MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SENIOR DESIGN
There are 3 distinct projects that the ME Senior Design Team are tackling this year. Those projects are the Hybrid Control Strategy, the Differential, and the Final Drive.
The objective of the Hybrid Control Strategy (HCS) senior design project is to develop an algorithm that distributes the amount of power transmitted by the E-motor and IC engine, respectively, under the various loading scenarios that the vehicle will experience. The team is currently in the process of selecting specific sensors, and is beginning to develop the control algorithm. Winter Quarter will be spent constructing and refining the algorithm through the use of computer simulation software. The HCS team is also working jointly with the EE senior design team to determine how the algorithm will be uploaded to the FPGA control board.
The differential team we chose to take on the project of making a Torque Vectoring Differential (TVD). The decision to design a TVD was heavily influenced by the SAE Formula Hybrid Competition Design Award potential as this differential design has never been implemented into a competition Vehicle. This upcoming quarter we will be designing and modeling the TVD, with the goal to 3D print a model at the end of the quarter to test our design.
The final drive group objective for this year is to create a hybrid power train combining the new Swissauto 250 IC engine with the GVM142-100 electric motor. The drive system and transmission of the Final Drive, which connects to the differential system, have to be designed for the 2018 Formula Hybrid competition car.
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING SENIOR DESIGN
The Hybrid Vehicle Controller Senior Design project aims to create a central control module that will handle the torque split between the electric motor and internal combustion engine, as well as manage support systems such as the Accumulator Management System. Through this controller the vehicle’s electrical wiring will be simplified, and easier to understand, aiding in passing tech inspection in a timely manner. Thought has been given to future expandability as well through the inclusion of extra Digital and Analog I/O, along with communication systems like CAN-bus.