Test Bench to emulate an electric vehicle through

equivalent inertia and machine dc

Iván Alcalá, Abraham Claudio, Gerardo Guerrero

CENIDET. Interior Internado Palmira s/n, Col. Palmira. C.P. 62050
Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
Phone: +52-777-3627770, ext. 218; Fax: ext. 427.
alcala@cenidet.edu.mx

Abstract of study allow proposing improvements to design the

EV propulsion systems, consequently, designing EV
In this article is proposed an approach to study more efficient by using alternative sources of energy or
electric vehicles based on an experimental platform energy storage sources [11], such as batteries, fuel
that adequately reproduces the behavior of electric cells, ultracapacitors, etc. For this reason this article
vehicles by obtaining the correct equivalences between presents a methodology to obtain suitable equivalences
a vehicle and a test bench. In the first part the general of a test bench that emulates a EV (Figure 1).
dynamic equation of movement of a vehicle is stated,
then how to obtain an equivalent dynamic equation for
the test bench that represents every one of the
variables of the dynamic equation of movement for a
vehicle by using a test bench is proposed. The system is
Figure 1. Block diagram of the emulated system
constituted by an induction motor (tested motor),
associated to the mechanical part through a
transmission (bands), inertia (two wheels of II. Equivalences
automobile, pulleys and arrows) and a CD motor
coupled to the induction motor. Finally the simulation a) Vehicle
results for the models of the proposed system, as well
as experimental results that show the possibilities of In Figure 2 the forces acting in the movement of a
variation of the test bench under some conditions of vehicle are shown [10]. The equation that describes
operation are presented. These simulations were made this movement is:
in Matlab/Simulink and the tests were made using the
TMS320F2812 DSP. mx Ft  Fg  Fa  Fr (1)

where x (dV/dt) is the linear acceleration of the

I. Introduction vehicle throughout the lengthwise direction, m is the
mass of the vehicle, the rolling resistance due to tires
An important phase in the development of electric
bearing is Fr, the aerodynamic drag is Fw, the slope
vehicles is the analysis and design stage. Thus it is
resistance is Fg and the total traction force is Ft.
necessary to have the study means that allow correctly
describing every one of the parts that integrate an
electrical vehicle (EV). This way, in the literature some
works that study the behavior of this type of systems in
a simulation level have been reported. This study is
based on models that represent the system and tests
platforms that allow emulating the behavior of EV by
using dynamic loads [1-9]. This allows reproducing a
closer behavior of an automobile real dynamics. Both
of the approaches allow studying the behavior of EV
under the different conditions of operation it has. This
way the obtained results through these two approaches
Figure 2. Acting forces in the vehicle.

978-1-4244-2718-5/08/$25.00 ©2008 IEEE 198

Rolling resistance is given by the following equation:
Fr =m g fr cos D (2)
Aerodynamic drag is:
1
Fw U ACV 2 (3)
2
Slope resistance is given by:
Fg = m g sen D (4)
Therefore, the movement dynamic equation for a
vehicle is:

C UV 2 A
mx Ft  mgsenD   f r mg cos D (5)
2
where g is the gravity, f r is the rolling resistance
coefficient, D is the road angle, U is the air density, Figure 3. Test bench.
A is the frontal area of the vehicle, C is the
aerodynamic drag coefficient and V is the speed of the Integrating the previous equation:
vehicle
JG § Tt ·
?V ¨ ¸ ZM (11)
b) Test bench mr ¨© Ttc ¸¹
Where r is the radius of the tire, G is the transmission
In order to have an equivalent dynamic equation for the
ratio in the vehicle, Tt is the motor torque of the
test bench (Figure 3) the following equation is
considered. vehicle, ZV is the angular speed of the vehicle motor,
ZN is the angular speed of the tire of the vehicle and
J eT ¨ Ttc  Tg'  Ta'  Tr' (6) the angular speed of the test bench motor is ZM.
where Je is the equivalent inertia that sees the
rmgsenD § Ttc ·
induction motor, 
ș (dȦM /dt) is the angular Then: ?Tg' ¨ ¸ (12),
G ¨ Tt ¸
acceleration of the test bench motor, Tt´= Te is the © ¹
electromagnetic torque for the test bench motor, Tg´ is
the torque due to the slope resistance (reflected in the C U AJ e 2G § Tt · 2
?Ta' ¨ ¸ ZM (13),
side of the motor), Ta´ is the torque due to the 2m 2 r ¨© Ttc ¸¹
aerodynamic drag (reflected in the side of the motor)
and Tr´ is the torque due to the rolling resistance
rf r mg cos D § Ttc ·
(reflected in the side of the motor). ?Tr' ¨ ¸ (14)
In order to achieve equation (6) as a valid model of G ¨ Tt ¸
© ¹
equation (5), the ratio between any pair of terms of (5)
must be equal to the corresponding ratio of (6). Hence, substituting equation (6) the following
equations are obtained:
mx JT
Thus: (7) Te Ttc J eT ¨Tg'  Ta'  Tr' (15)
Ft Tt '
rmgsenD § Ttc · C U AJ e 2G § Tt · 2
?Te J eT ¨ ¨ ¸ ¨ ¸ ZM
G ¨ Tt ¸ 2m2 r ¨© Ttc ¸¹
Tt G © ¹
Hence, Ft (8),
r rf r mg cos D § Ttc · (16)
 ¨ ¸
ZV G ¨ Tt ¸
© ¹
G (9)
ZN In order to obtain the electromagnetic torque (Te) a
and making some manipulations series of mathematical manipulations are made and
finally:
x¨ JG § TV ·
¨ ¸ (10) W r W 2  4QY
rT ¨ mr 2 ¨© TV c ¸¹ Te (17)
2Q

199
where W J eT ¨ (18),
The acceleration of the vehicles is approximately 2
rmgsenD § 1 · m/s2 (of 0 to 80.45 km/h in 11.17 s).
X ¨ ¸ (19),
G © Tt ¹
C U AJ e 2GTtZM 2
Y (20),
2m 2 r
rf r mg cos D § 1 ·
Z ¨ ¸ (21)
G © Tt ¹
y Q 1W  Z (22)

III. Simulations
The more important parameter in the motor selection is
maximum acceleration. In order to make simulations
under different conditions of operation (acceleration,
cruising speed and braking) the allowed maximum
acceleration was initially calculated based on the
parameters shown in Table 1. The acceleration curve of
vehicle is presented in Figure 4 and the acceleration
and braking of motor in the test bench is presented in a)
the Figure 5.

Table 1. Vehicle and test bench specifications

Vehicle mass 1600 Kg
Drag coefficient (C) 0.42
Radius (r) 0.32 m
fr 0.08
G 12.8
Area 2.2 m/s2
Equivalent inertia (Je) 0.2467 kg m2
Motor power of test bench 3 hp (2.238 kW)

b)
Figure 5. Test bench a) Acceleration, b) Braking

Figure 6 shows the drive cycle which the test bench

was put under, considering the allowed maximum
accelerations. Figures 7 and 8 show the angular speed
and the motor torque of the test bench. And the Figure
9 shows the motor power

Figure 4. Acceleration curve of the vehicle

200
 100
3000

90

2500
80

2000
70

60 1500
Velocity (km/h)

Power (W)
50
1000

40

500

30

0
20

10 -500

0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 -1000
Time (s) 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400
Time (s)
Figure 6. Cycle of handling in the city
Figure 9. Power

450

400
IV. Experimental Results
350

Next some of the results obtained experimentally

300
appear. Figure 10 presents the current and voltage in
one phase of the motor.
Speed (rad/s)

250

200

150

100

50

0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400
Time (s)

Figure 7. Angular Speed of test bench

10

4
Torque (N m)

Figure 10. Voltage and current in one phase

2

Figure 11 and 12 shows the current and the voltage in

0
the batteries in the starting. The current in a phase and
-2
the current in the batteries before a deceleration are
shown in Figure 13 and 14.
-4
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400
Time (s)

Figure 8. Torque

201

Figure 11. Current in the batteries in the starting (0 to
1800 rpm)
Figure 14. Current in the batteries before a deceleration
(1800 to 1200 RPM)
Figure 15 and 16 shows the phase current and the
current in of batteries before an acceleration. And
finally figure 17 shows the motor speed in the braking.

Figure 12. Voltage in the batteries in the starting (0 to

1800 rpm) (scale 100 V/div)
Figure 15. Phase Current in an acceleration (1200 to
1800 RPM)

Figure 13. Phase Current before a deceleration (1800 to

1200 RPM) Figure 16. Current in the batteries before an
acceleration (1200 to 1800 RPM)

202
 Loads with Non-linear Friction." in Proceedings of the
Speed
IEEE International Symposium on Industrial Electronics
2000
(lSlE96). Warsaw, Poland, 1996, Part 2, pp. 873-878.
1800
[7] Z.H. Akpolat, G.M. Asher, J.C. Clare, "Dynamic
1600 Emulation of Mechanical Loads Using a Vector
1400
Controlled Induction Motor-Generator Set," IEEE Trans.
on Industrial Electronics. vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 370-379,
1200
1999.
[8] Z.H. Akpolal, G.M. Asher, J.C. Clare, "Experimental
RPM

1000

800 dynamometer emulation of non-linear mechanical

600
loads," IEEE Trans. on lndustry Applications, vol. 35,
no. 6, pp. 1367-1273, 1999.
400
[9] M. RodiE, K. Jezernik, '"An approach to the dynamic
200
emulation of mechanical loads." in Proceedings of
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
International conference on industrial technology IEEE
sec
ICIT 7003, Maribor, Slovenia, December 10-12, 2003.
pp 489-494.
Figure 17. Braking of the motor (1800 to 0 RPM) [10] M. Ehsani, Y. Gao, S. Gay, A. Emadi, “Modern Electric;
Hybrid electric, and Fuel Cell Vehicles”, CRC Press,
2005
Conclusions [11] Chan, C.; “The state of art of electric and hybrid
Vehicles”. Proceedings of the IEEE, Volume: 95, Issue:
4, April 2007, Pages: 704-718.
A methodology to obtain adequate equivalences
between a vehicle and a small test bench is presented.
The curves of acceleration of the vehicle and the motor
of test bench are presented, which aid to know the
demands of maximum power which they can be put
under.
Good results were obtained during the scaling, because
the operating limits of the test bench motor were not
exceeded and the vehicle was correctly emulated for
the different operating conditions (starting, cruising
speed and braking) that it was put under to.

References

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