Development of a SIL, HIL and vehicle test-bench for model-based design and validation of hybrid powertrain control strategies

Hybrid powertrains with multiple sources of power have generated new control challenges in the automotive industry. Purdue University's participation in EcoCAR 2, an Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition managed by the Argonne National Laboratories and sponsored by GM and DOE, has provided an exciting opportunity to create a comprehensive test-bench for the development and validation of advanced hybrid powertrain control strategies. As one of 15 competing university teams, the Purdue EcoMakers are re-engineering a donated 2013 Chevrolet Malibu into a plug-in parallel- through-the-road hybrid-electric vehicle, to reduce its environmental impact without compromising performance, safety or consumer acceptability. This paper describes the Purdue team's control development process for the EcoCAR 2 competition. It describes the team's efforts towards developing a complete vehicle model of a Parallel-through-the road PHEV which can leverage SIL and HIL simulation platforms for control development. A HIL test-bench was developed for real-time controller testing. The use of parameterized models, a prototyping controller and a unique interfacing philosophy allows the team to transition quickly between the SIL, HIL and vehicle platforms, thus providinga comprehensive test environment for the design and validation of various hybrid supervisory control strategies. Some preliminary data from the team's SIL and HIL simulations has also been presented.