PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Driving down costs
OEMS are challenged to defossilise mobility. One way of doing it is by driving down
the cost of electrification, and key to this is a systems approach to engineering
156 // January 2020 // www.electrichybridvehicletechnology.com
Ricardo’s multi-speed electrifi ed drive unit maximises
overall system effi ciency while reducing weight and cost
Making the transport
sector zero fossil carbon
to help mitigate climate change
is a priority, yet removing the
internal combustion engine from
the vehicle parc and powering all
global transport by battery electric
technologies is unlikely to be
achievable at the pace required
to mitigate climate change.
CO2 emissions targets and range
limitations for electric vehicles will
ensure the combustion engine
operating on reduced fossil fuel
content will remain a key element of
automotive and industrial propulsion
systems for many decades. The
Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership
calculates that increasing the UK
bio-fuel percentage to 9.75%
on average as a drop-in fuel
modification by 2020 could save
two million tonnes of CO2 in the
UK transport sector. Significantly
greater percentage bio-fuel is
already in use in the EU.
Ricardo advocates a holistic
view of total lifecycle impacts and
sustainability, and risk-mitigated,
cost-e ective deployable propulsion
systems. A systems approach that
combines high-e iciency propulsion
options targeting low-to-zero
air-quality impact delivers
synergistic weight and cost
reductions and supports an
integrated multi-energy vector
approach to defossilization.
Ricardo’s systems approach
to electrification comprises several
core technologies. The Magma xEV
combustion system delivers 45% true
brake thermal e iciency (BTE) in a
hybridized car or light commercial
vehicle powertrain. It has been
developed using Ricardo’s advanced
combustion simulation tools, and
the concept is particularly attractive
for series-hybrid and range-extender
powertrain applications. Routes to
50% BTE are understood, as well
as compatibility with low-carbon
fossil fuels.
Ricardo’s dedicated hybrid
engine for hybrid, PHEV and
range-extender applications o ers
significant weight, friction, thermal
and cost optimization. Novel
approaches to design, integration,
materials selection and combustion
system application have shaped
future engine family design and
signpost solutions for cost-e ective
hybridized powertrains.
A pioneer of electrified drive units
(EDU) for hybrid and full electric
vehicles, Ricardo’s multi-speed
electrified drive unit maximizes
overall EV or hybridized system
e iciency, o ering systems weight
and cost reduction along with
package space optimization. The
three-speed power-shifting concept
demonstrates the advantages of a
systems approach: a 4-7% increase
in range; substantial vehicle launch
and top-speed improvements; 50%
motor volume reduction; and the
possible reduction in battery cells
for the same range or the ability to
sell the vehicle in a higher class with
greater range and sales price. The
systems approach is scalable from
one to three speeds, as determined
by the complete system design and
optimization toolchain. This also
advises selection and development
of motor technology and design
features, optimizes the number of
gears and ratios, and optimizes
battery capacity for a given vehicle
requirement set while minimizing
total vehicle bill of materials cost.
The Ricardo 800V automotive
battery pack exemplifies the design
features and thought leadership the
company delivers in high-voltage
batteries. It is an enabler for lighter,
more e icient power networks on
the vehicle, ultra-fast charging and
high system power output. Thermal
systems technology options include
immersion cooling, rapid-charging
cooling and control approaches that
minimise battery heating and cooling
systems energy requirements as a
complete vehicle thermal system, to
deliver significantly improved range.
Applicable to all these systems
– internal combustion engine,
electric motor, power electronics,
battery, cabin, cooling and air
conditioning (AC) circuits –
Ricardo’s advanced thermal systems
o erings bring together vehicle
multi-temperature cooling circuits
and direct/indirect heat pumps
that enable the recovery of waste
heat from electric components.
Ricardo Integrated Thermal
Management (ITM) balances
heating and cooling power among
the components, together with heat
storage using actuators and sensors
with Model Predictive Control to
minimise energy consumption from
ancillaries such as fans, pumps and
AC compressors.
The Ricardo systems approach to
driving cost out of electrification can
be applied to the product challenges
faced by OEMs as they work hard
to achieve the goal of mitigating
climate change.
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Future
Vehicle
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