Analysis of serial plug-in hybrid-drives by interconnection of component specific simulation tools

In comparison between today’s vehicles and former times, many of the vehicle components were nearly independent of each other. But in the meantime some of them are closely connected. Many of the mutual interactions between powertrain, driving dynamics and electric, later also electronics, were initially either not existing, or they were not took into detailed consideration during vehicle development. This independency of the components subsystems was still popular when computer simulations arrived in vehicle development. As a result, the simulation tools turned out in an independent way for a long time. However, in modern vehicle concepts result a deeper networking of the individual vehicle subsystems. With this increase of networking, further interactions between vehicles components arise, which did not exist in the past in this scale. For hybrid vehicles this applies in a special extent. Because of the combination of two different drives, there result many additional degrees of freedom with regard to possible powertrain configurations and operating strategies. Furthermore changes at single vehicle components partially have an extensive impact to the entire vehicle. At the same time, there comes along a great optimization potential to get closer to the goal of a highly efficient use of energy and minimization of emissions.