Developing the Controller Unit Model of an Electric Vehicle

Abstract

This study focused on model development of the controller unit of an electric vehicle, emphasizing speed, torque, and temperature control. The research reviewed electric vehicle technology and existing challenges, highlighting the importance of precise control of these parameters for optimal vehicle performance, safety, and efficiency. The methodology involved designing a field-oriented control (FOC) system to regulate the speed and torque of the electric motor, as well as implementing a liquid cooling system for thermal management using ethylene glycol. The results showed that the temperature of the system, which had initially risen exponentially, stabilized at around 45°C after 72.07 minutes, demonstrating the effectiveness of the cooling system. Furthermore, the relationship between the quadrature-axis current (i<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">q</inf>) and torque was confirmed, with the varying torque influencing the motor's quadrature axis current i<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">q</inf>. The speed-torque plot illustrated how different torque values affected the vehicle's speed, distance traveled, and wheel RPM. The temperature of the motor was monitored from the start of operation (at 10 minutes) to a prolonged period (up to 100 minutes). The results indicated that the temperature increases exponentially and stabilizes at around 45°C. Notably, this stabilization occurs at approximately 72.07 minutes. The simulation and modeling performed with MATLAB/Simulink provided important details into the electric vehicle's performance under varying conditions, emphasizing the importance of these control mechanisms in ensuring the vehicle's reliability. This study contributes to the advancement of electric vehicle technology by demonstrating the importance of efficient control systems.