TopoSelect
Evaluation methodology of drive topologies of electric mobile machines
In the research project "Evaluation methodology for drive topologies of electric mobile machines", a methodology is being developed and implemented that can be used to automatically carry out system syntheses of electric mobile machines. In this way, the systems are optimized in terms of efficiency, emission balances and costs.
Project overview
By integrating electric drives into mobile machines, drive topologies that deviate from the state of the art can be used to reduce costs, energy consumption and/or emission figures. However, manufacturers usually have insufficient experience with many of these concepts and cannot readily assess their potential for the application in question.
The aim of the project is therefore to develop a methodology that manufacturers can use to compare possible drive concepts for the specific application in question without any modeling effort or practical trials. With this methodology, it is possible to assess the change in investment and operating costs, power consumption and emissions balance for freely selectable work machines by adapting the drive topology.
Methology
The methodology itself uses easily determined key data of the application, such as maximum velocities and pressures, financial boundary conditions or even work processes. The key data are first classified in the methodology according to various aspects. It is also possible for the user to enter load cycles into the software tool, which are automatically processed statistically and the work processes are classified, for example, according to the load and the consumers active in parallel.
The next step is to compare this processed data with possible drive concepts. For this purpose, the project will incorporate already widely used drive concepts into the methodology, but new concepts can also be further integrated. The methodology concludes with a comparison that is used to evaluate the impact on costs, energy consumption and emissions in production and operation.
For the design of the different powertrain concepts, thermal aspects of the electric drive system are considered in addition to the electrical and hydraulic framework conditions. The thermal consideration is necessary, among other things, to ensure that the battery and the cooling system can be designed accordingly and that effects on the efficiency of electric drives and storage systems can be included.
In addition to the development of the methodology, the project focuses on its validation. To this end, an evaluation will be carried out for various mobile machines using both the methodology presented and detailed simulative studies. For evaluation purposes, the results of both options will be compared and discussed.
Duration
01.05.2021 – 31.10.2022
Funding