Supporting innovation
Electric and hybrid vehicles present a paradigm shift for the automotive industry, with all aspects of modern vehicles being either redesigned or reimagined in the modern context.
External design pressures are not limited to improving efficiency of existing components or creating new platforms. Market forces are pushing engineers to incorporate a dazzling array of avantgarde, cutting edge technology. Escalating climate concerns demand innovation, but it has never been harder to achieve.
In Formula 1, innovation is the way of life. Claytex is applying knowledge developed working in F1 to facilitate and foster electric and hybrid vehicle progress, using simulation tools.
Capable of simulating multi-domain systems, such as fluids, electrical, thermal, and mechanical, Dymola is the ideal electric vehicle simulation environment. Founded upon the object-orientated acausal nature of the Modelica language, the VeSyMA suite of simulation libraries from Claytex supports vehicle development from conceptual study through to verification and validation.
At its core, VeSyMA reimagines the vehicle as a collection of subsystems built from individual components integrated together to create an automobile. Such an ethos lends itself to the concept of replaceability; one simulation model of a subsystem easily swapped for another.
Components of different detail, configuration or type can be swapped into and out of the same vehicle model. Scalable detail enables the user to focus their time studying only what they are interested in. Clear, focused results precisely quantifying the impact of each design decision are easily achievable, sidestepping common issues with physical R&D approaches.
Building system models combining components of different domains facilitates intricate systems engineering to take place. Intelligent thermal management strategies utilising heat pumps to redeploy heat energy for battery or cabin preconditioning have been developed using VeSyMA based tools for various BEV OEMs.
One example saw a twin condenser/single evaporator heat pump, complete with fluid flow circuits implemented within a full multibody vehicle model. Electro-mechanical motor and drive battery models, replicating heat and temperate dependent internal resistance were also included. A multi zone and occupant cabin model, enclosed with correct boundary conditions, enabled conceptual heat pump operation strategy to be determined. Detailed controller and localised heating/cooling development was tackled subsequently.
Other common challenges, such as battery cooling and the impact of speed dependent heat rejection from on board systems can be understood using similar models. Fuel cell models can be incorporated swiftly and easily into existing vehicle models.
Beyond Dymola, full FMI support enables VeSyMA models to be ported to other software packages, such as Simulink, to act as plant models in software-in-the-Loop (SiL) development of controller algorithms. Conversely, the reverse is true. Models from outside Dymola can be incorporated easily into VeSyMA based vehicle models. Taking advantage of real-time simulation toolchain in the VeSyMA – Driver-in-the-Loop (DiL) library, such algorithms can be tested, or even taught, by human drivers without elongated physical data capture studies.
Altogether, such benefits make the VeSyMA suite of simulation libraries the perfect tool to support, and empower, the innovation to deliver the next generation of clean, green, electric vehicles.
