In in the present day’s submit, Manjunath speaks with Meng Zhang, the winner of the Simulink Scholar Problem 2022. All through their dialog, Meng shares his insights and experiences relating to his participation within the problem, the inspiration behind his challenge concept, the design challenges he confronted, and the outcomes of his simulations and testing. Learn on!
Manjunath:Hello Meng Zhang, thanks for taking the time to speak with me in the present day. Might you inform me a bit about why you determined to take part within the Simulink Scholar Problem?
Meng Zhang: After all, joyful to work together! I made a decision to take part within the Simulink Scholar Problem for just a few causes. Firstly, I used to be drawn to the repute of MathWorks as an organization that gives glorious analysis and improvement instruments for scientists, engineers, business consultants, and college students.
Another excuse was the productiveness introduced by MATLAB/Simulink merchandise. As an engineer working within the automotive business, I discover that these instruments are important for exploring varied issues associated to automobile efficiency evaluation and visitors planning, in addition to sign processing and evaluation.
Additionally, I had some private causes for taking part. My father was an engineer who used to make guide drawings and calculations by hand utilizing pencils and paper. I name this the “engineering romance of the final century”. For me and plenty of modern engineers, the usage of MATLAB/Simulink represents a extra environment friendly and correct solution to do calculations, design, and improvement.
Manjunath: That’s fascinating, Meng. So how did you provide you with your challenge concept for the problem?
Meng Zhang: Effectively, as you recognize, with the development of car know-how, electrical motors have gotten increasingly prevalent in new vitality autos. However the conventional central motor drive know-how, which makes use of clutch, transmission, drive shaft, differential, and switch, has a whole lot of points. It provides a whole lot of weight to the automobile, requires frequent upkeep, and reduces effectivity. So, I began excited about various options.
The hub motor, which embeds the motor within the wheel, eliminates the necessity for a lot of transmission elements and simplifies the automobile construction. It additionally permits for quite a lot of advanced driving modes, resembling differential steering and even in-place steering via management logic design.
With four-wheel impartial velocity and torque management, mixed with ABS and ESP, it might dramatically enhance dealing with stability throughout high-speed driving circumstances. And picture a automobile with this functionality, mixed with assisted driving applied sciences like autonomous parking, might simply obtain exact parking below slender or crowded streets.
Manjunath: That’s actually modern. So, how did you go about designing this four-wheel drive hub motor hybrid automobile?
Meng Zhang: To give you an summary of the Simulink mannequin, it concerned fast prototyping of a hub-electric hybrid with four-wheel drive. The principle focus of the mannequin was to analyse the ability efficiency and vitality consumption of the hybrid electrical automobile, and we additionally launched photo voltaic vitality as an auxiliary vitality supply.
Fig.1 Mannequin precept
Manjunath: That’s fascinating. Are you able to inform me extra in regards to the bodily processes concerned within the mannequin and provides an summary of your modelling method?
Meng Zhang: Positive. The principle bodily processes concerned have been battery offering electrical energy to the hub motors, braking effectivity restoration, mechanical vitality outputted by inner combustion engine to electrical vitality conversion, photo voltaic vitality storage, and mechanical vitality offered by motors to drive the automobile. The management course of concerned was primarily distributed drive of 4 wheels and adaptive adjustment of hybrid ratio.
Fig.2 Predominant simulation interface
We adopted the modelling technique combining Simulink and Simscape, the place the switch operate and bodily traits of the system are modelled on the identical time, in order to understand the real-time remark of the parameters within the working check technique of the hybrid automobile.
Fig.3 Simulink/Simscape synchronous hybrid modeling method(“photo voltaic pack” module for example)
We additionally offered a design platform that may be custom-made for the consumer to regulate the parameters of the motor, battery, and different assembled elements in accordance with their precise wants.
Manjunath: Your abstract of the mannequin is useful. Now, I’m curious in regards to the conclusion and would really like extra details about the outcomes.
Meng Zhang: We performed exams on the mannequin utilizing the FTP-75 Drive Cycle and found that the simulated velocity intently matched the drive cycle we had chosen. This final result demonstrated the profitable efficiency of the velocity controller.
Fig.4Comparison of obtained velocity with the chosen drive cycle.
Additional, the SOC of the battery was comparatively secure in the course of the check drive cycle.
Fig. 5 Battery SOC
Lastly, we built-in the mannequin with the Unreal Engine utilizing the Car Dynamics Blockset to visualise the vehicles behaviour.
Fig.6 Visualization of efficiency check based mostly on Unreal Engine
Manjunath: Had been there any challenges that you just confronted in the course of the design course of? If sure, how did you tackle it?
Meng Zhang:One of many major challenges we confronted was deciding on the suitable elements whereas aligning with the present market provide circumstances. It was essential for us to strike a steadiness between assembly our design targets and controlling total prices.We needed to keep away from extreme redundancy to forestall elevated prices, dimension, and mass, whereas making certain the elements met the precise wants of the system.
To deal with this, we performed intensive market analysis and utilized product information for our fashions. Actual-time monitoring of parameters resembling peak present, voltage, and temperature helped validate our part selections.The simulation capabilities of Simscape facilitated the fast improvement of temperature monitoring fashions for the battery and motor, making certain their accuracy.
Total, by integrating market analysis, product information, and simulation methods, we efficiently addressed the part choice problem whereas contemplating price components.
Manjunath: That’s fascinating! Thanks for sharing your insights and congratulations on profitable the Simulink Scholar Problem 2022.
Meng Zhang: Thanks! I’d like to supply some recommendation to future individuals. I’d suggest focussing on innovation and leverage the flexibility of Simulink’s intensive library of blocks and toolboxes. Experiment with varied elements, algorithms, and simulation parameters to optimizethe design. Be certain that your simulations precisely mirror the system’s behaviour and efficiency by validating towards established benchmarks, empirical information, or theoretical analyses. Lastly, create a concise and charming video that successfully communicates your challenge’s aims, methodology, and outcomes.
Manjunath: Thanks for offering such worthwhile recommendation for all future individuals of the competitors.
Pricey readers, the Simulink Scholar Problem is an unbelievable alternative for studying and development. Embrace this expertise as an opportunity to boost your abilities, broaden your data, and acquire sensible insights into system design and simulation.
