Holistic Optimization of Electric Powertrains

BorgWarner has developed a holistic methodology for optimizing electric powertrains by co-optimizing the drive inverter, electric machine, and mechanical transmission. This approach uses high-accuracy component models to estimate power, size, efficiency, material composition, and costs. The methodology addresses the growing market for electric vehicles, which increases pressure to reduce development times and costs while improving efficiency. Conventional methods optimize components separately, leading to sub-optimal solutions and increased development times. The proposed methodology uses parallel co-optimization, significantly reducing computational time and enabling practical commercial use. The article outlines the optimization procedure, including requirement definition, component performance and cost models, and selected optimization algorithms. A case study illustrates the method's application to a passenger vehicle, highlighting trade-offs between motor cost and powertrain efficiency. The work also includes a sensitivity analysis to understand the impact of performance requirements on the resulting system, providing valuable information for early target definition discussions.