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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ModulED (Modular Electric Drivetrains)

Teaser

Summary

Electrification of passenger cars and light-duty vehicles will have a knock-on effect on reducing the greenhouses gases emission from the transportation sector, as it is still the biggest emitter due to fossil fuel-based engines. However, the maturity of electrical drives and electrical engines needs a final push for better performance, better comfort and cost reduction in order to generate a massive adoption of such transport in Europe and worldwide, replacing conventional cars. ModulED aims at developing a new generation of modular electric engine based on buried-permanent magnet motor with reduced rare earth use, and electric drivetrain for various configurations of Full and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (including cost, environmental impact, efficiency, and mass manufacturing ready). The multiphase e-motor will integrate the latest GaN inverter for power electronics, advanced control with higher fault tolerance, advanced cooling features, with reduced sizing and higher efficiency. It will be linked with a performant electrical drive and transmission, adapting new regenerative braking strategies. The project takes into account industrial, user requirements and environmental impacts through life cycle analysis, to gear the activities towards a full vehicle approach design and realization of each component and whole powertrain. Also, new virtual models will be developed for reliable design and simulation of every component features. Demonstration on Volvo or similar vehicle will be performed at the end, validating the high-performance powertrain. The project gathers 9 partners as cutting-edge from automotive, power electronics, powertrain specialists with 3 research centres, 3 Tier-1 suppliers and SMEs.

Work performed

Since the beginning of ModulED, each partner has worked hard to stick to the planning established at the beginning of the project. Punch Powertrain has designed a very compact housing, including transmission, gearbox, GaN-based inverter (power, control and communication part) with associated fluidic cooling, and the electric motor. Punch Powertrain worked closely with ZG on the gearbox and the sizing of the housing. They are working closely with CEA, for the GaN-inverterâ€™s mechanical integration, which will power the electric motor, and which must be as modular as possible for the ease of assembly/disassembly. CEA is also working on the fault detection to guarantee the safety of the driver and in a second time, the equipment inside the car, but the work is still ongoing. Brusa has designed a new generation multiphase (6 phases) high-speed motor with different technologies of rotors (permanent magnet and injected magnet), which will ultimately fit in the housing of Punch Powertrain and, as of today, will produce the first samples during summer 2019. Regarding the initial specifications of the project, the current requirement will not be fulfilled by the GaN inverter, as CEA uses a lower than expected current capacity device. However, the motor will run, but at lower torque. As this new electric motor has 6 phases, TU/e is working on the motor control, and especially on the winding reconfiguration, to pass from a three phases system, to a six phases system; it will have some advantages at low/high speed to use one configuration or the other. Chalmers is working on the regenerative braking and is negotiating the car the project will use to test the future demonstrator, with the support of Punch Powertrain. Next to this work, IKA studied and designed an algorithm to optimize the performance of the overall system for each individual block. The software is not fully finished, but each module can be optimized independently for the moment. SIEMENS on the other side, pursued their work on the 2D software library which will be used in AMESIM. Since the beginning of the project, Efficient Innovation is helping the consortium on dissemination, communication and realized a full updated project exploitation plan hand in hand with all the partners. Summer 2019 will be key in the projectâ€™s life as the first prototypes will be manufactured, and the life cycle analysis performed by Efficient Innovation to measure the environmental impact of the solution.

Final results

The project aims at lowering the power train cost, around 15% of cost reduction and this objective should be reached thanks to the improved modularity and manufacturing process. The power electronic part uses new semiconductor technology, which have better performance than standard Si/SiC 650V semiconductors. It reduces the losses of the inverter, and its size. This inverter will be the first GaN inverter for electric vehicle with a power of 100kW. A more efficient inverter will also reduce the stress sustained by the fluidic cooling. The temperature environment will be lower, which is good for power electronics and its passive elements associated. Moreover, it aims at detecting failures more efficiently to protect the driver and the equipment of the power train (up to 33% increase of e-motor fault tolerance). The aim is to anticipate the failure to avoid damages of the equipment, and to replace only the part damaged thanks to the modular design. As the new electric motor is smaller, and GaN device for power electronics as well, the overall system will be smaller, around 15% of size reduction, fully in line with the innovative objectives of the project. Finally, regenerative breaking is studied, to save up to the 35% of the dissipated energy.
To conclude, the overall system will be more efficient, more compact, at lower cost, and could be integrated in electric and hybrid vehicle. The power of the whole system will be high enough to respond to the main demands of the electric vehicle market.