ADVISOR Tool

ADVISOR TOOL

Aim :

• For EV_defaults_in file, simulate for the range of the Vehicle carrying the Payload of 500Kg.
• Changing the Battery Capacity of the above Vehicle for the next Simulation.
• To Perform the Gradeablity test for PRIUS_Jpn_defaults_in Vehicle.

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Introduction to ADVISOR

ADVISOR : ADvanced VehIcle SimolatOR

This tool, originally developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), allows users to simulate and analyze conventional, advanced, light, and heavy vehicles, including hybrid electric and fuel cell vehicles. The tool allows users to assess the effect of changes in vehicle components (such as motors, batteries, catalytic converters, climate control systems, and alternative fuels) and other modifications that might affect fuel economy, performance, or emissions. This allows system-level analysis and trade-off studies of advanced vehicles.

ADVISOR approximates the continuous behavior of a vehicle as a series of discrete steps during each of which the components are assumed to be at steady state. That is, at each time step, the effects of changing current, voltage, torque, and RPM are neglected. This allows efficiency or power loss tables, which are generated by testing a drivetrain component at a fixed torque and RPM (and current and voltage, if applicable), to be used to relate the power demands of the components at each time step. A significant advantage of using a model that is in the Simulink/MATLAB environment is the flexibility and ease of changing the model, such as replacing one control strategy or regenerative braking algorithm with another.

MATLAB also allows easy plotting of results that makes detailed analysis of vehicle configurations possible. ADVISOR is driven by the input driving profiles which can be the classic speed vs. time, such as the federal urban driving schedule (FUDS), or a speed and grade vs. time driving profile. With a given driving profile goal, ADVISOR then works its way backwards from the required vehicle and wheel speeds to the required torques and speeds
of each component between the wheels and the energy source, which is either fuel from the hybrid power unit (HPU) or electricity from the batteries. Limits for each of the components are included, so the actual speed vs. time profile computed is the one that is within the limits of all components and includes all component losses and vehicle drag.

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1. Ev_defaults_in

• To check if the Vehicle can travel for 45 Km with cargo mass of 500 kg with all other default conditions, with FTP drive cycle !

Open the ADVISOR tool and load the file Ev_defaults_in

Motor Charaterstics

Vehicle Configuration

Drive Cycle : FTP

• FTP Drive Cycle constitutes atotal Distance of 17.77 Km in a Single Cycle. In order to check for the Range for 45Km, the Vehicle must atleast follow the Run for 3 Drive Cycles.

Plots after 3 FTP Drive Cycle

• The 1st Plot shows the Drive Cycle Speed against Time.
• From the 2nd Plot, it can be Observed that Battery SOC has declined to 0 at time ca. 5500s, even before completing the defined DC.
• Emission is absolute 0 since it is an Fully Electric Drive as shown in Plot 3.
• The Distance Travelled is some where around 41 Km as shown in Plot 4.

• The Vehicle has failed to travel a distance of 45 Km under FTP Cycle with an Payload of 500 Kg !!!

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2. To Change the Battery Capacity for Ev_defaults_in in the above Simulation and check for the Range.

• The number of Battery Modules is increased from default 25 to 30 to check for the Range.
• Increase in the Number of Battery Modules has resulted in the increase of Nominal Voltage from 308V to 370V.
• This also resulted in the increase the overall weight of the Vehicle !

Plots

• The 1st Plot shows the Drive Cycle Speed against Time.
• From the 2nd Plot, it can be Observed that Battery SOC has declined to 0 at time ca. 7100s.
• Emission is absolute 0 since it is an Fully Electric Drive as shown in Plot 3.
• The Distance Travelled is some where around 49 Km as shown in Plot 4.
• With Increase in the Battery Module by 5 Number, the Vehicle managed to travel 45 Km with an Payload of 500 Kg.

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3. PRIUS_Jpn_defaults_in

• To Perform the Gradeablity test for PRIUS_Jpn_defaults_in Vehicle.

Motor Characterstics

Engine Characterstics

Vehicle Configuration

Drive Cycle

• Gradeablity Test can be performed in 2 Methods
  • Gradeablity @ some defined Speed, Grade Test Option available for this.
  • Gradeablity with constant Grade under any of the Drive Cycle.
• Change the Grade Parameters as required in Grade Options.

Case 1

@ 10 mph for 50 Seconds

Result

The Gradeablity is 35.4 % with an Speed of 16.1 Kmph for suration of 50s.

Case 2

@ 20 mph for 50 Seconds

The Gradeablity is 24.2 % with an Speed of 32.2 Kmph for suration of 50s.

Case 3

@ 30 mph for 50 Seconds

The Gradeablity is 19.4 % with an Speed of 48.3 Kmph for suration of 50s.

Case 4

@ 40 mph for 50 Seconds

The Gradeablity is 16.2 % with an Speed of 64.4 Kmph for suration of 50s.

Case 5

@ 50 mph for 50 Seconds

The Gradeablity is 14% with an Speed of 80.5 Kmph for suration of 50s.

Case 6

@ 50 mph for 50 Seconds with Gradeablity greater than the obtained value in the Previous case (G = 20% > 14%)

The Grade Test fails when the Gradeablity is more than the max Gradeablity at Respective Speed !!!

Conclusion

• The Gradeablity decreses with Increase in the Speed
• At Certain Grade, the Vehicle Speed decreases upto a Certain Point and then reaches the Steady state as observed from the 1st Plot.

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