time because of a number of issues. choice for modeling and simulation underutilizes math-based simulaSome of these include vehicle costs, of multi-physics complex systems.” tion for electrical systems. In a hybattery lifetime, and battery energy Ultimately, the two professors brid vehicle, more than 50 percent and power density. According to believe that another outcome of this of the cost is electrical. The result Gover, major advancements project is a compelling reais that automotive manufacturers in battery technology could son for automotive OEMs will soon find out that they simply actually “make fuel cells and suppliers to consider cannot afford to contract all of their much less critical to the using these types of comelectrical systems to suppliers and future of automobiles,” he puter models and tools. only work with performance specs, said. These resources could which requires them to conduct exPimentel and Gover will provide automopensive tests to determine focus their research efforts tive designers if their supplier has met in this project on several the capability of their specifications.” areas of a hybrid drive train. designing a hySerge Leef, general manOne of the primary compo- Dr. Juan Pimentel brid vehicle drive ager of the System-Level nents of these drive trains train and evaluate Engineering Division at are the power electronics comprised it without having to build Mentor Graphics, said “We of a dc-dc converter and three-phase the hardware, which is exbelieve that applying stateinverter that converts dc voltage to tremely expensive. Drive of-the-art multi-physics a three-phase, frequency-dependent train design costs are often simulation technology to voltage. This voltage then provides passed onto the sales price Dr. Jim Gover hybrid vehicle electronpower to the electric motor that opof a vehicle. ics optimization is a great erates the wheels. One starting point The computer models under way to leverage our SystemVision™ for this grant-funded project is to development should allow what product. Our team’s joint activimodel the inverter. Gover will work Gover describes as the payoff of ties with Kettering researchers will on developing computer models of result in profound learning that the power electronics system, while could lead to exciting advances in Pimentel will model the control the understanding of the hybridelectronics for the inverter. Both drive operational and cost trade-offs. And if the predictions will use the Institute of Electrical Professors Pimentel and Gover have and Electronics Engineers’ standard deep insights and clear vision in this made by this project modeling language called VHDLarea, and we look forward to long AMS (very high speed hardware deand fruitful collaboration.” come to fruition, the scription language-analog and mixed And if the predictions made by signal). The primary tool to be used this project come to fruition, the developmental costs of is SystemVision™, which is Mendevelopmental costs of hybrids hybrids could indeed come tor Graphics’ implementation of could indeed come down if car makVHDL-AMS. The hope is to calcuers pay careful attention to how they down if car makers pay late the heating rate generated in the design, simulate and evaluate hybrid inverter semiconductor switches to vehicles. So if car manufacturers careful attention to how determine cooling requirements over can reduce their development costs, the full range of drive train speeds as it stands to reason that consumers they design, simulate and well as the performance sensitivity should be able to buy hybrids at to electrical parameters. more efficient cost points, which evaluate hybrid vehicles. “The VHDL-AMS language is could eventually reduce our need for important to this project because it oil and help establish the country’s can handle complex systems where energy independence. there is a mixture of electrical, meTo find out more about this inventions “to be determined withchanical, fluidic, thermal and other project, contact Dr. Jim Gover at out having to build hardware. The physical phenomena,” Pimentel (810)762-9500 extension 5643, via automotive sector, which is domisaid, adding that the VHDL-AMS email at jgover@kettering.edu, or Dr. nated by mechanical engineers, is language “has acquired worldwide Juan Pimentel at extension 7990, or far too dependent on testing and acceptance and is the language of via email at jpimente@kettering.edu.
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