DYNAMOMETERS motor might perform,” Dank continues. Brainstorming batteries “And the classical way to check how each With uncertainty in local emissions system performs when interacting in a legislation, consumer direction and real-world environment is to test a real car technology advancements, open, flexible Luigi Giordano at AVL (pictured below) on a real road. But that is the most costly test solutions are important in terms of the emphasizes the importance of accelerating environment and too late in the development powertrain technology itself and the testing the development of the propulsion system cycle. So the question becomes: what is the equipment. Batteries in particular are by increasing the simulation of component and right environment to develop the systems constantly and rapidly evolving. When integration testing. and identify problems at the earliest stage?” validating their performance, there are “This can be achieved by making use of modern high dynamic emulators and taking advantage of The answer is becoming increasingly a variety of parameters that must be more accurate component test systems to improve complicated as customer demands change examined on the chassis dynamometer, the parametrization of the simulation models. This and battery-powered vehicle technology from noise performance to electromagnetic is, for example, successfully done by customers rapidly evolves. compatibility. In terms of range calculation testing and validating the inverters with e-motor “The solution is to use a flexible and for BEVs, measurement tools must be more emulators parameterized to replicate real e-motors multiconfiguration validation environment accurate than for ICEs. “Despite EVs being measured at different suppliers in different where the missing parts (road, driver, more powerful than conventional vehicles, locations.” components of the propulsion system, etc) we have not seen a demand to increase the are emulated precisely and in real time.” performance of the vehicle test systems, Furthermore, Dank highlights the move since chassis dynamometers are mostly toward the software-defined vehicle, in which used to execute certification tests where the powertrain is not only connected to only partial performance is replicated. More electronics systems but also entirely reliant important is to increase accuracy for the on them to operate. These are then linked to long-lasting range tests and equip the test ADAS and autonomous driving systems, with solution with charging capability and with a large central processing unit at the heart of the suitable battery safety systems,” says Luigi Giordano, vehicle that processes enormous amounts of data in director of electrification application at AVL. real time. Another common client request when developing BEVs As a result, test facilities are gradually becoming “data is to use a specific test system to simulate the thermal factories”, and Dank envisions a future in which there are dynamics of the vehicle’s thermal management system. even fewer physical analysis methods than today. Giordano notes that this may have significant implications for the optimization of the vehicle consumption. Linking up “We have not seen a demand to increase the performance of the vehicle test systems” Luigi Giordano, director of electrification application, AVL Underspecifying is a greater risk than over expenditure when defining a new system as an underspecified system can fast become prematurely obsolete 74 JUNE 2024 www.AutomotiveTestingTechnologyInternational.com