An Integrated Approach to Advancing the Science of Electrified Vehicles

在我们这个时代，没有什么比管理地球的空气更紧迫的挑战了。大气中二氧化碳含量的上升是全球变暖的主要原因，在中国，空气污染每天导致大约4000人死亡。在加拿大和美国，交通运输部门产生的温室气体约占总排放量的25%。为了解决这些全球性问题，我们必须向可持续发电驱动的电动汽车（ev）过渡。然而，在全球范围内，电动汽车销量占新销量的比例不到1%。电动汽车普及的主要障碍是高昂的初始成本、续航里程问题和充电基础设施。我提出的研究计划将采用整体方法，通过整合三个层面的研究来推进电动汽车科学：(1)电力电子电路设计，(2)车辆级设计，建模和控制，以及(3)电动汽车的电网级集成。虽然这些领域通常是单独考虑的，但我的计划将考虑它们之间的相互作用，以便做出发现，从而降低车辆成本，提高车辆效率，可靠性和范围。我的短期目标是：

There are few more pressing challenges of our time than the stewardship of our planet's air. Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are a major contributor to global warming and air pollution kills an estimated 4,000 people a day in China. In Canada and the U.S., the transportation sector creates roughly 25% of the greenhouse gases emitted. We must transition to electric vehicles (EVs) powered by sustainable electricity generation in order to combat these global problems. However, globally, EV sales account for less than 1% of new sales. The main obstacles to widespread EV adoption are high initial costs, range concerns, and charging infrastructure. My proposed research program will use a holistic approach to advance the science of EVs by integrating 3 levels of research: (1) power electronic circuit design, (2) vehicle-level design, modeling, and control, and (3) grid-level integration of EVs. While these areas are often considered separately, my program will consider the interactions between them in order to make discoveries that will lead to reduced vehicle cost and increased vehicle efficiency, reliability, and range. My short-term objectives are: 1) Power Electronic Level Advance power electronic converter design using wide-band-gap devices. The anticipated outcome is converter designs with increased efficiency and decreased volume and cost. 2) Vehicle Level Develop new multi-scale modeling techniques. The anticipated outcome is a tool for efficient EV powertrain design which we will use to study interactions between the powertrain electronics, vehicle system-level performance, and EV grid integration. 3) Vehicle Level Optimize autonomous vehicle control strategies for powertrain efficiency. The anticipated outcome is algorithms that specify the precise speed the vehicle should travel at for each instant in a trip to maximize powertrain efficiency in the face of constantly-changing external factors. 4) Grid Level Develop strategies to optimize the integration of large numbers of EVs with the grid. The anticipated outcome is algorithms and methods that take a vehicle-centered approach to smart-charging by first considering the driver's need for battery charge. The primary impact of this program is to improve the environment and the health of people living in urban centers, in Canada and worldwide. There is a further benefit to Canada in establishing itself as a leader in the advanced vehicle space, which is a fast-growing opportunity for high-tech well-paying jobs for Canadians. My proposed research program will train HQP in the highly-sought after areas of power electronics, vehicle modeling, design, and control, and smart grid. Due to the integrated nature of my program, my graduates will be leaders who can make technical advances while also understanding the bigger picture. Our advancements will help shape the future evolution of electrified and autonomous vehicles.