ENGINEERINGNET.EU - Over the last three years Flanders’ Drive, the Belgian research centre for the automotive industry has worked closely with 12 local companies on the 'Electric Powertrain' project.
The aim was to develop a power train for the future generations of electric vehicles, one of the key requirements of the international automotive industry facing the European legislation, that requires a drastic reduction of average CO2 emissions of its new vehicles by 2020.
With its first public demonstration in the presence of local Minister for Innovation, Ingrid Lieten, Flanders’ Drive is drawing attention to the availability of a revolutionary technology based on Flemish (Belgian) knowhow and expertise.
The focus of the research lays in the development of an energy efficient electric drive train with individually powered wheels, whilst maintaining optimum vehicle control and driving comfort, states Flanders' Drive. The various components and systems, assembled into a compact power unit, were integrated and validated in a front-wheel drive Range Rover Evoque
Renilde Craps, Director of the research center, explains: “In this research project we opted for switched reluctance motors locally developed in Belgium. These are extremely robust and safe, don’t contain costly magnets and are eminently suitable for braking with the engine and for utilizing the energy that is hereby generated."
"The drive train also comprises an innovative battery pack that is ideal for acquiring knowledge about regenerative braking. Moreover, the technology developed can be applied to all hybrid and electric vehicle combinations.”
At the research centre the primary focus was on the thermal and energy management of the power train. The test vehicle’s dynamic movement was assessed at the Lommel Proving Ground test tracks.
The Range Rover Evoque, equipped with this energy-efficient power train, will from now on be used as a research platform in the European 'Electric Vehicle Control of Individual Wheel Torque for On- and Off-Road Conditions' project'. Together with the European partners, the optimization of the dynamic driving behaviour and the vehicle’s driving comfort will be further developed in order to attain an energy efficient four-wheel drive.
PARTNERS
Flanders Project:
Arteco, CTS, DANA, EIA Electronics, Imec, Inverto, LMS, NXP, Punch Powertrain, Triphase, Umicore and Voxdale.
European Project:
Cidaut, Flanders’ DRIVE, Inverto, ITA, Jaguar, Land Rover, Skoda, Ilmenau Technical University, TRW, Virtual Vehicle Competence Centre and the University of Surrey.
BACKGROUND
Flanders’ DRIVE is the Flemish research centre for the automotive industry that together with companies and research bodies works on leading technology and progressive, dedicated research into vehicles of the future. The center boasts a state-of-the-art research and testing infrastructure in addition to the Ford Lommel Proving Ground test tracks.
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