safety & reliability
UCC 4: design & testing of e-motor, control and inverter
1. Scalable real-time models & parameter identification that can be used along the entire development & test cycle
2. Model integration, so that the models can be combined with (partial) physical tests, so-called “in-the-loop” setups
3. Model based testing & validation, shortening the time between design and test by simplifying the handling of scalable real-time models for the purpose of testing and validation
4. Safety and reliability of e-components and electric vehicle
5. Second life battery usage, to assess the reliability, energy content and viable commercial applications for battery systems considering environmental and economic cost
The innovations were demonstrated in seventeen use cases. These use-cases were grouped into four use-case clusters (UCCs), that overlap with important engineering areas in the typical electrical vehicle development:
UCC 1: new e-drive concept & component sizing using scalable models
UCC 2: system integration, model-based testing and validation
UCC 3: battery design and testing for improved safety & reliability
UCC 4: design & testing of e-motor, control and inverter
OBELICS has achieved all of its targets, and in some cases even exceeded the targets:
• the development efforts were reduced by 56%
• the efficiency of the e-drivetrain was improved by 18%
• the safety increased by a factor of 17.
At a more detailed level, innovative models were developed for virtual reliability assessment of batteries by means of coupled electrochemical, thermal and degradation models. Also, an innovative PMSM machine configurator tool was developed, which provides a machine design suitable for pre-prototyping (pre-production) and gives corresponding performance characteristics based on inputs of definition of three fundamental PMSM machine requirements only.
Thermal & advanced control models have been integrated with electric components to enhance the e-drivetrain efficiency. The development effort has been reduced by using EV optimization and trade-off methodology, automated testing and frontloading by using model-based testing.
The safety and reliability was improved by new efficient and multidomain and multiscale modelling techniques and probabilistic FMEA. Also, diagnosis concepts for improving battery safety targeting the cell chemistry and mechanical stability were developed.
The second life of batteries was evaluated in line with existing standards and an in-depth analysis and market potential of 2nd life batteries was done for stationary applications (e.g. in railway, telecom, PV battery storage cases).
The OBELICS consortium participated in at least 12 conferences and workshops, including major international meetings such as the International Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS32) the Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) world conference 2020, and the TRA2018 and TRA2020 meetings. Eight peer-reviewed articles have been published (with more manuscripts under review or in preparation), 1 book chapter and 22 conference papers. Finally, the OBELICS partners organised a joint public event together with DEMOBASE and HIFI-ELEMENTS on September 16th 2020 (about 130 visitors attended).
• the development efforts were reduced by 56%
• the efficiency of the e-drivetrain was improved by 18%
• the safety increased by a factor of 17.
At a more detailed level, innovative models were developed for virtual reliability assessment of batteries by means of coupled electrochemical, thermal and degradation models. Also, an innovative PMSM machine configurator tool was developed, which provides a machine design suitable for pre-prototyping (pre-production) and gives corresponding performance characteristics based on inputs of definition of three fundamental PMSM machine requirements only.
Thermal & advanced control models have been integrated with electric components to enhance the e-drivetrain efficiency. The development effort has been reduced by using EV optimization and trade-off methodology, automated testing and frontloading by using model-based testing.
The safety and reliability was improved by new efficient and multidomain and multiscale modelling techniques and probabilistic FMEA. Also, diagnosis concepts for improving battery safety targeting the cell chemistry and mechanical stability were developed.
The second life of batteries was evaluated in line with existing standards and an in-depth analysis and market potential of 2nd life batteries was done for stationary applications (e.g. in railway, telecom, PV battery storage cases).
The OBELICS consortium participated in at least 12 conferences and workshops, including major international meetings such as the International Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS32) the Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) world conference 2020, and the TRA2018 and TRA2020 meetings. Eight peer-reviewed articles have been published (with more manuscripts under review or in preparation), 1 book chapter and 22 conference papers. Finally, the OBELICS partners organised a joint public event together with DEMOBASE and HIFI-ELEMENTS on September 16th 2020 (about 130 visitors attended).