EcoCAR

U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors, MathWorks, NXP, intel, dSPACE, Bosch, PACAAR, AAM

EcoCAR

Goals

To stimulate the development of advanced vehicle technologies that reduce the overall impact of transportation on the environment by designing, building, and refining an alternative fuel and connected/autonomous vehicle that reduces energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and criteria tailpipe emissions while maintaining consumer acceptability, utility, and safety.

Issues Involved or Addressed

Physics-based modeling and simulation-based design of hybrid-electric vehicle powertrains, optimized component sizing and subsystem design based on performance versus cost tradeoffs, design methodologies to ensure reliability and safety, virtual prototyping and hardware-in-the-loop testing, vehicle fabrication and road testing, development of optimal operating and charging strategies, utilization of telemetry and intelligent highway infrastructure to improve energy efficiency, development of automotive human-machine interface.

Methods and Technologies

  • Combustion Engines
  • Mechanical Transmissions
  • Electric Machines (motors and generators)
  • Electronic Power Converters
  • Lithium-Ion Battery Packs
  • Battery Management Systems
  • Embedded Microcontrollers
  • Feedback Control Systems
  • Power Management Algorithms
  • Camera and Radar Sensor Fusion
  • Short-Range Wireless Communication

Academic Majors of Interest

  • Business Administration
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
  • Computer Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Management

Preferred Interests and Preparation

  • ECE, ME, ChBE, CoC – Background/interest in hybrid-electric vehicle powertrains or vehicle autonomy, physics, statics, dynamics, circuits, electronics, wireless communication, camera/radar sensing, microcontrollers, control systems, heat transfer, computer-aided analysis/design software, Matlab/Simulink/Stateflow software.
  • MGT – Background/interest in communications, marketing, public relations, social media, event planning, video production, website development, youth outreach, fund raising.

Meeting Schedule & Location

Time: 

10:55-11:45

Day: 

Thurs

Location: 

Klaus 1440

Team Advisors

Sponsor(s)

U.S. Department of Energy, General Motors, MathWorks, NXP, intel, dSPACE, Bosch, PACAAR, AAM

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