About the Project
Application Deadline: 3rd July 2016
Start Date: 26th September 2016
Eligibility: UK, EU
Duration of award: 3 years
Ref: CRAN1103
Supervisors:
Dr Stefano Longo – Lecturer in Vehicle Electrical and Electronic systems
Dr Efsthatios Velenis - Senior Lecturer in Vehicle dynamic
Sponsored by Cranfield and Charge R&D Limited this studentship will provide a bursary of up to £18,000 - £ 20,000 p.a. (tax free) plus fees for three years*
Motivation - Driven by the stringent regulation in all major markets of CO2 and pollutant emissions, the automotive sector is increasingly adopting electrification of powertrain in various forms. The powertrain system design has to meet harsh and highly competing constraints such as low cost, low weight but high energy density and long life. It is surprising that, despite the effort of prominent research groups in the UK and worldwide, as well as industry, a consensus has not been reached on the optimal design of powertrains. In other words, optimal integration (in terms of sizing and energy management) and control is still an open research problem. Real system testing is performed by OEMs but at this stage little flexibility for design amendments is possible due to the high cost of reconfiguration. Early-stage system design optimization can be done in simulation, which is relatively inexpensive but unable to capture all the features of the real system. Developing an intermediate step is the scope of this project, which is to build a hardware-in-the-loop test rig with high testing flexibility. Such setup could be used, for example, to test whether it is better to use supercapacitors or a flywheel for energy recovery in a vehicle powertrain.
Objectives
• Design and build a hardware-in-the-loop test rig. This will be an expansion of the rig already available in the Mechatronics Laboratory, Centre for Automotive Engineering, Cranfield University
• Prepare the simulation suite using state-of-the-art vehicle models available from a current EPSRC project for which the supervisor is a work package leader
• Design, implementation and validation of energy management control techniques with the aim of generating guidelines, data and novel control strategies.
Deliverables
• A HIL rig for testing and simulation of low-carbon vehicle powertrains that will remain at Cranfield
• Software tools for designing and optimising powertrain topologies
• High-fidelity models and optimal control strategies
• Peer reviewed publications for dissemination and impact
• Patentable topologies and techniques
Entry requirements:
Applicants should have a first or second class UK honours degree or equivalent in a related discipline, such as mathematics, or engineering. The ideal candidate should have understanding in the area of simulation, numerical modelling, programming, control engineering, mechatronics and power electronics. The candidate should be self-motivated, have good communication skills for regular interaction with other stakeholders, with an interest for industrial research.
How to apply:
For further information please contact: Dr Stefano Longo, E: [Email Address Removed], T: (0) 1234 758581
If you are eligible to apply for this research studentship, please complete the online application form
For further information contact us today:
School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing
T: 44 (0)1234 758008
E: [Email Address Removed]
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