Researchers Lamine Chalal and Ahmed Rachid from the University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene in Algeria have developed a digital twin for a scaled-down electric vehicle (EV) emulator. Their work, published in the journal IEEE Access, focuses on modeling, controlling, and experimentally validating the emulator to replicate longitudinal vehicle dynamics under various conditions.
The emulator integrates several components, including a separately excited DC motor, a four-quadrant DC-DC converter, a battery emulator, and a mechanical load emulator. The system models tractive effort, aerodynamic drag, and gradient resistance using Newton’s second law. Unlike conventional graphical modeling tools, the researchers used the Energetic Macroscopic Representation (EMR) framework, which offers clear advantages by explicitly representing energy interactions and facilitating the systematic derivation of control structures.
A control strategy developed within this framework governs energy flow across the powertrain, enabling accurate speed control via armature voltage regulation. Experimental tests conducted on a Lucas-Nulle test bench showed strong correlation with simulation results. The study also introduced a methodology to compute the maximum admissible vehicle mass, determined to be 13.5 kg for a 180 W motor operating at 1900 rpm, based on acceleration and slope constraints. Additionally, a switching algorithm for the bidirectional converter ensures reliable four-quadrant operation.
The proposed framework provides a scalable and effective approach for EV emulation, control design, and energy management validation. This research has practical applications for the energy sector, particularly in the development and testing of EV powertrains and energy management systems. By using digital twins, manufacturers can optimize vehicle performance, improve energy efficiency, and reduce development costs.
The research was published in the journal IEEE Access, a reputable source for scientific and technical research in the field of electrical engineering and related disciplines.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.