Ultra Low Emission Norms Project Development by Virtualization - An Efficient Combination of Virtual and Conventional Test Benches 2021-26-0495

The ever-increasing cost of automotive powertrain development is due to the more complex technologies required to meet the latest emissions legislation and customer expectations. Manufacturers need to conduct extensive development loops of test bench and on-road testing to verify the hardware, emission control system, corresponding ECU software function development. Increased resources are required to build up a comparably large number of prototype vehicles to calibrate all the ECU algorithms and functionalities. Increasing powertrain complexity leads typically to a strong increase of conventional calibration efforts. Therefore, there is a strongly increasing need for an advanced calibration approach based on multi-facial XiL simulation. This holistic simulation approach combines the statistical MiL simulation method used for validation of in-field system performance and a HiL based virtual calibration method that fully virtualizes the vehicle and powertrain in combination with a real hardware ECU. The method provides an adequate interactive process merging various model-based methodologies and allows its professional roll-out to the vehicle calibration process. Practically proven powertrain and vehicle modelling approaches are introduced as the fundamentals of integrated XiL based virtual calibration. It is hereby demonstrated that XiL simulation is already useful to assist in early calibration phases. But it is also highly valuable at later stages for system characterization of IUPV. Major contribution of this virtual test bench approach is for calibration of base engine, EATS and OBD functions. The method reduces 30 - 40% of time / effort and 35+ % prototype vehicles [4]. Several derivatives in different applications, transmissions, power ratings, 2WD and 4WD can be served. In this paper, showcasing how a right sized and early integration of virtualization methods can fulfil various development aspects of upcoming challenges. Advantages regarding quality and cost improvements are explained using selected representative examples, which are mandatory to comply with upcoming ultra-low emission standards.