Simulation Influence in the Design Process of Mild Hybrid Vehicles

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how simulation can impact the design process for an integrated starter generator (ISG) vehicle. Many aspects of the ISG system from the sizing of the electrical machine, the sizing of the battery(ies), the choice of battery chemistry, the choice of voltage, and the choice of control algorithms can be simulated with minimal expense or time consumption. Such simulations can assist the engineering team in making optimal design choices, all in advance of committing any expenditure of prototype funding. Simulations can provide an accurate approximation to the actual fuel economy impact of each of the potential higher-voltage functionalities that come with an ISG system. Further, total vehicle performance can be simulated to determine any performance-related issues prior to prototype component design and build. Content will be pulled from other papers to address the session topic of simulation impact on ISG vehicle design. The discussion will emphasize the impact and role of simulation and the opportunities for simulation rather than the technical detail of the simulation techniques themselves.