Dr.
Mahesh M
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Electric vehicles (EV) mainly converted from the exiting
internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) by replacing
the internal combustion engine and fuel tank with an
electric motor drive and battery pack.
Drawbacks such as its heavy weight, lower flexibility,
and performance degradation have caused the use of
this type to fade out.
Primary electric vehicle power train.
The drive train consists of three major subsystems:
i) Electric Motor Propulsion ii) Energy Source, and iii) Auxiliary.
The electric propulsion subsystem comprises the vehicle
controller, power electronic converter, electric motor,
mechanical transmission, and driving wheels.
The energy source subsystem involves the energy source,
the energy management unit, and the energy refueling unit.
The auxiliary subsystem consists of the power steering unit,
the hotel climate control unit, and the auxiliary supply unit.
Figure: Conceptual illustration of general EV
Based on the control inputs from the accelerator and
brake pedals, the vehicle controller provides proper
control signals to the electronic power converter, which
functions to regulate the power flow between the
electric motor and energy source.
The backward power flow is due to the regenerative
braking of the EV and this regenerated energy can be
restored into the energy source.
The energy management unit cooperates with the vehicle
controller to control the regenerative braking and its energy
recovery. It also works with the energy refueling unit to
control the refueling unit and to monitor the usability of the
energy source.
The auxiliary power supply provides the necessary power
with different voltage levels for all the EV auxiliaries,
especially the hotel climate control and power steering
units.
There are a variety of configurations due to the variations
in electric propulsion characteristics and energy sources:
a) Conventional driveline with multi-gear transmission
and clutch
b) Single gear transmission without need of a clutch
c) Integrated fixed gearing and differential
d) Two separate motors and fixed gearing
e) Direct drive with two separate motors and fixed
gearing
f) Two separate in-wheel motor drives
a) Conventional driveline with multi-gear transmission
and clutch:
It consists of an electric motor, a clutch, a gearbox, and
a differential.
The clutch and gearbox may be replaced by an automatic
transmission. The clutch is used to connect or disconnect the
power of the electric motor from the driven wheels.
The gearbox provides a set of gear ratios to modify the speed-
power (torque) profile to match the load requirement.
The differential is a mechanical device (usually a set of planetary
gears), which enables the wheels of both sides to be driven at
different speeds when the vehicle runs along a curved path.
b) Single gear transmission without need of a clutch:
A fixed gearing can replace the multispeed gearbox and
reduce the need for a clutch.
This configuration reduces the size and weight of the
mechanical transmission, it also simplifies the drive
train control because gear shifting is not needed.
c) Integrated fixed gearing and differential:
The electric motor, the fixed gearing, and the
differential can be further integrated into a single
assembly while both axles point at both driving wheels.
The whole drive train is further simplified and
compacted.
d) Two separate motors and fixed gearing:
The mechanical differential is replaced by using two
traction motors.
Each of them drives one side wheel and operates at a
different speed when the vehicle is running along a
curved path.
e) Direct drive with two separate motors and fixed
gearing:
The traction motor can be placed inside a wheel. This
arrangement is the so-called in-wheel drive.
A thin planetary gear set may be employed to reduce
the motor speed and enhance the motor torque.
f) Two separate in-wheel motor drives:
By fully abandoning any mechanical gearing between
the electric motor and the driving wheel, the out-rotor
of a low-speed electric motor in the in-wheel drive can
be directly connected to the driving wheel.
A vehicle’s driving performance is usually evaluated by
its acceleration time, maximum speed, and gradeability.
In EV drive train design, proper motor power rating and
transmission parameters are the primary considerations
to meet the performance specification.
The design of all these parameters depends mostly on
the speed-power (torque) characteristics of the traction
motor
Typical variable-speed electric motor characteristics
At the low-speed region (less than the base speed as
marked in Figure), the motor has a constant torque.
In the high-speed region (higher than the base speed),
the motor has a constant power.
This characteristic is usually represented by a speed ratio
x, defined as the ratio of its maximum speed to its base
speed.
After the base speed, the motor voltage is kept constant
and the flux is weakened, dropping hyperbolically with
increasing speed.
Hence, its torque also drops hyperbolically with
increasing speed.
Figure shows the torque-speed profiles of a 60 kW motor
with different speed ratios x (x = 2, 4 and 6).
With a long constant power region, the maximum torque
of the motor can be significantly increased.
Vehicle acceleration and gradeability performance can
be improved and the transmission can be simplified.
However, each type of motor inherently has its limited
maximum speed ratio.
Permanent magnet motor has a small x <2
Switched reluctance motors may achieve x>6
Induction motors about x = 4
