Hardware-in-the-loop simulation of hybrid hydromechanical transmissions

Increased demands on fuel-efficient propulsion motivate the use of complex hybrid hydromechanical transmissions in heavy construction machines. These transmissions offer attractive fuel savings but come with an increased level of complexity and dependency on computer-based control. This trend has increased the use of computer-based simulations as a cost-effective alternative to hardware prototyping when developing and testing control strategies. Hardware-In-the-Loop (HWIL) simulations that combine physical and virtual model representations of a system may be considered an attractive compromise that combine the benefits of these two concepts. This paper explores how HWIL simulations may be used to evaluate powertrain control strategies for hybrid hydromechanical transmissions. Factors such as hardware/software partitioning and causality are discussed and applied to a test rig used for HWIL simulations of an example transmission. The results show the benefit of using HWIL simulations in favour of pure offline simulations and prototyping and stress the importance of accurate control with high bandwidth in the HWIL interface