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.

Motivations for the transition to electrified powertrains in automotive applications:
Emissions formation and control.
Air quality and global warming.
Life cycle analysis of environmental impact.
Industry roadmaps for low carbon vehicle technology.
Assessment of vehicles against certification requirements.
Introduction to pure electric powertrain architectures:
Vehicle product case studies.
Energy storage technologies.
Charging processes and the impact on user experience and carbon footprint.
Electric machine types and approaches to torque control.
Drivetrain and battery specification and matching to vehicle system requirements.
On-board energy management and optimisation.

Learning outcomes

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

• Consolidate existing Electric Vehicle products, their relative merits and critique designs against key real-world applications. (C2, M2)
• Design energy storage and electric machine technology as co-dependant sub-systems of vehicle powertrain applications. (C5, M5, C6, M6)
• Distinguish a wide variety of approaches to energy management with regards to applicability, complexity, optimality, ethical concerns, resource requirements and practicality. (C5(D), M5(D), C8, M8)
• Critically evaluate and select technical literature on motivations and industry progress in automotive powertrain electrification. (C4, M4)
• Life cycle analysis of 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