Adrian Morris

Effect of transmission design on Electric Vehicle (EV) performance

The current level of interest in Electric Vehicles (EVs) could hardly be overstated as manufacturers and governments around the world appear to have increased interest at a staggering rate. The resurgence of current interest in the early part of the 21st century has been driven by both political and technological developments, namely a requirement to control global emissions and the emergence of new battery designs with improved specific energy, energy density and rechargability properties.

Impact of Second Life Electric Vehicle Batteries on the Viability of Renewable Energy Sources

Aims: To investigate the viability of using second life electric vehicle batteries as ‘buffer packs’ for localized, in home storage of renewable energy. To investigate the potential value of such energy storage in terms of reducing energy bills. To investigate the effect, if any, of social group on energy demand patterns and the subsequent effect on buffer packs. Methodology: Energy data was collected from 15 households and a representative daily demand pattern was formed from each. The availability of solar power was calculated based on standard assumptions regarding UK household installations. The flow of energy between the supply grid, renewable sources (i.e. solar panels) and a 10kWh battery storage system (the ‘buffer pack’) were simulated on a minute by minute basis allowing the savings in power drawn from the grid to be calculated. Results: The simulation has indicated that the use of buffer packs has the potential to greatly increase the utilization of locally generated renewable energy. In some cases the stored energy removed the need to draw any power from the grid. The value of energy storage of this type has been estimated at approximately £250. Conclusion: Buffer packs have substantial potential to increase the degree of utilization of renewable energy sources. However the financial viability of such systems remains questionable, even when utilizing second-life electric vehicle batteries. Further work is recommended to address some of these issues and, in particular, to investigate the effects of seasonal variations in energy use and renewable energy availability on buffer pack applications. Keywords : Renewable energy; solar photovoltaic power; electric vehicles; batteries. - See more at: http://www.sciencedomain.org/abstract.php?iid=268&id=5&aid=2103#sthash.i2FboWT8.dpuf

Effect of geared transmissions on electric vehicle drivetrains

The paper describes some simple modelling to investigate whether there are potential benefits to incorporating a geared transmission in electric vehicle driveline. The overall conclusion is that considerable benefits in energy consumption are available if a continuously variable gearbox system is incorporated; performance improvements of 6 to 19.2% are predicted over a range of European, USA and Japanese driving cycles. Furthermore, the use of a much simpler, two speed gearbox an improve performance significantly — by for example 9.2% over the NEDC cycle — although similar improvements are not predicted over other driving cycles. Overall, the results suggest not only that direct benefits in terms of energy reductions are obtainable, but also that significant reductions in motor and driveline sizing may be an alternative approach to exploiting the introduction of a transmission system.Copyright

Converter simulation using SimPowerSystems a comparison of drive cycles and control strategies

This paper describes the setup of a direct current to direct current (DC-DC) converter simulation using Matlab / Simulinks SimPowerSystems (SPS). The simulation is set up to focus on full drive cycle simulation to be able to visualize the effects of a control strategy on a drive cycle over time. The aim of these simulations is to compare the effects of different control strategies and to introduce a modular control strategy. A modular control strategy is proposed and tested and the effects of the control strategies are described and discussed. The load factor of the battery current is calculated to look for improvements in smoothness.

Novel EV drive train topology — A review of the current topologies and proposal for a model for improved drivability

The use of Direct Current to Direct Current (DC-DC) converters in Electric Vehicles (EV) drive trains allows for optimal combination of a power source complementing an energy source. Various topologies have been analysed and compared for their best features. A set of parameters has been created, based on which a new topology has been developed. The new topology is modular and allows for redundancy while improving driveability and has the potential to reduce cost of the drive train, by increasing the life expectancy of the energy sources.