Austin Texas - The Winter Workshop Recap

As mentioned in "What a month!" here's the recap from UWAFT's participation in the Winter Workshop...

The University of Waterloo Alternative Fuels Team kicked off February by attending the EcoCAR 2 Winter Workshop in Austin, Texas. Two of the engineering competition’s sponsors, Freescale and dSPACE, co-hosted the workshop for the 16 teams, which was held at Freescale’s headquarters.

The Winter Workshop was designed to provide the teams with detailed sessions from competition organizers (such as General Motors, the U.S. Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratory). Also, sponsors who donated components and software tools to all the teams provided detailed training - dSPACE, A123 Systems, Freescale, AVL Powertrain Engineering, CD-adapco, Siemens, and Vector.

The workshop was also opportunity to put UWAFT and the other teams to the test in their first in-person scored presentations for technical, outreach, and business.

For the technical team, they successfully presented their Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) progress on controlling the stock vehicle in a simulated environment. While the outreach presentations were given to groups of middle school and high school students from the Austin area. There was also a judged youth outreach presentation.

Overall, the Winter Workshop was a hit for everyone involved. Students from each team had plenty of opportunities to network among themselves as well as with representatives from the sponsoring organizations. It also provided an exciting opportunity for the sponsors to learn more about the progress each team as made so far!

UWAFT team at the Winter Workshop pose with the EcoCAR 2 Chevrolet Malibu

Introducing the “Engine” Behind UWAFT’s Vehicle Design

EcoCAR 2 Platinum-level sponsor dSPACE Inc. recently donated a Mid-Size Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Simulator to the University of Waterloo Alternative Fuels Team (UWAFT) along with each of the other 14 teams competing in EcoCAR 2. dSPACE’s donation is an invaluable tool that helps develop vehicle controllers quickly and safely. UWAFT will use the HIL to test the supervisory controller, which will later be used on the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu.

An HIL Simulator such as the one donated by dSPACE is used for testing automotive vehicle controllers systematically and automatically. Vehicles sold today typically have a dozen controllers. These include engine, transmission and anti-lock brake controllers, among many others. A tool that allows for systematic and automatic testing can save automakers and part suppliers millions of dollars; hence dSPACE’s HIL is critical to the development process.

So how does dSPACE’s HIL work? A model of a component is first programmed on a computer. For example, UWAFT programs its engine model using MathWorks’ MATLAB and SIMULINK. These models are then run in real-time on the dSPACE HIL. The engine controller is then connected to the HIL and tested. If the computer model of the engine is done correctly the engine controller cannot tell the difference between the HIL engine and the real engine.

The neat part of the engine system is automation. UWAFT can program a series of tests on HIL and see how the engine controller will react. For example, the HIL can simulate an engine overheating or a low oil situation. If the engine controller is programmed correctly, it should shut down the engine to prevent damage. Using this testing method is much cheaper than breaking an actual engine, and therefore saves companies millions of dollars – and UWAFT a few broken engines!

The dSPACE Mid-Size HIL Simulator in UWAFT's Garage

The other benefit of the HIL is that concepts can be tested before being implemented on the actual vehicle. This allows UWAFT team members to test various cutting-edge ideas without the risk of damaging expensive prototype components. Overall the use of the Mid-Size HIL Simulator will enable UWAFT to safely integrate and implement a vehicle controller, resulting in a quicker and better design than would have been impossible without dSPACE’s invaluable donation!