Protodrive : An Experimental Platform for Electric Vehicle Energy Scheduling and Control, DOT UTC Final Report

2018PDFTech ReportElectric vehiclesVehicle drive systemsPower trainsElectric drivesProtodrivePortable power train platformsResearch HubUnited StatesUniversity Transportation Centers Program (U.S.)Mangharam, RahulUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity Transportation Centers Program (U.S.)US Transportation CollectionElectric vehicles are a promising alternative to vehicles powered by fossil fuels due to their cleaner energy emission, but current limitations in battery technology are preventing electric vehicles from burgeoning in the mass consumer market. Therefore, simulating and prototyping various power trains become paramount for finding different energy efficient models. A portable power train platform, known as Protodrive, is here to provide a stage in between pure software simulation and full-scale hardware simulation. This platform allows energy to transfer between the vehicle power train and the load power train through the use of regenerative braking. Protodrive is also able to accept a plethora of drive cycles and trajectories to help determine the forces acting on the vehicle. Through the use of mathematical models of these forces, the platform is capable of applying the proper load on the vehicle power train to determine the power consumption. Additionally, introduction of a super capacitor to the vehicle power train model allows for the analysis of various control schemes to better manage the power consumption. The resulting simulated drive data can be viewed in real time through an intuitive web application that will allow users to enter drive cycles and define trajectories using Google Maps. The platform data can then be validated by comparing it with actual vehicle drive data