Integrated model of power electronics, electric motor, and gearbox for a light EV

This study presents a model of a drivetrain for an integrated design of a light electric vehicle (EV). For the drivetrain of each front wheel of the single-person, battery-powered EV tricycle consists of a battery, an inverter, and an outer rotor permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM), which is connected to an in-wheel gearbox. The efficiency of the inverter, motor, and gearbox is analyzed over the New European Driving Cycle. To calculate the losses and efficiency of the PMSM, the power electronics in the inverter and gearbox are used. The analytical models provide a fast, but less accurate result, useful for optimization purposes. To accurately predict the efficiency of the PMSM, a finite element model is used. The models are validated by test setups. Correspondingly, a good agreement between the measurements and the calculated results is achieved. A parameter study is performed to investigate the influence of the detailed component parameters (i.e., outer rotor radius, gear ratio, and number of pole pairs and stator slots) on the average efficiency of the drivetrain. © 2015 KIPE