Hybrid and Electric Powertrain Architecture and MPC Model Design

• For undergraduate modules:

a score of 40% or above represents a pass performance at honours level.  

late submission of any item of coursework for each day or part thereof (or for hard copy submission only, working day or part thereof) for up to five days after the published deadline, coursework relating to modules at Levels submitted late (including deferred coursework, but with the exception of referred coursework), will have the numeric grade reduced by 10 grade points until or unless the numeric grade reaches or is 40. Where the numeric grade awarded for the assessment is less than 40, no lateness penalty will be applied.  

• For postgraduate modules:

a score of 50% or above represents a pass mark.

late submission of any item of coursework for each day or part thereof (or for hard copy submission only, working day or part thereof) for up to five days after the published deadline, coursework relating to modules at Level 7 submitted late (including deferred coursework, but with the exception of referred coursework), will have the numeric grade reduced by 10 grade points until or unless the numeric grade reaches or is 50. Where the numeric grade awarded for the assessment is less than 50, no lateness penalty will be applied.  

This Assignment assesses the following module Learning Outcomes (from Definitive Module Document):

1.Evaluate the different Hybrid & Electric powertrain architecture options and be able to propose appropriate solutions within realistic performance, fuel economy, emission and commercial constraints.

2.Design and/or size different Hybrid and Electric Vehicle sub-systems, within the context of vehicle usage, weight, packaging, and range constraints.

Assignment Brief:

You are required to submit your answers to the questions via Canvas. You will need to provide your answers in a word document and submit your word document via Canvas. Hand in the answers to these questions as indicated on the question sheet.

Question 1

Matthew is a travelling salesman who, in order to perform his job, must drive long distances to visit prospective customers. This involves driving primarily on highways. His company has given him a company car, a 4-door sedan, equipped with a non-hybrid 2-litre petrol engine to perform these journeys.

Matthew’s boss recommends that he should swap the car he has for the mild hybrid version of the same car, which is equipped with a 1.4 litre petrol engine and an electric motor. His boss states that this car will allow him to use less fuel on his work journeys because it is a hybrid car. Matthew does some research on this vehicle and finds out that it has a series-parallel drivetrain.

i.Is Matthew’s boss correct in his statement? Explain your answer. Use diagrams and literary references as required. Include in your answer a diagram of the drivetrain architecture of the vehicle in question.

Matthew’s research additionally reveals that the car is also available in a second hybrid drivetrain option. This second option is an energy hybrid with a series powertrain architecture.

ii.Would this vehicle be more or less suitable for Matthew than the mild hybrid option his       boss recommended? Explain your answer. Use diagrams and literary references as required. Include in your answer a diagram of the drivetrain architecture of the second   vehicle in question.

Please write no more than 200 words in your answers for each of these questions. Please state the number of words you use for each answer. Marks will be awarded for the quality of technical language used as well as for technical content.

Question 2

Assume that you need to design MPC model for your vehicle stability control system. Please answer  the following questions if the main structure is as given below.

1. a) Specify the name of the blocks, A, B, C, D in above MPC flowchart.
2. b) Assume the algorithm on MPC is set to solve a problem with three variables  where the multi-stage problem formulation (or function) is:

If w = 1, and  rewrite the problem function for only  minimisation task.

1. c) Find the fastest time possible to solve the above problem function (b) using MPC.

Question 3

1.A battery electric Vauxhall Ampera costs £39,995 before including the £5,000 government purchase subsidy. A Ford Focus diesel with a fuel consumption of 53 mpg costs £15,450. Assume the average motorists does 12000 miles per year and diesel fuel costs £1.50 per litre. Also, assume that electricity is free and that the Ampera driver manages to use a negligible amount of petrol by running entirely on plug-in electricity.

a)Calculate the payback time for the Vauxhall Ampera to repay the additional cost compared to a diesel Focus, with and without the subsidy.

b)If the Ampera battery has a life of 10 years and costs £20,000 to replace, calculate the whole life difference in cost of the Ampera compared with a Ford Focus over a 20 year operating life (i.e. consider only the case without subsidy).                                                                

2.Based on the assumptions and the table provided, compare the greenhouse gas emissions of operating an electric vehicle vs. an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. Assume grid electricity is generated using the following mix: 7% hydroelectric, 20% nuclear, 24% natural gas, 45% coal, 4% renewables. Also, make use of the tabulated figures below: