Powertrain Simulation Team

The Powertrain Simulation team was formed from the Longitudinal Dynamics team and the CO2 team. It works on the longitudinal dynamics of the vehicle and the associated programming of the control unit and simulation of the entire powertrain. The ageing of the battery and the CO2 balance of the vehicle are also part of the tasks.

The main objective of the overall project is to develop a very economical vehicle with total CO2 emissions of 35g/km. Powertrain simulation plays a significant role in achieving this goal. No matter how economical the production of all components is, no matter how much secondary aluminum is used: If the vehicle consumes too much fuel in real operation, the ambitious target will not be achieved. We are therefore developing a Matlab Simulink model in the hybrid strategy, in which we simulate intelligent control of the engines. This enables the vehicle to recuperate during braking, for example, and store valuable kinetic energy, which is converted into heat in conventional vehicles, in the battery. This energy can be used to power the electric motors in city traffic, for example. This allows the vehicle to drive with zero local emissions. Our task is to decide at which operating points we can save the most CO2 during operation. The combustion engine is controlled in such a way that it only runs at its optimum, most efficient operating points and therefore consumes as little fuel as possible. Behind all of this are many team meetings, a lot of work and many discussions. Everyone can contribute their thoughts and ideas to the project and thus play a significant role in its success.