Concept

HIFI-ELEMENTS seeks to implement and investigate a streamlined workflow that makes the use of diverse modelling and simulation tools more efficient. A workflow that is conducive to model reuse, promotes consistency between different models of the same physical component and requires the developers working in the early concept stages to consider the evolution of their models as their design matures.

Coupled with this workflow will be a proposed standardisation of functional model interfaces. Existing standards like FMI focus on the formulation of a formal interface format description under the assumption that the physical signals, data rates and data types have been defined. The proposed functional model interface standard—defining model boundaries, signals and data particulars—will add a crucial element towards consistency and seamless use of models in the development process.

Additionally, we will explore the integration of methods for automatic parameter identification and for the generation of test cases into this workflow as both, model parametrisation/calibration and test management, require high efforts when faced with a fragmented population of models.

Within HIFI-ELEMENTS, we are proposing solutions that can overcome some remaining limitations: we do not seek to invent or pioneer new tools but instead to showcase how fragmentation can be reduced and existing tools can be used more efficiently. We will build on existing standards and initiatives to improve scalability, modularity and real-time use of simulations for system characterisation, optimisation and validation and thus, enable faster introduction of novel e-drive technologies to the market.

Objectives

1. Recommendation of standards

• We will publish a recommendation for a standard functional model interface specification for a number of
  E-drive components including: E-machine, inverter, DC/DC-converter, and battery (at cell, module and pack
  level). The proposed interface specification will be independent of the application used for the implementation
  of the model in order to promote model inter-operability and scalability.
• We will publish a recommendation for a standard set of model metadata — independent of the specific
  implementation of the model — that allows (third-party) users to evaluate the suitability of a model to perform
  certain tasks in the EV development cycle.

2. Reduction of development and testing effort by over 50%

• We will demonstrate—for a number of tasks in concept-to-validation development and/or testing scenarios—
  that the use of our implemented workflow can reduce the total effort (in person-hours) required to perform the
  task by at least 50% when compared to the current, fragmented workflow.

3. Decrease in vehicle energy consumption by up to 20%

• We will demonstrate that by front-loading system-level testing (both virtual and hybrid) we will be able to
  achieve a 20% decrease in vehicle energy consumption (compared to a baseline series driveline from model
  year 2016/17) due to early system optimisation (as opposed to stand-alone component optimisation) and
  mission/route-specific control optimisation.

4. Increase in validation test coverage up to 10-fold

• We will demonstrate a 3- to 10-fold increase in test coverage for the same total testing effort using the
  SYNECT/Morphee workflow (allowing automatic execution of test cases) in combination with automatic test
  case generation, prioritisation and selection, when compared to the current SotA workflow (which is the
  “manual”, ad-hoc generation and execution of test cases).