Co-Design of CVT-Based Electric Vehicles

Caiyang Wei, Theo Hofman and Esin Ilhan Caarls
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Caiyang Wei: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Theo Hofman: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Esin Ilhan Caarls: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 7, 1-33

Abstract: For an electric vehicle (EV) with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), a novel convex programming (CP)-based co-design method is proposed to minimize the total-cost-of-ownership (TCO). The integration of the electric machine (EM) and the CVT is the primary focus. The optimized system with co-design reduces the TCO by around 5.9% compared to a non-optimized CVT-based EV (based on off-the-shelf components) and by around 2% compared to the EV equipped with a single-speed transmission (SST). By taking advantage of the control and design freedom provided by the CVT, the optimal CVT, EM and battery sizes are found to reduce the system cost. It simultaneously finds the optimal CVT speed ratio and air-flow rate of the cooling system reducing the energy consumption. The strength of co-design is highlighted by comparing to a sequential design, and insights into the design of a low-power EV that is energy-efficient and cost-effective for urban driving are provided. A highly integrated EM-CVT system, which is efficient, low-cost and lightweight, can be expected for future EV applications.

Keywords: electric vehicle; co-design; continuously variable transmission; component sizing; optimal control; convex programming; energy efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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