Optimising the development of electric vehicle powertrains for improved driving range and battery charge times
Optimising the development of electric vehicle powertrains for improved driving range and battery charge times.
Electric vehicle (EV) powertrains are complex systems comprised of core functional components including the battery, inverter, motor and transmission. The main objective in designing an EV powertrain is efficiency, as higher efficiency leads to better thermal management and range, whereas lower efficiency results in high power loss and extra heating, for which the size of an EV must be increased to enable adequate heat dissipation.
To achieve optimal efficiency, powertrain components must be designed and optimised as part of the system – not separately – with a system-level design approach crucial to increasing the range and efficiency of EVs while decreasing the cost.
INTRODUCING CONCEPTEV
This is exactly what software developer Ansys is offering with ConceptEV, a new software-as-a-service (SaaS) cloud-native software platform capable of linking component designs to system-level requirements. Tailor-made for the automotive concept design stage, the platform delivers simultaneous optimisation of EV powertrain architectures and components, allowing component and system engineers to work together on EV powertrain concept designs through a model-based approach.
“ConceptEV is flipping the script on traditional EV powertrain workflows and enabling customers to pursue a more robust, data-driven result,” says Shane Emswiler, Senior Vice President of Products at Ansys. “The solution brings together cross-functional teams in an open environment that encourages collaboration and knowledge sharing to foster innovation. The powertrain is the heart of a vehicle’s performance, so having the right tools to optimise its design to make it lighter, more durable and more cost-effective is critical.”
FIRST-OF-A-KIND SOLUTION
By utilising ConceptEV, specification and component design changes are easily implemented and traceable, empowering users to rapidly evaluate and quantify system trade-offs for the optimal powertrain design. The platform is built on a model-based approach to facilitate fast analysis of the complete system against requirements, reducing errors, saving time and costs, and informing smarter decisions earlier on in the design process.
Fundamentally, ConceptEV enables engineers to make early design choices for improved driving range and battery charge times, lower development costs, and faster time-to-market.
“Ansys ConceptEV promises to be a critical advancement for the electric powertrain industry,” adds John Reeve, Technical Director at FluxSys, a specialist in electric machines and drives design. “Focusing on optimising the complete powertrain rather than individual sub-systems will increase our productivity and accelerate innovation. ConceptEV is approachable, collaborative, scalable and will help us meet the growing demand for performant EV powertrain systems.”
