Component simulator wins R&D 100 award
Staff -- Test & Measurement World, 11/1/2003
Southwest Research Institute (San Antonio, TX; www.swri.com) has won a 2003 R&D 100 award from R&D Magazine for the Virtual Vehicle Transmission Test Cell (VVTTC). (R&D Magazine is published by Reed Business Information, the publisher of Test & Measurement World.)
The VVTTC uses hardware-in-the-loop technology and a software-controlled simulator to determine how a powertrain or related component would perform if it were integrated into a vehicle. The equipment and test cell were developed as part of a program funded by General Motors to test transmissions in the laboratory using an electric motor system to simulate an internal combustion engine. It consists of a low-inertia, AC motor and a high-speed control system. This 442-hp electric motor can operate at speeds up to 9000 revolutions/min and has a tilt range of 45°. A second electric motor, connected to the output of a transmission under test, simulates road load, grade resistance, and vehicle inertia. Using the two motors, the test cell can simulate a number of conditions, including stop-and-go traffic, varying rolls and grade angles, and aerodynamic drag. The system can also simulate driving cycles required by national and international standards. www.rdmag.com.
