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Technical Paper

CFD Analysis of the Battery Thermal Management System for a Heavy-Duty Truck

2024-04-09
2024-01-2668
Li-ion batteries (LIBs) optimum performance and lifetime depend on temperature, with the commonly suggested operating temperature being in the range of 25 to 40 °C. It's also crucial to keep the temperature difference between battery cells below 5°C. Operation at different temperature ranges can adversely affect or degrade the performance and lifetime of LIBs. A battery thermal management system (BTMS) is essential for keeping the battery temperature within the optimum range. This paper aims to develop and analyze the BTMS for an electric heavy-duty truck. To achieve this aim, battery cells and modules are modelled in ANSYS Fluent software. Validation with experimental results and mesh sensitivity studies are also performed to increase confidence in simulation data. The model is then analyzed for a specific cooling systems to investigate its effect on battery thermal performance during the operation.
Technical Paper

Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition for Characterising Exhaust Nano-Scale Particle Emissions of a Turbocharged Gasoline Power Unit

2023-10-31
2023-01-1665
This paper presents a method for analysing the characteristics of nano-scale particles emitted from a 1.6 Litre, 4-stroke, gasoline direct injection (GDI) and turbocharged spark ignition engine fitted with a three-way catalytic converter. Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) is employed in this work to decompose the nano-scale particle size spectrums obtained using a differential mobility spectrometer (DMS) into Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMF). Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is then applied to each IMF to compute its frequency content. The results show a strong correlation between the IMFs of specific particle ranges and the IMFs of the total particle count at various speed and load operating conditions. Hence, it is possible to characterise the influence of specific nano-scale particle ranges on the total particulate matter signal by analysing the frequency components of its IMFs using the EEMD-FFT method.
Technical Paper

Techno-Economic Assessment of Utilising Second-Life Batteries in Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

2023-04-11
2023-01-0063
The number of electric vehicles is increasing in line with the global carbon reduction targets. More households are installing electric charging points to complement the existing charging infrastructure. The increasing electricity prices affected by the global energy/economic crisis however pushed more households towards coupling their charging points with renewable energy generation and storage systems to manage the supply and demand of energy more effectively. In this study, an electric charging station equipped with Photovoltaic panels and an electric storage system utilising second-life Electric Vehicles (EV) batteries is designed and analysed. Various electricity generation capacities are considered to be installed on the roof of the case study building ranging from 5m2 and 20m2. The second-life batteries are disposed from EVs with an 80% state of health. MATLAB Simulink is used for mathematical modelling of system.
Technical Paper

Multi-Objective Optimization of the Fuel Cell Hybrid Electric Powertrain for a Class 8 Heavy-Duty Truck

2023-04-11
2023-01-0473
To decarbonize heavy-duty vehicles solely through electrification with batteries is challenging as large batteries are required for a meaningful range, severely impacting payload. Employment of hybrid electric powertrains where fuel cells are integrated with batteries can deliver increased range and payload. However, the energy balance between the fuel cell and the battery needs to be analyzed to optimize the sizing of the powertrain components. This study has performed a multi-objective optimization using genetic algorithm to obtain the optimum range and hydrogen consumption for a DAF 44 tons heavy-duty truck. The proposed truck powertrain has been numerically modelled in AVL CRUISE M software. The electric drive from Involution Technologies Ltd and Bramble Energy Ltd’s printed circuit board fuel cell (PCBFC) are used in the model.
Technical Paper

Design of Drive Cycle for Electric Powertrain Testing

2023-04-11
2023-01-0482
Drive cycles have been the official way to create standardized comparisons of fuel economy and emission levels between vehicles. Since the 1970s these have evolved to be more representative of real-world driving, with today’s standard being the World Harmonized Light Vehicle Testing Procedure. The performance of battery electric vehicles which consist of electric drives, battery, regenerative braking and their management systems may differ when compared to that of vehicles powered by conventional internal combustion engines. However, drive cycles used for evaluating the performance of vehicles, were originally developed for conventional powered vehicles. Moreover, the kinematic parameters that can distinguish the real-world performance of the differently powered vehicles are not fully known. This work aims to investigate the difference between vehicles powered by pure internal combustion engine, electric hybrid and pure electric drive.
Technical Paper

Numerical Simulation of Ethanol-Based Fuels in an F1 Power Unit

2023-04-11
2023-01-0739
Formula (1) vehicles have transitioned from E5 to E10 fuel for the 2022 season to reduce carbon emissions and by 2026 the vehicles are required to use 100% sustainable fuels. The aim of this paper is to identify the operating envelope of the F1 power unit for E10-E100 fuel and the resulting emission levels for these fuel compositions using numerical simulations. To achieve this aim an F1 engine model has been developed in GT-Suite with reference to the FIA 2022 Technical Regulations. The combustion model has been validated using data obtained from literature relating to laminar and turbulent flame speed, friction and heat transfer characteristics within the combustion chamber. One of the main challenges of using ethanol-based fuels is the increased levels of formaldehyde in the tailpipe.
Technical Paper

Battery Sizing, Parametric Analysis, and Powertrain Design for a Class 8 Heavy-Duty Battery Electric Truck

2023-04-11
2023-01-0524
Electrification of the transportation sector requires an energy-efficient electric powertrain supported by renewable sources of energy to limit the use of fossil fuels. However, the integration of battery electric powertrains in heavy-duty trucks seems more challenging than other types due to the high battery demand and negative impacts on the truck’s cargo capacity. In this paper, the battery sizing of a 41-tons Mercedes Actros truck is performed based on battery safety zone operating conditions. A parametric study is conducted to assess the impacts of sizing on a truck’s total cargo capacity as well as the body dynamic parameters. The numerical model of the Mercedes Actros electric powertrain is developed in AVL CRUISETM M software. The hybrid pulsed power characterization tests are performed on 3Ah lithium-ion NMC cells in the lab for fitting the second-order equivalent circuit model’s parameters used in the analysis.
Technical Paper

Feature Extraction from a Crankshaft Instantaneous Speed Signal of an Automotive Power Unit using Cepstrum Analysis

2023-04-11
2023-01-0214
Internal combustion (IC) engines are the most common power unit technology found in road vehicles. The process of combustion within IC engines is linked to the output torque and overall powertrain performance. This work presents a method of analysing the parameters of cylinder pressure and crankshaft instantaneous speed signals obtained from a turbocharged, 4-stroke, 4-cylinder, 1.6 Litre, spark ignition, gasoline direct injection engine at various speed and load operating conditions. Whereas cepstrum analysis is used in the present work to extract critical features characterising the combustion process. Cepstrum analysis showed that the location of maximum heat release can be directly obtained from the quefrency of the instantaneous crank speed. This paper presents a systematic scheme for applying cepstrum for obtaining combustion features from the instantaneous crank speed signal.
Technical Paper

Assessment of the Powertrain Electrification for a Heavy-Duty Class 8 Truck for Two Different Electric Drives

2022-08-30
2022-01-1123
Electrification is one of the main solutions for the decarbonization of the transport system. It is employed widely by the automotive industry in light- and medium-duty vehicles and recently started to be considered in heavy-duty applications. However, powertrain electrification of heavy-duty vehicles, especially for Class 8 trucks, is very challenging. In this study, the battery-electric powertrain energy and technical performance of a DAF 44 tones truck are compared for two different electric drives. The case study truck is modeled in AVL CRUISE M software and the battery electric powertrain is evaluated for long haul driving cycle. The minimum number of battery packs is determined by defining the lowest energy consumption of the powertrain designed for the proposed drive cycle. Also, a transient analysis is accomplished to investigate the impact of various electric drives on energy consumption and performance of the proposed electric powertrain.
Technical Paper

Energy Assessment of the Electric Powertrain System of a Formula Student Electric Race Car

2022-08-30
2022-01-1124
While the shift to vehicle electrification plays a pivotal role in governments’ targets towards carbon neutrality, there exists certain technical challenges that need to be addressed. The motorsport car industry is also affected by this policy with the electric cars being included in the formula SAE and formula E competitions as one of the main categories. Moreover, there is a gap in the literature in energy assessment of the electric powertrain used in Formula SAE (FSAE) and Formula Student (FS) cars. In this paper, a Formula Student electric car powertrain was designed as a case study for energy analysis. The proposed electric powertrain is equipped with a four-wheel drive system. The vehicle was modelled in AVL CRUISE M software using technical and measured lab data as input parameters. Simulations were run in a transient driving cycle for a real circuit layout used in previous SAE competitions.
Technical Paper

Energy Optimal Control for Formula One Race Car

2022-08-30
2022-01-1043
Formula One (F1) is considered to be the forefront of innovation for the automotive and motorsport industry. One of the key provisions has been towards the inclusion of the Energy Recovery System (ERS) since 2014 in F1 regulations. ERS comprises Motor Generator Unit-Heat (MGU-H), Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic (MGU-K) and an Energy Storage (ES). This has not only converted the conventional powertrain into a hybrid power-split device, but also imposed constraints on the fuel energy available, energy recovered and deployed by MGU-K, and charge stored in ES, along with various other parameters. Although the objective for a F1 race is to minimize lap-time, it is obvious that there is no unique control path or decision to meet this objective. This builds up needs to optimally control the power-split and energy of the system.
Technical Paper

Assessment of the Impact of Vehicle Emissions on Air Quality Changes during COVID-19 Lockdown in Bogota, Colombia

2022-03-29
2022-01-0583
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments to implement rigorous containment measures on reduction or cessation of human mobility, transportation and economic activities, to control the spread of the virus. This is considered as a unique opportunity to study the impact of local lockdowns periods, especially, on the vehicle emission levels, and urban air quality in cities with high pollution levels, such as Bogota, Colombia. The first case was confirmed in Colombia on March 6, 2020, since then to prevent its propagation, the government declared a national lockdown starting from March 20 until August 31, 2020. Therefore, this study attempted to analyse the air quality in Bogota by assessing the concentrations of the atmospheric pollutants NO₂, SO₂, O₃, CO, PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ during the lockdown period and the corresponding concentrations levels during the same period in 2018 and 2019. The data for this pilot study was obtained from the air quality monitoring stations of Bogota.
Technical Paper

Frequency Coupling Analysis in Spark Ignition Engine Using Bispectral Method and Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition

2022-03-29
2022-01-0481
Internal combustion (IC) engines are the current dominant power source used in the automotive industry for hybrid vehicles. The combustion process of IC engines involves various parameters, which are linked to the overall performance of the driveline. Therefore, finding the frequency coupling between the manifold pressure, in-cylinder pressure and output crankshaft speed will provide an insight into the reasons for torque fluctuations and its effect on driveline performance. The present work introduces a methodology to analyze cylinder pressure, manifold pressure and instantaneous crank speed signals measured from a 4 cylinder, 1.6 Litre, Gasoline Direct Injection Engine at different speed conditions to identify the frequency coupling between these signals. This work uses Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) as a de-noising method and Bispectral analysis for examining the presence of a frequency coupling from the signals.
Technical Paper

Numerical Simulation of Electric Powertrain for Examining Real World Performance of EVs at Sub-Zero Temperatures

2021-09-21
2021-01-1245
Electric Vehicles (EVs) are considered to be a worthy alternative to automobiles powered by internal combustion engines to achieve the goal of sustainable transportation. For their many known advantages, Li-ion cells are considered to be the most practical energy storage solution for the purpose of EVs propulsion currently. The capability of Li-ion cells to store energy in extreme cold operating temperatures is significantly lower than that at nominal operating temperatures due to greater power losses at cold temperatures. Therefore, it leads to degradation of performance of EVs in sub-zero temperatures. The present work proposes a novel approach to use numerical simulation technique to build an EV model based on BMW i3 using GT Suite at sub-zero temperatures. The model is validated against experimental data obtained from Argonne National Laboratory for US06, HWY and UDDS legislative drive cycles.
Technical Paper

Development of a PN Surrogate Model Based on Mixture Quality in a GDI Engine

2021-09-05
2021-24-0013
A novel surrogate model is presented, which predicts the engine-out Particle Number (PN) emissions of a light-duty, spray-guided, turbo-charged, GDI engine. The model is developed through extensive CFD analysis, carried out using the Siemens Simcenter STAR-CD, and considers a range of part-load operating conditions and single-variable sweeps where control parameters such as start of injection and injection pressure are varied in isolation. The work is attached to the Ford-led APC6 DYNAMO project, which aims to improve efficiency and reduce harmful emissions from the next generation of gasoline engines. The CFD work focused on the air exchange, fuel spray and mixture preparation stages of the engine cycle. A combined Rosin-Rammler and Reitz-Diwakar model, calibrated over a wide range of injection pressure, is used to model fuel atomization and secondary droplets break-up.
Technical Paper

Analysis of Energy Recovery System of Formula One Cars

2021-04-06
2021-01-0368
This study analyzes the performance of the Energy Recovery System (ERS) of a Formula One car (F1) based on the qualification performance of 19 drivers for the first calendar race of the 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship®. In this study, the race circuit analysed was split into different sectors to examine the energy transfer between the Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic (MGU-K) and the Energy Storage (ES) systems. Positive Kinetic Energy (PKE) concept was used for estimating the energy deployment potential of the ERS along with numerical simulations for estimating the energy recovering potential. This investigation highlights the strategies used by different drivers and the effect of driver to driver variation on their ERS performance during qualification. The methodology demonstrated in this study is able to identify the correlation between the unique driving style of individual drivers and the ERS strategies used by the teams for maximizing the performance of their car.
Technical Paper

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle for Mexico City

2020-04-14
2020-01-1169
The search for alternative fuel for transport vehicles and also replacement of internal combustion engines in order to reduce the harmful emissions have been forcing the vehicle manufacturers to innovate new technology solutions for meeting the stringent legislative targets. Mexico’s commitment for de-carbonisation of transport sector and meeting the environmental goals is shaping it especially, and with this, it favours the move towards electrification of the vehicles. The aim of the present work is to numerically evaluate the possibility of replacing the IC engine in the existing hybrid vehicles with the Hydrogen fuel cell system. This work modelled a Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle based on Toyota MIRAI and validated the fuel economy performance of the vehicle using experimental data. This validated model was used to estimate the fuel economy for real-world drive cycles generated in 2019 from Mexico City.
Technical Paper

MPC Controller for Autonomous Formula Student Vehicle

2020-04-14
2020-01-0089
Autonomous vehicles in formula student competition is a relatively new competition, with most of the teams testing new concepts every year with their challenger for the season. A background search conducted reflects the various concept changes offered by the FS teams in Formula student Germany each year. Hence, it can be concluded that the teams are uncertain about many concepts in an autonomous vehicle. This paper explores one such aspect; the choice of controller governs the steering capabilities of the autonomous vehicle. An MPC controller is used to build a basic controller model for the autonomous vehicle in the formula student competition. A bicycle model representative of the Oxford Brookes Racing team's electric vehicle is modeled, and the MPC controller is used to check various vehicle dynamic parameters in Simulink.
Journal Article

Strategy for Optimizing an F1 Car’s Performance Based on FIA Regulations

2020-04-14
2020-01-0545
The aim of the present work is to propose a control strategy for maximizing the performance of a Formula One (F1) car through numerical simulation for 2021 regulations taking 2019 regulations as a benchmark. This study has developed an engine-powertrain model of an F1 car with real world driver data for estimating the vehicle’s full throttle performance. The maximum possible energy recovered, stored and deployed by the Energy Recovery System (ERS) was estimated for the first 10 circuits in the 2019 FIA Formula One World Championship® Race Calendar. A 1.6L V6 Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), as well as, a full vehicle was modelled according to the 2019 Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) Formula One technical regulations using GT-Suite software. The model was validated against the experimental data. The data for validation was extracted from On- Board videos using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and FIA regulations.
Technical Paper

Aerodynamic Optimization of a Front Wheel Wake-Related Bodywork on a Novel Electric Formula Car Using Metaheuristic Approach

2018-08-20
2018-01-5030
Aerodynamic drag reduction is a critical part in the design of a novel electric, entry-level, formula car due to the modest energy density provided by the contemporary Lithium-ion battery cells. In order to improve track performance, aerodynamic development must focus on components which do not generate a considerable amount of downforce. Rotating front wheels are identified as the least aerodynamic part of the race car, since it is responsible for the third of the overall drag forces and producing moderate amounts of lift. In the present study, a parameterized wheel pod geometry is used to improve the overall aerodynamic performance of an open-wheel race car. The model is driven by seven parameters, which entails huge flexibility of the bodywork design. First, an unsteady Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation was developed and validated to visualize the oscillating flow behavior and obtain averaged surface force measurements.
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