Simulation of vehicle and component functions

Objective

To reduce the costs of electric vehicle (EV) drives one can increase the stress on the components or choose cost favourable materials. But when the new cost effective components are installed in a prototype or a small series EV, a check of the wear and the reliability is only possible after some years. With this achieved, results are not very exact because the stress on the components is not reproducible and it takes a long time to obtain results. To investigate the wear and the reliability of EV drives, it is meaningful to use endurance tests. In a few weeks or months it is possible to test the EV drives with fixed reproducible environmental and stress conditions according to a complete lifetime cycle. Another reason to execute endurance tests is the fact that car manufacturers demand a quality management from the supplier. An endurance test could be part of the quality control system.

The research shows, with an example the execution of endurance tests, what the testbench should look like, which equipment is required, and which modifications of the original EV drives are necessary and allowed.

The endurance test has shown that the structure of the testbench is ideal. 2 drives can be tested simultaneously. The difference between the generator and motor operation is negligible for the most investigated values. There are some small fundamental problems too: if the laboratory is not climatically controlled, variation of the environmental temperature affects each temperature measuring. A possible solution is the defined heating of the cooling air (or liquid) to a temperature of approximately 40 C. For more frequent tests a capsuling of the testbench could be an advantage. The conclusion would be: endurance tests for electric vehicle drives are not lavish to carry out. The results help design future cost effective EV drives.

Fields of science

• engineering and technology › electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering › electronic engineering › control systems
• social sciences › social geography › transport › electric vehicles

Programme(s)

• FP3-BRITE/EURAM 2 - Specific programme (EEC) of research and technological development in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1990-1994

Topic(s)

Data not available

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

Universität Kaiserslautern

Address

Erwin-schrödinger-straße
67663 Kaiserslautern
Germany

Participants (3)

ABB Drives-Antriebe GmbH

Germany

Address

Gottlieb-daimler-straße 6
68165 Mannheim

Abb Battery Drive Systems As

Norway

Address

Bruerveien
1540 Vestby

Thrige-Titan A/s

Denmark

Address

3,tolderlundsvej
5000 Odense C