Vehicle Thermal Component Testing With Swappable Virtual Models
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for testing thermal components in vehicles, particularly electric vehicles, lack the ability to simulate the behavior of multiple vehicles and components, limiting their adaptability and effectiveness in ensuring optimal performance across different conditions.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising thermal components, sensors, and a simulation device that allows for simulating and controlling various vehicle components, enabling easy replacement and adaptation to different vehicle configurations, and simulating diverse driving scenarios under varying environmental conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed cooling system configuration is used for testing, then the testing setup is simple and cost-effective, but the system cannot simulate different vehicles and components
Solution Approach 1:
The testing system is designed with universal interfaces and modular components that can accommodate multiple vehicle types and thermal components. The control device can configure different test scenarios for various vehicles (battery electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, internal combustion engine vehicles) using the same physical testing rig, allowing one system to serve multiple functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic configuration capabilities where the cooling system connections, simulated component parameters, and test protocols can be changed in real-time based on the specific vehicle being tested. The control device allows operators to switch between different vehicle configurations and component setups without permanent reconfiguration of the hardware.
2Reliability
If physical prototypes of different vehicles are built for testing, then accurate vehicle-specific testing is achieved, but the cost and time for developing multiple prototypes increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of building physical prototypes for each vehicle type, the system uses virtual models and simulation data that represent different vehicles. The control device imports vehicle-specific parameters and thermal characteristics from digital models, allowing accurate simulation of various vehicle configurations without physical construction. This copying approach maintains testing accuracy while eliminating prototype development time.
3Reliability
If comprehensive thermal testing is performed on multiple vehicle configurations, then optimal thermal management is achieved, but the testing duration and resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The testing system implements periodic test cycles that systematically rotate through different vehicle configurations and thermal scenarios. The control device automates the sequence of tests, switching between configurations in a predetermined pattern that ensures comprehensive coverage while maintaining efficient resource utilization and consistent testing intervals.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device serves as an intermediary that manages the complexity of multi-configuration testing. It coordinates between the physical testing apparatus, virtual vehicle models, and data analysis systems, automating the configuration changes and parameter adjustments required for comprehensive thermal management testing across multiple vehicle types without requiring manual reconfiguration for each test.
Data Source
Figure 1~2a
Figure 2b
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a System for analysing a thermal management system of a vehicle or its components in symbiosis of real hardware (test bench) measurements, simulation data and the visualization of both in a complete virtual vehicle of nearly real size, the system comprising: a plurality of thermal components (12a - 12c), at least one sensor (14a - 14c) for detecting the behaviour of at least one thermal component, the at least one sensor (14a - 14d) being connected to a simulation system(16), which simulates the behaviour of other components (18a - 18c) of the vehicle, in particular of the entire vehicle, the simulation system (16) being adapted so that at least one simulated component (18c) of the vehicle can be replaced by another simulated component (18d), whereby the simulation system (16) is further adapted to control the thermal components (12a - 12c) based on the behaviour of the new simulated component (18d).