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Getting Started with Powertrain Blockset

This example uses:

The Powertrain Blockset™ provides reference application projects assembled from blocks and subsystems. Use the reference applications as a starting point to create your own powertrain models.

ObjectiveForSee

Design tradeoff analysis and component sizing, control parameter optimization, or hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing.

Full conventional vehicle with spark-ignition (SI) or combustion-ignition (CI)

Build Conventional Vehicle Model

Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) — Multimode

Build Hybrid Electric Vehicle Multimode Model

HEV — Input power-split

Build Hybrid Electric Vehicle Input Power-Split Model

Full electric vehicle

Build Full Electric Vehicle Model

Engine and controller calibration, validation, and optimization before integration with the vehicle model.

CI engine plant and controller

Calibrate, Validate, and Optimize CI Engine with Dynamometer Test Harness

SI engine plant and controller

Calibrate, Validate, and Optimize SI Engine with Dynamometer Test Harness

This example shows how to run the conventional vehicle reference application and examine the final drive gear ratio impact on fuel economy and tailpipe emissions.

Running this example requires a Stateflow® license. You can install a Stateflow trial license using the Add-On Explorer.

  1. Open the conventional vehicle reference application project. By default, the application has a 1.5–L spark-ignition (SI) engine and a final drive gear ratio of 3.

    autoblkConVehStart
    Project files open in a writable location.

  2. Enable data logging for the fuel economy and tailpipe emissions signals.

    1. Open the Visualization subsystem. Select the US Fuel Economy MPGe signal line and Enable Data Logging.

      Performance calculations with fuel economy signal data logging enabled.

    2. In the Visualization subsystem, enable data logging on the tailpipe emissions signals.

      Performance calculations with fuel economy and emission signals data logging enabled.

    3. Save the model.

  3. View the final drive gear ratio for the conventional vehicle.

    1. In the Vehicle subsystem, navigate to the ConfiguredSimulinkPlantModel > Front Axle subsystem.

      VVC configured conventional vehicle reference application.

    2. Open the Front Axle subsystem and navigate to the Open DifferentialSubsystem. Open the Open Differential block.

    3. In the Open Differential block mask, the Carrier to driveshaft ratio, Ndiff parameter represents the final drive gear ratio.

      Open differential mask parameters.

    4. In the Model Explorer, confirm the PlntDiffrntlRatio parameter value. The conventional vehicle project stores parameter values in a data dictionary. The parameterized value PlntDiffrntlRatio is set to 3.32.

      Model explorer with data dictionary parameter PlntDiffrntlRatio set to 3.32.

  4. Run a conventional vehicle simulation with a final drive gear ratio of 3.32. Import the results to the Simulation Data Inspector.

    1. In the ConfiguredConventionalVirtualVehicle model, run the simulation for the default run time. The simulation can take time to run. View progress in the Simulink® window.

    2. On the Simulink Editor toolbar, click the Data Inspector button to open the Simulation Data Inspector.

    3. In the Simulation Data Inspector, select Import. In the Import dialog box, accept the defaults and select Import.

    4. In the results field for the run, right-click to rename the run DiffRatio=3.32.

  5. Run a conventional vehicle simulation with a final drive gear ratio of 2.5. Import the results to the Simulation Data Inspector.

    1. In the Model Explorer, set the PlntDiffrntlRatio parameter value to 2.5.

      Model explorer with data dictionary parameter PlntDiffrntlRatio set to 2.5.

    2. Save the model.

    3. In the ConfiguredConventionalVirtualVehicle model, run the simulation for the default run time. The simulation can take time to run. View progress in the Simulink window.

    4. On the Simulink Editor toolbar, click the Data Inspector button to open the Simulation Data Inspector.

    5. In the Simulation Data Inspector, select Import. In the Import dialog box, accept the defaults and select Import.

    6. In the results field for the run, right-click to rename the run DiffRatio=2.5.

  6. Use the Simulation Data Inspector to explore the results. To assess the impact of the final drive gear ratio on the fuel economy and tailpipe emissions, view the plots of the simulation results. For example, these simulation results indicate a better powertrain match when the final drive gear ratio is 2.5:

    • Fuel economy increases when the final drive gear ratio changes from 3.32 to 2.5.

    • Tailpipe carbon monoxide (CO) mass emissions decrease when the final drive gear ratio changes from 3.32 to 2.5.

    Plots showing fuel economy and carbon monoxide emissions for 2 differential drive gear ratios.

Next Steps

Assess the impact of the final drive gear ratio on vehicle performance. Although the fuel economy and tailpipe emissions indicate a better powertrain match when the final drive gear ratio is 2.5, the ratio also impacts performance.

To assess the vehicle performance, examine 0 to 100 km/hr acceleration times for each axle setting. You can use the Drive Cycle Source block to output a constant velocity of (100/3.6) m/s.

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