Introductory description

The 21st century automotive industry is transitioning at pace to electric propulsion technology, presenting new challenges in component and system design and vehicle integration. This module provides a holistic introduction to design of electrified automotive powertrains. Existing approaches to full electrification are critiqued .

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

1: Introduction to electrified powertrains
 Global warming, petroleum resources, air quality, climate change targets
 Overview of the automotive electrification and history of modern transportation
 Comparison of ICE, hybrid and battery electric vehicles
 Case studies of current production EVs and design philosophies

2: EV architectures
 Basic powertrain architecture overview, components and energy flow
 EV platform architectures: BEV, PHEV, HEV structures
 Structures of HEV (series, parallel, compound),
 Torque coupling and speed coupling in EV powertrains
 Integration of battery, inverter, motor, and drivetrain
 Traction motor Characteristics and transmission requirements

3: Basics of power electronics for electric powertrains
 Role of power electronics in electrified powertrains
 Semiconductor devices: MOSFETs, IGBTs, SiC, GaN
 Switching behaviour, losses, and efficiency considerations
 DC–DC converters, inverters, and rectifier principles

4: Power electronics control and EV charging systems
 Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)
 Control principles of power electronics converters
 Electromagnetic interference (EMI) in power electronic systems
 Thermal management and packaging of power electronic systems
 Charging systems and infrastructure
 Grid connection and electrical power integration

5: Electric machines for EV applications
 Principles of electromagnetics and electric machines
 DC, induction, permanent magnet, BLDC, synchronous reluctance machines
 Torque-speed characteristics and efficiency maps of electric machines
 Machine construction, modelling and analysis, characteristics, and application fit
 Design considerations: e-motor size, mass, efficiency and cost
 Matching machine selection to driving cycle and vehicle mission

6: Performance Analysis of Electric Drive Systems
 Power conversion efficiency in electric powertrains
 Thermal management and cooling systems of electric drive systems
 Regenerative braking systems in EVs
 NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) characteristics of electric drive systems

7: Control of electric drives in EV applications
 Electric machines control principles
 Scalar control of AC machines
 Vector control of AC machines
 Control of BLDC
 Direct torque control in electric drive systems
 Introduction of advanced control methods

8: Energy storage systems
 Lithium-ion battery chemistries and emerging alternatives
 Energy density, power density, and degradation mechanisms
 Battery pack architecture and thermal management
 Safety systems and operational constraints
 Battery modelling within powertrain design
 Hybrid energy storage systems (battery + ultracapacitor concepts)

9: Life cycle analysis, sustainability, and integrated design synthesis
 Life cycle assessment methodology and system boundary selection
 Environmental impact of battery production, vehicle use, and end-of-life treatment
 Comparison of EV vs ICE lifecycle emissions
 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Electric Vehicles (EVs)

10: Future Trends in EV Powertrains
 Challenges in Next-Generation EV Powertrains
 Sustainability in Material Sourcing and Supply Chains
 Future Trends in Electric Powertrains
 Fuel Cell Technologies in Future Electric Powertrains

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Study electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles with different architectures, compare their pros and cons, and evaluate their designs for real-world use. (C2, M2)
• Design energy storage, electric machines, and electric drive technology as co-dependent sub-systems of vehicle powertrain applications.
• Distinguish different approaches to energy management in EV powertrains with regard to applicability, complexity, optimality, resource requirements and practicality. (C5(D), M5(D))
• Critically evaluate and select technical literature on motivations and industry progress in automotive powertrain electrification. (C4, M4)
• Evaluate the life cycle environmental impact of current electric powertrains (C7, M7)

Indicative reading list

Reading lists can be found in Talis

Subject specific skills

Ability to be pragmatic, taking a systematic approach and the logical and practical steps necessary for, often complex, concepts to become reality. Ability to develop economically viable and ethically sound sustainable solutions

Transferable skills

Appreciation of the global dimensions of engineering, commerce and communication. Be professional in their outlook, be capable of team working, be effective communicators, and be able to exercise responsibility and sound management approaches. Exercise initiative and personal responsibility, including time management. Numeracy: apply mathematical and computational methods to communicate parameters, model and optimize solutions. Plan self-learning and improve performance, as the foundation for lifelong learning/CPD